Are you coming to the end of your active military service period? Are you looking for a fast-growing, high-paying career with a bright future? IT may be what you’re looking for.

Why IT? Two reasons.

First, many of the skills and discipline you developed during your military career are transferable to the tech industry. Problem-solving, team work, project management, persistence… These are critical capabilities needed for a successful career in IT.

Second, the IT sector is booming. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the demand for tech professionals is growing. As a result, job opportunities are also increasing. Simultaneously, there’s a shortage of qualified tech professionals which is creating a growing labor shortage that employers are struggling to overcome. This makes an inviting landscape ripe for those interested in stepping into the tech industry.

We’ve been helping transitioning Veterans build tech careers since 1997. We know stepping into the civilian world isn’t as easy as it seems. Here are three key considerations for Vets considering a career in tech.

1. Identify your transferable skills

Employers look for technical skills, but don’t underestimate the power of soft skills, such as communication, team work, leadership, and persistence. Employers want employees who can get the job done. The military gives you these skills. Highlight them on your resume.

Use assessments, personality assessments, and career mapping exercises to uncover other transferable technical and non-technical skills. For example, inventory management is used in IT as well as the military. Project management is another transferable skill most military personnel have under their belt. Create a skills inventory and match them to IT roles descriptions to identify what hiring managers look for. This will inform your resume building.

In addition, identifying role requirements helsp you translate your military skills and experiences into language, keywords, and accomplishments that private sector employers understand and value. Try using a military skills translator if you don’t know how to translate your military experience into civilian terms.

Not sure where you fit in tech? Take our Vet-friendly quiz and find out!

Create a career path

Like any journey, having a career map reduces confusion, lost time, and un-needed expenses. The tech industry has a lot of variation and opportunity. Without a clear sense of where you want your career to go, you can spend precious time bouncing from role to role without making any forward progress.

Doing this work alone can be daunting. We recommend finding a career counselor or outside expert who brings an objective view to the exercise.

At CCS Learning Academy, our Vet-friendly experts help create a roadmap that outlines which training you need to get started and how to progress toward your ultimate career goal, be a systems analyst, cybersecurity pro, or infrastructure engineer. We also connect Vets to our professional tech recruiters who have access to open Vet-specific roles that align with their career path.

• Don’t do it alone

Our work with transitioning Veterans has a recurring theme: don’t do it alone.

We hear of so many Vets who spend years trying to start their civilian career. Invariably, their struggle stems from trying to make their transition without help. The civilian landscape may be disorienting, but there are myriad resources and support groups designed specifically to help you make a successful transition.

CCS Learning Academy has teams focused on helping transitioning Vets get the relevant training they need to be successful in the civilian market place. We also team with the National Veterans Transition Service, Inc.. a.k.a. ReBoot, in support of this mission.

Help and support is out there. Tap into it!

Need some transition inspiration? Tap into the Your Next Mission podcast!

Get your civilian tech career off to a strong start with CCS Learn Academy

Today’s employers are looking for tech professionals with the skills – technical and soft – who can get the job done. As tech pros ourselves, we know which IT skills and training are relevant and will get you in the door.

Our course catalog includes applications and technologies that are used in today’s marketplace, like:

• MS Azure Cloud
• Business intelligence
• Data modeling
• Data warehousing
• Portal development
• Document management
• Power BI
• Project collaboration
• SSAS, SSIS, & SRSS
• and a whole lot more

We offer industry-standard curriculum that employers look for and reward. Whether you need an introduction course or a certification prep course, we have it.

We also offer accelerated bootcamp programs that get you fully qualified for entry tech level roles in 8-12 weeks

All our Veteran training offerings include job search support and connection to our Veteran Talent Team whole can help you find your perfect tech job. Moreover, our parent company, CCS Global Tech, is an authorized SkillBridge Employer and is always looking for Veterans to hire.

Conclusion

Entering the military was a major life change. Leaving it is too. And although you may be asking yourself, “what do I do now,” keep in mind you developed a robust set of marketable skills while you served. Many of them are optimal for tech roles and this is a prime time to step into the tech industry. Using these three key considerations to inform your move into tech will ensure you do so efficiently and effectively. Call us today if you’re struggling to transform your military background into a tech career. We can help!