What skill from military service became most valuable to you after leaving the military and why?

SGT Joseph Gunderson — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 15:36:34 -0400

Did your MOS skills translate into a great civilian position or did the leadership and management skills give you a leg up in a corporate setting? What skill most benefited you after leaving the service? For those still in the military, what skill do you believe will most benefit you later?

Response by SSG Pete Fleming made Jul 4 at 2017 4:01 PM

SSG Pete Fleming — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 16:01:49 -0400

Not stressing over the little things.

Response by MSgt Jason McClish made Jul 4 at 2017 4:11 PM

MSgt Jason McClish — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 16:11:50 -0400

No clue as I'm still in.

Response by SGT Mark Halmrast made Jul 4 at 2017 4:13 PM

SGT Mark Halmrast — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 16:13:34 -0400

Teamwork.
Perspective.
Finish the job.

Response by SMSgt Thor Merich made Jul 4 at 2017 4:29 PM

SMSgt Thor Merich — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 16:29:17 -0400

Even though I transitioned from military law enforcement to civilian, my military job experience didn't help me much because of the huge differences between military and civilian LE. However, I did learn many skills that helped me in my civilian career. Most of those are fairly generic to any MOS though. Such as being organized, working with a team, working under extreme pressure, pushing myself to extreme limits, working with folks from different cultures and backgrounds. And mostly learning to appreciate folks that were different from myself.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 4 at 2017 5:44 PM

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 17:44:33 -0400

SGT Joseph Gunderson Planning everything out to the last detail and having a backup plan. Discipline, drive, and determination to overcome all challenges to complete the mission.

Response by SSG Steven Mangus made Jul 4 at 2017 6:39 PM

SSG Steven Mangus — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 18:39:54 -0400

I went from military to civil service upon retirement and I found the "can do" attitude has worked well for me..

Response by PO1 Randy Stewart made Jul 4 at 2017 6:48 PM

PO1 Randy Stewart — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 18:48:58 -0400

Attention to detail & how to troubleshoot. Submariners know their ship.

Response by CPT Aaron Kletzing made Jul 4 at 2017 8:16 PM

CPT Aaron Kletzing — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 20:16:43 -0400

Tenacity- never quit no matter what

Response by SGT Philip Roncari made Jul 4 at 2017 8:41 PM

SGT Philip Roncari — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 20:41:30 -0400

On the lighter side of this post ,my first job after the Military was entry level,mopping and buffing floors,cleaning toilets, all skills I was taught very well in Basic,later after I progressed to digging ditches that's where my MOS really came into the fore front,yes ladies and gents, Infantry! But really the Service gave me a can do ,mission first ,attitude that stood me in good stead for my 43 year career in the electric utility field.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 4 at 2017 9:43 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 21:43:57 -0400

I often time hated working in logistics, but it definitely made me more resourceful. That's an attribute which has definitely served me well in all aspects of my life.

Response by LTC John Mohor made Jul 5 at 2017 1:17 AM

LTC John Mohor — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 01:17:06 -0400

I think patience is an attribute you have no choice but to learn in the military. Hurry up and wait has effected us all. Understanding live as well as work is a marathon and not a foot race goes a long way!

Response by PO1 Brian Austin made Jul 5 at 2017 4:27 AM

PO1 Brian Austin — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 04:27:05 -0400

Teamwork, discipline, attention to detail, organization, prioritization, situational awareness, can do attitude. Working with people from different backgrounds.

Came in handy while i was a contractor in Iraq and also currently at the hospital i work at. About 85% of the hospital staff are from other countries.

Response by CWO3 Dennis M. made Jul 5 at 2017 7:07 AM

CWO3 Dennis M. — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 07:07:26 -0400

After retirement, I went into Law Enforcement as a Chief Deputy and culminated this carreer as High County Sheriff. Without a Doubt it was Leadership!.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 5 at 2017 9:50 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 09:50:36 -0400

As an officer I was taught early on that no matter what happens on the battlefield, the look on your face should tell everyone around you that not only is everything under control, but that you even expected it to happen. I was typically able to do this showing very little emotion in tense situations and just focusing on the task at hand. This has been a great asset in the civilian world as well. While the situation I encounter aren't life or death, you wouldn't guess that by the way some people in corporate America react to things. I have been told numerous times that nothing bothers me. That couldn't be further from the truth. I've just learned how to react (or not react) to it. In combat, if the look on my face showed what was happening in my gut a lot of times, they probably would have sent me home!

Response by SGT Christopher Hayden made Jul 5 at 2017 1:00 PM

SGT Christopher Hayden — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 13:00:32 -0400

Surely how to disassemble an M249 in half a minute.

Oh wait...

Response by LT John Chang made Jul 5 at 2017 1:23 PM

LT John Chang — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 13:23:22 -0400

Project management, no doubt - got me my first near six-figure job. Coming out of the military, that surprised me, because I was expecting a pay cut and needing to essentially "start over" & earn my "civilian stripes." Instead, here I was being valued for my military experience like those commercials always promise!

Response by Cpl Justin Goolsby made Jul 5 at 2017 6:23 PM

Cpl Justin Goolsby — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 18:23:03 -0400

I would have to say my MOS translated into a great civilian position. I've always had the drive and determination to do what I set out to do, but what I lacked was the training and connections to be successful. In the military I was able to make the connections from people who saw my work ethic and knew what I brought to the table. The military also trained me in an occupation that does require some skill to perform. So now I don't have to settle for entry level positions, I can at least move up a couple notches on the ladder.

Response by Sgt Will Lavely made Jul 5 at 2017 7:08 PM

Sgt Will Lavely — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 19:08:28 -0400

I would say determination, troubleshooting, and learning how to deal with assholes really helped. 35 almost six figures :)

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 6 at 2017 2:43 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 06 Jul 2017 14:43:36 -0400

Still in the military. You know what skill I think will be the most beneficial. Learning to deal with the vast amount of stupid things you have to put up with during your time in the military. You don't get a choice but to deal with the stupid things daily while you're in, especially if you're lower rank, so you deal with it, you get angry about it, and then you get a twisted dark sense of humor about it and move on. So when you get out stupid things you have to deal with in your civilian career, don't even affect you, or they don't make as big of an impact on your life any more. "Oh what Dave from accounting got a DUI over the weekend? Really he got fired, you mean to tell me the boss isn't going to make us work overtime to cover him, or send us all to AA meetings because he screwed up? Awesome!"

Response by SN Earl Robinson made Jul 6 at 2017 4:03 PM

SN Earl Robinson — Thu, 06 Jul 2017 16:03:08 -0400

The confidence to know I will overcome any obstacle I encounter in life.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 7 at 2017 2:41 AM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 02:41:24 -0400

Sleeping anywhere
Pride in work.
I would say team work but... A lot of Civilians don't get the concept very well. A lot of me me me going on there.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 9 at 2017 12:32 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 09 Jul 2017 00:32:59 -0400

Military changed the way I live my life in pretty much everything

Response by CPL Mark Andersen made Jan 17 at 2019 11:24 AM

CPL Mark Andersen — Thu, 17 Jan 2019 11:24:00 -0500

Discipline