Good evening group! Still Active Duty Army but looking to transition out in the next 18 months. Former Platoon Sergeant, 19D 8 years TIS. Looking to pivot towards the defense contractor field. Any advice for someone with an abundance of “soft skills”? What should I be getting ahead of now? Thanks.

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Find companies you’re interested in, find vets at those companies, reach out on LinkedIn for in person or virtual coffee chats. Before the chat look at the company’s website to get a sense of what they do. Ask the vet questions about their job, the company, the industry. One of those can be “what skills and / or certs can I develop in the next 18 months to be more competitive for a job at your company?”

It’s not rocket surgery but it does take initiative, time, and a willingness to reach out to strangers. Doing this will put you well ahead of others.

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Find an in demand skill - I tell most to go for salesforce. The trainings are free for military and there is decent demand still to land you a good salary while you figure out the exact niche you want to go into

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I would also hook up with organizations like Hiring Our Heroes. They do great work with transitioning military members.

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We only work with active jobs from companies our members want to work with, which means they go fast.

These applications are not passed-through to another system. We work directly with the hiring manager to get our members access to these career opportunities.

Inclusion lives here.. All levels welcome

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