Veterans: Are you working in the same field as a civilian as you were in the service?

2013-11-23T08:38:21-05:00

I joined the navy as an Information Systems Technician. I served 4 years, got out, went to college, got my degree in IT. I always thought I would be an IT for life. While I was in college though, I joined a sorority. Yeah, I was a 22 year old college freshman military veteran turned sorority girl, so what? Anyway, I became Financial Vice President of that sorority, and it led me to my current career. I now work for a billing service for fraternities and sororities all over the country. I assist FVPs and treasurers of their chapters in scheduling dues for their members, sending out statements, working on their chapter's budget etc.

While I'm not directly in the same field I worked in as a service member, I know one thing: Military service taught me extreme attention to detail. I don't mind tooting my horn, I'm damn good at what I do. I've been with this company for 5 years now. I found out this week that I'll be getting a title change and a raise at the beginning of the year. Attention to detail, quality assurance, etc.

So what about you? What are you doing now? Same thing as the service, or something different? If something different, how did the military prepare you?

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 23 at 2013 9:11 AM

2013-11-23T09:11:48-05:00

I'm an AG officer but would hate being HR in the civilian sector. I'm a Latin teacher on the civilian side.

Response by CPT Laurie H. made Nov 23 at 2013 9:47 AM

2013-11-23T09:47:05-05:00

"Yeah, I was a 22 year old college freshman military veteran turned sorority girl, so what?" - Love it! I'm a sorority girl turned transportation officer, so I can appreciate that.

I work in logistics for the Army and pharma on the civilian side. Completely difference but I definitely agree that I bring the work ethic, attentional to detail, etc. I've learned in the military to my civlian job and it makes a huge difference.

Response by CMC Robert Young made Nov 23 at 2013 10:09 AM

2013-11-23T10:09:41-05:00

It's been all law enforcement and security in both worlds up until now. It seemed a natural progression simply because so many of the skill sets were easily transferable between environments. That said, the military provided much more leadership training, and many more career opportunities than the civilian LE world. I know very few people who don't experience some significant personal growth as result of their military service regardless if they change professional endeavors after leaving. It seems we all benefit by our service and its opportunities. Congrats on the promotion! Sounds like you have a long and prosperous future ahead.

Response by CMDCM Gene Treants made Nov 23 at 2013 2:02 PM

2013-11-23T14:02:34-05:00

I was an Electronics Tech and then did 4 tours as a Command Master Chief. When I retired I worked at Walmart in loss prevention until I had a BFO and went back to school under the GI Bill and made more money to finish my degree. Then worked in Child Protective Services. So, NO.

Response by SFC James Baber made Nov 23 at 2013 4:56 PM

2013-11-23T16:56:19-05:00

I attempted to continue in LE, but found my body was telling me otherwise, so I am now reinventing myself by going to school and getting a BA in Homeland Security, will then pursue a position within the GS sector. Wish me luck.

Response by CPL Hayward Johnson made Nov 23 at 2013 8:32 PM

2013-11-23T20:32:56-05:00

I was a 11C Indirect Fire crewmember, so i am not working in the same field as i once was... i wish i was... i loved my job, hated the hours but it made due. what i do now? now i look for work, i tried home depot, going to school network marketing but all have felt empty and meaningless. The only hing that i took pride in was security and working at the gym on post because i was around like minded individuals. My people of the military and those are the only people i have a solid connection with. To many civilians cry about their hours and what they gotta do when they get to work an its just really annoying and irritating to me to hear that crap. And as far as network marketing...being around a bunch of fake people really didnt do the thing for me...money sounded good and the way they explained how it works sounded to easy..but getting it to actually work when im not a people person was the hardest part for me

Response by SSG Laureano Pabon made Nov 23 at 2013 8:58 PM

2013-11-23T20:58:28-05:00

No, I had 2 mos's when I was active duty, 31B field radio operator/Mechanic and 93H Air traffic Controller. I attempted to work ATC for the FAA, but they didn't look at military skills nor was I ever called even thought I passed all the exams.

