Discovering the Skills and Education You Need for a New Career

Are you wondering what direction to turn for a new career now that you’ve completed your military service? There are many resources available to help you — in fact, there are so many, it can be difficult to know where to start.

These resources can help you identify your particular talents and connect you with private industry and nonprofit careers. Here are five tips that may help you wade through all the options on the way to a new career:

1. Google has developed VetNet, a well-organized space for exploring career opportunities and finding assistance in transitioning from military to civilian life. There are three tracks that provide resources for everything from resume writing to starting a small business.

2. Networking is important in the private sector. Several colleges, state governments and large corporations sponsor veterans networking events, career fairs or affinity groups that may be of interest to you. Search out these entities in your local area and give them a call to learn more.

3. Another possible source of help is The Veterans Business Network, a relatively new resource that can connect you with colleges, universities and business partners for further education and training as you embark on a new career.

4. If you’re a disabled veteran and always dreamed of starting your own business, look into the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Disabled Veterans. It may have resources to help you, and it is also a terrific example of giving back. Air Force veteran Mike Haynie, who is now an entrepreneurship professor, started the program in 2006.

5. If either you or your spouse has a desire to give back to the military community, consider a career in social work, where highly trained professionals are desperately needed to serve veterans and their families. Since 2001, 2.3 million Americans have served in a war zone. More than 6,500 service members have lost their lives, close to 50,000 have been wounded, and an estimated 400,000 are returning home with brain injuries or mental illnesses, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Most tragically, more soldiers killed themselves in 2012 than died in combat. 

The prestigious Master of Social Work program at the University of Southern California has a specialization in military social work and participates in the Post-9/11 GI Bill Yellow Ribbon Program. In addition to several physical Southern California locations, the USC School of Social Work also offers the MSW degree online, so you can study anywhere you have Internet access. Web-based classes start two times a year. Requirements for the degree include completing 1,000 hours of field experience, which the school coordinates for you at a setting in your area.

To find out more about our innovative web-based degree program, the MSW@USC, request more information or check out the main USC School of Social Work website for a campus-based program.