Staying Fit
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If you think your military experience is like fitting a square peg into a round hole, think again.
Your skills and experiences from your service translate into a variety of industries in which you can excel. What you have learned and become during your military service makes you sought after by employers.
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Here are seven industries worth looking at:
Health care
The health care industry isn’t only recession-proof, it’s an ideal fit for vets, too.
Christina Curtis, founder of Curtis Leadership Consulting, told AARP Experience Counts, “I find that veterans are drawn to health care because it has a bigger purpose. The work has a greater benefit than just a daily task.”
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Seeing how work contributes to the greater good provides fulfillment in a field that offers growth and job security. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, health care is anticipated to grow by 13 percent through 2013.
Defense
Defense is an extremely veteran-friendly industry due to the subject matter but also because this sector leans on integrity, aptitude, problem-solving and teamwork.
“Lockheed Martin, Boeing … all these are areas where they can actually apply some of their background,” Curtis explained. “Some of them have technical skills, mechanical skills and hands-on experience, but they’re drawn again to that greater purpose. And they tend to deliver where they say they’re going to deliver.”
Law enforcement
Working under extreme pressure is nothing new for veterans, so jobs in law enforcement can be a natural fit. Police officers, investigators, detectives and support positions are available at the federal, state, county and local levels. There are additional opportunities, too, such as security guard, transportation security officers, protective service workers, correctional officers and many more.
“They have specialized skills where you think about their training both from a physical and mental perspective,” Curtis said. “The ability to manage stress under pressure is significant to law enforcement skills trades.”
Cybersecurity
Global cybersecurity job vacancies have catapulted by 350 percent over the past several years, according to Cybersecurity Ventures. Currently, the shortage equates to 3.5 million job openings in the industry.
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