We know that transition from military to civilian life can be a difficult and challenging time so we have created this page to assist you and your family. We use these resources quite frequently and have found them to be very helpful to our team, our Clients and our prospects.
The list of resources below is intended to assist candidates gather more information on multiple job-related topics. These topics cover everything from preparing your resume to interview etiquette to transition support. Please feel free to look around.
Education
DANTES – ENTRANCE EXAMS REPAYMENT PROGRAM
- Active duty service members can get reimbursement for entrance exams such as the GMAT or GRE. They are limited to one reimbursement.
- A general overview to help veterans understand the Post 911 GI Bill, in a plain English format.
POST-911 GI BILL® COMPARISON TOOL
- A tool designed to be used by veterans to compare the costs and how much they will receive in support from the various GI Bills.
POST-911 GI BILL®BENEFITS TRANSFER INFO
- How veterans would be able to transfer their benefits to their spouses or children.
- The BAH calculator provides an overview of how much assistance a veteran will receive for BAH depending on their program, location and percentage.
- Fact Sheet on the Yellow Ribbon, participating schools match the contribution of the VA to further support veteran students.
FIVE TIPS FOR VETERANS RETURNING TO SCHOOL
- Transitioning from the military to the civilian world is hard, especially when it comes to finding a suitable veteran job. It is doubly difficult when that transition also involves going back to school. This is a solid article from Western Governors University that highlight five things that every student veteran should do as they transition to their college life.
VA and Disability
Transition Advice
- The app creates a timeline based off the member's separation path, terminal leave and preferences. The timeline is designed to help reduce the stress of various deadlines (job searches, VA applications, etc.).
KOCH’S VETERAN TRANSITION GUIDE
- Col. John Buckley, U.S. Army (Ret) developed this guide for transitioning veterans based on his own personal experiences and interactions with veterans in his role as Koch Industries' military relations manager. From understanding your own goals to employer negotiations, this guide has it all. We highly recommend you download and use it during your transition into civilian employment.
THE TRANSITION INTELLIGENCE DASHBOARD
- Statistical responses to important transition questions.
- Enables users to convert an occupational specialty (MOS, AFSC or Rating) into an equivalent civilian position.
Resume' Assistance
TOP TEN RESUME TIPS (PART 1)
- Here are 10 important recommendations you should consider when developing your civilian resume. This is a PDF download that was developed by a military member turned civilian hiring manager and is based upon more than 25 years of experience.
- The same former military member turned civilian hiring manager offers ten additional recommendations when developing your civilian resume.
- A downloadable eBook about developing a resume.
- Volunteers that assist fellow veterans in the civilian sector by providing free resume reviews, recommendations, and guidance as a component of their complete professional profile.
- This is a list of 43 resume tips that can help you get hired in the civilian workplace.
Interview Resources
RULES FOR A SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEW
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- A great article from Military.com that outlines lessons learned from a military hiring manager.
WHY INTERVIEWING IS SO AWKWARD
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- An interesting article about the interviewing dynamic.
THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO IMPROVE YOUR JOB INTERVIEW RESULTS
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- A great article from Forbes magazine that we consider a must-read article as you prepare for an interview.
THREE TOP TRICKS OF A SUCCESSFUL JOB SEEKER
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- Solid advice for all job seekers.
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- An article from the Military Veterans Recourse Center that outlines lessons and mistakes to avoid from the perspective of a military hiring manager.
Candorful | Nail That Interview
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- Provides veterans with a three series interview preparation package.
LinkedIn
How to Network
DON’T FLY SOLO IN YOUR TRANSITION
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- The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) provides great transition advice in this article and talks about finding mentors and coaches to help guide your journey.
WHY THE BEST JOBS ARE NEVER ADVERTISED
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- Finding the best jobs isn’t easy and networking is the key to locating these positions. This article addresses the hidden job market and provides insights on how to find the best positions.
HOW TO CRACK THE HIDDEN JOB MARKET
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- According to some reports, the hidden job market represents approximately 80% of the available position in today’s workplace. This Forbes article provides 6 ways to break into the hidden job market and will better enable your transition.
VocRehab / USO / CSP
DELOITTE CORE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
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- The Career Opportunity Redefinition and Exploration (CORE) Leadership Program at Deloitte University, in Westlake, TX helps armed forces members and veterans translate their skills, knowledge, and experiences into a business environment.
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- The mission at Vets2PM is to help military veterans become Project Managers by inspiring them about the incredible value of their military experience to the lucrative field of project management, training them how to manage civilian projects and earn professional certifications, and preparing them and placing them with employers who value their experience and expertise. Since their formation in 2015, the team from Vets2PM have trained hundreds of veterans to pass the PMP certification exam.
ARMY CREDENTIALING OPPORTUNITIES ON-LINE (COOL)
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- COOL helps soldiers find information on certifications and licenses related to their MOS and explains how they can meet civilian certification and license requirements. It also provides links to numerous resources to help get them started. This is another fantastic program that’s worth looking into.
NAVY CREDENTIALING OPPORTUNITIES ON-LINE (COOL)
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- Sailors are encouraged to learn about certifications and licenses at this link.
