Has military service helped any of you get a better job after discharge?

1. 60

   Jonesy0311posted 13 years ago

   Has military service helped any of you get a better job after discharge?
   
   Many of the men I served with now work in factories or construction sites. Like me, a select few used the G.I. Bill to attend college. Many are unemployed. Has the military helped anyone get a job that they couldn't have gotten after high school anyway?

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2. 73

   jjackson786posted 13 years ago

   Hypothetically, it SHOULD. But unfortunately, it doesn't. There are veterans finally coming home after years of being abroad and cannot find jobs. The unemployment rates of returning veterans are unbelievable, and only places seemingly hiring these individuals are factories, warehouses, and construction businesses. So my answer to your question would be no. It seems like the best combination for career success is a college degree AND military service. Hopefully this will change soon with the economy, because our veterans deserve the best

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3. 77

   LuisEGonzalezposted 13 years ago

   It has helped me in the sense that people see me a little differently; as more mature, and I have found it that some are grateful, although do not publicly state it.

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4. 0

   dminformerposted 13 years ago

   I would have to agree with you.  I am a veteran of the Navy and 10 years later, joined the Army.  After the Navy, I went and did my undergraduate degree in business administration and Economics, but only found work as an administrative assistant, which was the skill I had prior to the Navy.  I didn't use valuable resources after getting out of the Navy, because many people that were in the computer field with me and were discharged found lucrative employment opportunities in computers.  However, this was back in the 1990's.  While I was in the Army in 2000, I was pursuing a M.S. degree in computer information systems, and was abruptly discharged in 2003, where I had to put myself through school.  I was unfortunate that I was working as a chaplain assistant and didn't have the flexibility or the option to pursue work experience in the field.  Since that time, I have had a lot of trouble finding employment.  I have been pretty much unstably employed.  I did, however, complete some certificates in various fields through correspondence studies.  Currently, I am in a MBA program where I am making a 110% effort to take advantage of Internship opportunities.  I believe that with internships, not only can you build connections through networking, but you can gain valuable work experience regardless of your military service.

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5. 49

   Jeremy1234posted 13 years ago

   Your time in the military is like any other, you get out of it what you put into it. Nothing is going to be handed to you just because you served. Most of those separating from enlisted service just don't know what to do when they get out, and some just chose to mess around during their time and not pay attention to the transition services offered by the branches.
   
   There are plenty of opportunities for prior service members, most of them in specific niches which specify in utilizing the particular skills they acquired. Check out www.usajobs.com or www.militaryonesource.com for job listings.
   
   Each individual controls their own destiny. If they end up working at a factory after the military and never move up, it's because they allowed it to happen. No one can force someone to stay in a dead end job, or to remain living somewhere they don't want to be. If you don't like your situation and you choose not to remedy it, you have no one to blame but yourself.

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