Veteran Training Opportunities
I plan to update this post as I learn about other programs. If you would like to contact me regarding a program that is not mentioned here, please email me christopher.f.zeitz@gmail.com
Transitioning from military life is not easy. In the military, there is always a plan from higher echelons guiding your day-to-day life. There are set training courses that mark career progression and field manuals that develop skills relevant to your job. You also engage in professional development sessions with peers and subordinates very frequently. Well-conducted training may be one of the most enjoyable aspects of military life: the task is (hopefully) clear, you’re working with other troops, and you may be getting a long weekend after the completion of the exercise.
In the civilian world, a lot of those aspects are lacking. Professional development is largely self-started and self-guided. There is probably no field manual at your job that tells you what skills you need to master to get promoted in the next six to 12 months. But, this generation of veterans does have a lot of remarkable opportunities. Here are just a few that I have come across (in no particular order):
Syracuse University: Veterans Career Transition Program
This is a free program for Post 9–11 service members / veterans (and spouses) which offers several different tracks depending on your current skill levels and where you are in the job search process. There are three main tracks: professional skills, IT, and an Independent Study Track which offers a number of professional certifications.
Vets in Tech and VetForce
Vets in Tech is a regionally based networking organization that focuses on Education, Employment, and Entrepreneurship. The organization is tech focused (if you couldn’t tell) but can assist with contacts in non-tech fields as well.
VetForce is a program from Salesforce that offers veterans free training on that company’s platform for administrator certification. This job is in-demand across a wide range of companies, as Salesforce is a business to business provider.
This non-profit offers veterans long-term career development tools such as mentoring, career counseling, and networking events. They host their own advisor website that allows you to contact mentors in fields you may be interested in.
Veterans Campaign is a non-partisan organization that assists veterans in running for public office. This organization hosts workshops throughout the year and provides a field manual to aspiring veteran politicians (OK, so there are field manuals out there).
An additional Vet resource can be found at JobHero.