MARINE CORPS CREDENTIALING OPPORTUNITIES ON-LINE (COOL)
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- Marine Corps COOL is a continuously developing product for both active and reserve Marine Corps service members that defines civilian credentials that best map to Marine Corps MOSs. It outlines the path, work, training and experience required to achieve them.
FREE VETERAN CERTIFICATION COURSES
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- This website provides several free certification courses to include IMC (cleaning and janitorial certification), BPC (bloodborne certification) CCC (carpet cleaning certification), mold inspection, green cleaning, chemical hazards, and customer service certifications.
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- VetForce enables service members, veterans and spouses to receive free employment training. Participants in this program receive structured, self-paced Salesforce training, collaborate in an online community, achieve Salesforce certification, and get connected to high-demand and high-wage employment opportunities in our ecosystem of more than 150,000 customers.
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- This is a veteran founded organization that specializes in PMP and ACP training for active duty members and veterans.
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- AWS Educate is now available to 10,000 US veterans as part of the White House Joining Forces initiative. This program provides access to credits, training, and the option to choose their desired cloud career. AWS Educate delivers a personalized path that includes content, knowledge checks, and badging that guides them through the learning process. AWS Educate is available to veterans, transitioning military personnel, and their spouses residing in the United States.
Skillbridge
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- DoD SkillBridge that allows eligible transitioning service members to participate in civilian training, apprenticeship, and internship programs. SkillBridge implements DoD guidance (issued in early 2014) allowing Service members to participate in job and employment training, including apprenticeships and internships, up to six-months before their service obligation is complete. This is a fantastic program that’s worth looking into.
Financial
Dress and Appearance
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- Save-A-Suit provides former military with professional business attire and the confidence needed to succeed.
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- Suiting Warriors provides transitioning assistance to the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces, Veterans, their spouses, Guard and Reserve by providing them with upscale professional attire needed to compete in the civilian workforce.
Salute 2 Suit – Dressing America's Heroes
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- The finest ready made suits exclusively for our American Heroes.
Mentorship and Interview Prep
AMERICAN CORPORATE PARTNERS (ACP)
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- ACP helps military members, veterans and spouses find their next career through one-on-one mentoring, networking and online career advice. They provide insights related to schools and degree programs which might help you achieve your post-military career goals.
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- Veterati allows you to access mentors to help with your transition and integration. Join thousands of service members, veterans, and spouses in setting up free 1-hr career mentorship phone calls with successful professionals. Veterati allows you to choose your own mentor and as many as you would like.
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- COMMIT helps America's top tier servicemembers and veterans find personal and professional purpose after military service. They provide high touch transition support so veterans in all communities can access services helping them identify their passions, build strong networks, and leverage their skills in civilian careers.
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- The DAV is a non-profit charity that provides a lifetime of support for veterans of all generations and their families, helping more than 1 million veterans in positive, life-changing ways each year. DAV is a leader in connecting veterans with meaningful employment, hosting job fairs and providing resources to ensure they have the opportunity to participate in the American Dream their sacrifices have made possible.
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- Student Veterans of America (SVA) is a 501(c)(3) coalition of student-veteran groups stationed on college campuses across the globe. They provide support networks, fund scholarships, train tomorrow’s leaders, assist in providing Vet Centers, help educate through G.I. stewardship and research, and much more.
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- Transition Services extends the USO experience to you and your family as you transition from military service and settle into your new civilian community. USO Scouts offer one-on-one support to help create a plan for what’s next. They help connect you with the services, opportunities and resources that are the best fit for you and your family.
THE VETERANS CAREER TRANSITION PROGRAM (VCTP)
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- This program is part of the University of Syracuse’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) and sponsored by JPMorgan Chase. VCTP utilizes an online learning platform to help active duty, selected reserve, veterans and military spouses learn business, technology, and career skills to accomplish their personal and professional goals. Individuals can work towards an industry certification administered by globally recognized organizations.
TAP
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- Soldier For Life program
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- Fleet and Family Support Program, Transition GPS
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- AF Personnel Center
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- Marines Corps Community Services
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- Office of Work-Life Programs – Transition Assistance Program
Books
US VETERANS IN THE WORKFORCE - BY MIKE SCHINDLER
THE PRIOR-SERVICE ENTREPRENEUR - BY MICHAEL KAPLAN
YOUR NEXT MISSION - BY LIDA D. CITROEN
BOOTS TO LOAFERS - BY JOHN W. PHILLIPS
DOWN RANGE - BY JAMES D. MURPHY & WILLIAM M. DUKE
PCS TO CORPORATE AMERICA - BY ROGER CAMERON & CHUCK ALVAREZ
NETWORKING FOR VETERANS - BY MICHAEL L FAULKNER
THE MILITARY TO CIVILIAN TRANSITION GUIDE - BY CARL S. SAVINO AND RONALD L. KRANNICH
OPERATION JOB SEARCHIDE - BY JOHN HENRY WEISS
COMMAND YOUR TRANSITION - BY TRAVIS COLLIER
TAKING POINT – BY BRENT GLEESON
FLAWLESS EXECUTION – BY JAMES MURPHY
SELL OR BE SOLD – BY GRANT CARDONE
THE 10X RULE – BY GRANT CARDONE
EXTREME OWNERSHIP – BY JOCKO WILLINK
GOOD TO GREAT – BY JIM COLLINS