Active duty service members face demands unlike any profession. While military training empowers protecting national interests, optimizing career mobility and postwar transitions also carries importance. Expanding education while enlisted thus becomes vital. The experts at ProTrain say that military members should prioritize degree programs, skill certifications, and vocational enrichments, including using resources like Airforce COOL.
The Benefits of Higher Education
For enlisted personnel and commissioned officers alike, higher learning benefits span beyond merely bolstering promotion potential. College degrees build capabilities transferrable into civilian sector jobs whenever service concludes.
Earning a bachelor’s or master’s degree means unlocking management roles, specialist positions, and technical occupations after exiting. For military members giving years of service, the ability to pivot into corporate, governmental or private industry careers remains essential long-term.
Additionally, military compensation sometimes waives tuition fees entirely when earning a degree while active, deployed or drilling. From associate through graduate programs, generous cost assistance plans empower debt-free degree attainment for soldiers fully committed to continuing education.
Gaining In-Demand Certifications
Beyond college studies, active personnel should also utilize their specialization training to earn resume-building work certifications. Each military occupational specialty directly feeds into civilian employment needs. Aviation mechanics can gain FAA licensing, engineers pursue Professional Engineering stamps, and IT specialists earn systems administrator credentials like Security+, CCNA and Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert.
The Airforce COOL program conveniently maps MOS codes and experience to corresponding professional certifications. Earning these qualifications while serving adds measurable credibility that hiring managers seek. Plus, avoiding student debt with free military tuition assistance lets personnel allocate income towards other major life goals.
The Lifelong Dedication to Improvement
At its core, military life requires continually bettering oneself to overcome obstacles and accomplish missions. Education plays right into this continuous growth mindset. Technical skills degrade without consistent usage and technology evolves perpetually. This means developing new specialties through ongoing certifications and training. Consider the radically different computer systems a veteran from the 1990s utilized compared to what soldiers operate currently.
Beyond benefiting individuals, these efforts strengthen entire military branches through retaining qualitative edges over adversaries. Committing to continuous learning additionally signals officers equipped for senior leadership duties. Simply put, the most upwardly mobile service members adopt education as integral for personal and organizational success.
Preparing for Post-Service Opportunities
Of course, not all enlisted members remain career soldiers. Many apply themselves during abbreviated two and four-year commitments before moving onward. For these temporary personnel, improving technical abilities and earning resume credentials before exiting becomes instrumental for transformations back into private life.
Specialized skills gained through military tech or equipment operation may not seamlessly transfer when re-entering civilian jobs. Earning supplementary credentials related to service matters because veterans carry a gold standard label with employers nationwide. Combining that reputation with documented qualifications leads to lucrative roles.
The Option for Higher Impact Still Exists
Some former military members feel post-service career opportunities appear constrained or represent downgrades from armed forces responsibilities. While reasonable for complex Defense Department roles, options still exist to uphold service ideals civilian side.
For example, military ethics and leadership capabilities could help correctional facility reforms or overwhelmed non-profit organizational management. Former officers make excellent business executives given training in responsible team oversight. And veterans committed to additional qualifying education can manifest jobs upholding justice like police administrators, federal investigators and cybercrime analysts.
Conclusion
Active service members empower national security through a willingness to grow capabilities and answer evolving demands. Military training undoubtedly prepares enlisted personnel and officers for success, integrating back into civilian life after any length commitment. Still, leveraging higher educational offerings and vocational credential programs amplifies and diversifies possibilities. Making the most of resources combined with individual motivations points veterans toward the most fulfilling postwar outcomes.