Right now I'm an A++ certified tech and work in IT, I been in that field for well over 14 years.

Response by PO2 Dale McMillan made Nov 24 at 2013 3:33 PM

2013-11-24T15:33:55-05:00

I joined the navy as a deck seaman, cross rated as a Torpedoman. When I retired from the navy I went to college and earned an associates degree in computer science while working full time as a delivery driver for an equipment rental company. I worked in the Information Technology department for thirteen years after I graduated and now I am retired again.

Response by LT Peter Gallagher made Nov 24 at 2013 8:13 PM

2013-11-24T20:13:08-05:00

I was Nuclear Navy, then after my MBA got much more into marketing and strategy, then building and turning around ''broken'' companies. So short answer is I went in a different functional direction from the Navy. That being the case, many of my military skills and training come through still today. Clear and direct communication, leadership and engagement, getting people to see the bigger picture beyond the daily details. There is so much that is different in the corporate world, but the basics of being a compassionate leader and committed team player translate across lines.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 24 at 2013 10:51 PM

2013-11-24T22:51:28-05:00

Amanda,

That's a great question!

In a way, yes. When I was in the Army, I had an MOS of 35R (Avionics Radar Repairer) and an MOS of 88K (Watercraft Operator). With a combination of those two MOS's: my knowledge in electronics repair; being familiar with the equipment on the vessel's bridge and with a couple of FCC licenses and a Ship's radar endorsement, I became a marine electronics technician after I ETS'd.

I'm still using the combined skills of my two MOS's as a hardware systems developer for GNSS (GPS and GLONASS) units and other systems that are installed on board offshore supply vessels (OSV's), semi-submersible rigs and drill ships in the oil and gas industry.

Response by PO2 Alex M. made Nov 24 at 2013 11:49 PM

2013-11-24T23:49:00-05:00

I started my short career in the Navy as a weapons system technician and I ended as military police. I am now a police officer for a federal agency so I guess that would mean that I stayed in the field. I am however majoring in human resources development and that is the field that I would like to move into. Leadership development, change and performance improvement are all things that interest me. Adult learning isn't too far behind.

Response by PO2 Richard Peno made Nov 25 at 2013 10:05 AM

2013-11-25T10:05:53-05:00

I did work in my field for a while (Electrician's Mate) but thanks to my employer at the time laying me off, it took me in a similar but more technical direction. I was a Building Systems Tech/Support for 15 years then the wheel turned again. I am now a non-technical Software Consultant. What all this means is that the Navy taught me how to see beyond my comfort zone and take that next step even if it didn't look like I was directly qualified. In so many words...."We keep on going like we know what we are doing!"

Response by PO1 Kevin Spain made Nov 25 at 2013 4:58 PM

2013-11-25T16:58:18-05:00

I was a Navy Career Recruiter and now I'm a Sr. Corporate Recruiter for an interanational company (Fugro). View our corporate site at http://www.fugro.com

- 8 years military recruiting
- 9 years Corporate Recruiting

If you find something that's a match for your skills, send your resume to ( [login to see] )

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 25 at 2013 6:12 PM

2013-11-25T18:12:47-05:00

I wish I was, and I been looking for years to find a job that does what I do/did in the military . However now a days you either need to know somebody that knows somebody or you gotta jump thru a million of hoops to get a job like that.

Response by PO2 John Crutchfield made Nov 25 at 2013 9:08 PM

2013-11-25T21:08:44-05:00

I joined the Navy as a non-rate, graduated 3rd in boot, then was able to pick my A-school. Choices were Mess Specialist or Data Processing Tech. I didn't want to be a cook, so I became a DP. Served on board the USS Enterprise from 88-91, then shore duty at Defense Nuclear Agency (now DTRA) at Kirtland AFB, 91-94. I went to work at Motorola in 94 and worked as a Manufacturing Technician. In 96, I knew that Manufacturing was not for me, so went to college fulltime, while working fulltime at Motorola. I graduated with a BS degree in Info Systems in 99, then moved back to Albuquerque. In Albuquerque, I started out as a Network Tech. Fast-forward 14 years and am now working as a Sr Systems Admin for a small Joint Service Command at Kirtland AFB.

Response by SSG Stan Morrison Jr made Mar 12 at 2014 5:57 PM

2014-03-12T17:57:50-04:00

No, not directly. But, I use the skills I learned in the military at my current job, and at home. I was a Combat Engineer - 51 B ( well 51 H when I got out). That's Carpentry and Masonry Specialist. I use those skills very often.

Response by SSG Mike Angelo made Mar 16 at 2014 11:54 PM

2014-03-16T23:54:01-04:00

I retired as an instructor and I wanted to teach electronics. I applied at a Voc Tech school and was told that I need an AAS. 2 years later I reapplied, and was told I needed a BS...same school...so I went back to college and got my BS...reapplied and told I needed a Masters degree...same school...I went and got my MSM and applied at the school to teach and was told that they are hiring out of the field and no degree was required.

So when I applied for my current job, I left out the military and applied with just my higher education and was hired immediately. I am not in my military field of expertise. I adjusted myself and crafted my abilities to meet the needs of the community of which I live.

Faribault is a cow-town of a population of about 23,000...apx 4,000 are new comers from the Sub Sahara African areas; Somali, Ethiopia, Sudan and my programs are directed toward poverty and low income families. I see some of my military experience in there, but alot of other life experiences too.

Response by SGT Suraj Dave made Apr 6 at 2014 4:58 PM

2014-04-06T16:58:51-04:00

I used to be an NCO, and a Combat Medic. Now I am a college math tutor. Yeah, talk about a total 180

Response by 1SG Henry Yates made May 28 at 2014 7:06 AM

2014-05-28T07:06:06-04:00

Not exactly, I Served as a Combat Medic. In my current position, Ombudsman, I use that medical experience along with experience as an NCO to assist Service Members, Veterans and their Families. I remain in the Army Medical Department.

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made Jun 10 at 2014 9:12 PM

2014-06-10T21:12:56-04:00

Yes, I planned it that way and it actually worked. I majored in computer science and went Signal Corps to bolster & foster my college education. Had a few computer related assignments and additional duties along the way and am now a happy civilian software developer!

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 11 at 2014 12:01 AM

2014-06-11T00:01:07-04:00

I am in an entirely different field as a civilian than I was in the Service. I started out as a Satellite Operator/Maintainer which I thought would be great for getting a civilian job. It wasn't. The jobs were to either deploy as a contractor or be a technician/sales for Satellite TV providers. Maybe I could have found something else if I had better connections but I chose to go back to school instead and used the ROTC scholarship money to pay for it in case I needed a Masters later. Now I am a Texas Army National Guard Maintenance Officer attached to a Field Artillery unit and as a civilian I work as a low-level actuary for an insurance company.
I agree with the other posters on this thread. The military helped me mature, become more responsible, and have the attention-to-detail that is required of actuaries. I can definitely say that my military experience has helped me get jobs in my current field solely based on the expectation that I will have great attention to detail.

Response by GySgt Joe Strong made Jun 11 at 2014 9:45 AM

2014-06-11T09:45:33-04:00

I originally started working by Mowing lawns, got too many to service myself and started selling contracts to mow on the side. Then I went to Junior High(Middle School)... , at some point I started cleaning Butcher shops (fun! not...) worked in a Grocery.
Then I joined the Corps with a Contract for the 2800 field, Communications Maintenance. Throughout my time in the Corps I was trained first in Electronics and then in the Comm. gear I was to maintain. As I broadened my exposure to equipment I may have temporarily specialized in types of gear but was always looking to find out about the rest of the equipment in the inventory and ways it could be made to work together.
I was chosen to fill a Joint slot and continued the previous trend by mastering my primary assigned equipment but also investigating equipment that would have rarely been seen in the Corps at that time and was able to get my fingers on some Video-Teleconferencing(VTC) equipment.
The VTC experience got my second post-Corps Civilian job (the first one while a lot of fun and in the Electronics field wasn't sustainable for my family) I'm still in VTC almost 20 years later and agree with some other posters that Radio is great but the IP protocol is taking over a huge portion of Communications positions, finding ways to certify there will definitely help your employability in the Civilian Sector.

Response by SSG Mike Angelo made Jun 12 at 2014 12:21 AM

2014-06-12T00:21:29-04:00

No, I am not working in the same military field or industry. I am doing work that is off grid of any of my military specialties and skill identifiers.

First 4 years of my military career, 76-80, I hardly worked in my MOS, military occupational specialty. Why? Because I was holding the slot of my MOS but it was a ghost slot, meaning I was on alot of details and assortment of projects. I was slotted but there was hardly any work in that field. Once in awhile I got to work in it but it was not steady work. there was alot of us like that,...not working in our MOS. It was a different generation ago.

The next 4 years, I was assigned as an Instructor and got to work in my MOS.

Response by SGT Christopher Davis made Jun 13 at 2014 11:31 AM

2014-06-13T11:31:33-04:00

I am sort of but trying to change it. I was a 63H (Track Vehicle Repairman) and now I contract fixing the MRAPs. When I got out in 2006, I got a contract job refurbishing battle damaged tracks and wheels in Qatar, which sucked cause of the heat but I loved the off duty life! Moved on the Afghanistan in 2008 and repaired some units RG31s 5Tons and tankers. 2010 I joined the current company I'm with now and learn the rest of the MRAPs. We were in charge of rebuilding battle damaged MRAPs. I'm currently stateside as a FSR but still looking to get into the IT field.

Response by PO2 Maxwell Jones made Jul 13 at 2014 7:32 PM

2014-07-13T19:32:26-04:00

I was a submarine nuke mechanic in the Navy. I went to college for 4 years and worked as a reactor operator at a test and research reactor. Now I'm an equipment operator at a commercial nuke plant, so basically yes.

Response by CPO Scott Boyle made Jul 18 at 2014 2:45 PM

2014-07-18T14:45:32-04:00

I am. Retired as a Navy MCC (Journalist/PAO) and now working at the University of Tennessee as a Communication's Director.

Response by PO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 5 at 2015 3:21 PM

2015-01-05T15:21:12-05:00

I was a torpedoman on Submarines. There weren't a lot of civilian equivalents, lol... I went to college and then grad school so I could work in Higher Education Student Affairs (so far, I've been an Academic Advisor and a Veteran Services Coordinator).

Response by CSM Michael Lynch made Feb 24 at 2015 3:24 PM

2015-02-24T15:24:01-05:00

This is a great question. My initial job was 13E Fire Direction for Filed Artillery, then re-classed into 35 R Avionics Repair and thought that would be a good civilian job after I got out, but the Army was smarter than I and pulled me into recruiting where I spent the remaining years.

I did jump into a veterans hiring program as a SR Military recruiter while developing our program and am now working on the marketing side of it as well. In a nut shell yes, but not sure it is going to be my last career change either. Time will tell.

If it pays and you are happy 95% of the time it is a good fit. If you're not having fun then it's time to make a move.

Response by PO2 Steven Erickson made Feb 24 at 2015 3:48 PM

2015-02-24T15:48:03-05:00

Sort of...

I was a Navy Nuclear Electrician's Mate on submarines. After I finished my Bachelor's Degree in Physics, I moved immediately into the civilian commercial nuclear power. That was 23 years ago, and my "job" has changed several times, but I'm still in the commercial nuclear field.

The Navy taught me much of what I use to be successful: precision in communications, dedication to the mission and respect for those in position above me - but more importantly - how to do MY part of the job as part of the team.

Teamwork, brothers and sisters... Teamwork is the same "out here" as it is in the service.

Response by SSG Dave Rogers made Apr 19 at 2015 3:19 AM

2015-04-19T03:19:00-04:00

No, I was Logistics and Infantry, now I am doing what I love the most, I am an Artist.. painting and sculpting..