When most people think about military personnel they picture troops who serve in the combat arms. That is to say that they envision Army or Marine infantrymen, artillerymen, tankers and combat engineers who fire weapons in the offense and defense on the ground. These are the warriors; the so called “tip of the spear” of our military forces. And yet, many are surprised to learn that these fine men and, in some new cases, women represent only about 20 percent of our military headcount.
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At the time of transition to civilian careers, combat arms veterans often experience the most difficult challenge of articulating the value of their skills in terms that hiring managers can understand. Very few civilian employers are looking directly for “trigger pullers” and yet many veterans with combat arms experience end up developing amazing careers in a multitude of industries. The opportunity for combat arms veterans is to learn to articulate the value and applicability of their experience in terms that employers can process. It is up to the individual veteran to learn to tell his story. There is no short cut.
Too many believe the unhelpful output of automated online “MOS translator” software that an infantryman can only be a security guard, or an artilleryman a land surveyor. Thought of properly, however, combat arms experience is liberating and empowering because it is the most applicable to many different fields. In this regard, combat arms veterans are like liberal arts degree college graduates. These veterans may not be directly suited for many specific roles based on their military specialty, but that frees them to attack an almost infinite variety of civilian roles. After all, who would credibly limit a college English major to only teaching that subject in school? Why can’t an English major run a sales force, design an organization or invent a product? So it is with combat arms veterans as well.
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In addition, each of the combat arms offers tangible and intangible skills and ” branding” that can greatly assist the veteran job seeker who knows how to articulate them. Consider:
— Artillerymen are trained in the art and science of dealing with numbers and people under extreme pressure. The details of howitzer fuses, land surveying and gunnery calculation have little application in the civilian world but thousands of occupations use math and people skills to solve problems.
— Infantrymen are experienced in task organization, motivation, team-building and improvisation. Again, in today’s entrepreneurial organizations, can a set of skills be more in demand?
— Tankers combine the people insights of infantry with the mastery of complex machinery. Tanks and combat vehicles that are not properly maintained and carefully operated cannot accomplish their mission. In an increasingly technical world, these skills are in high demand.
— Combat Engineers operate in a field that confuses a lot of civilians. Yet what sentient employer will not take heed when they learn that engineers can problem solve with minimal resources from their training in building and destroying structures under arduous conditions?
One of the most pernicious and self-defeating phrases in the veteran job seeker’s vocabulary is “I was just a combat arms guy.” The attitude of the job seeker should be rather, “Employer, this is your lucky day. I was an Army infantryman; I am exactly what you need.” Learn to articulate your value in terms that the employer understands and needs.
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Unless you sign on as a mercenary or go into law enforcement, it is unlikely that you will use your trigger-pulling skills in the civilian world. Fortunately, training to fight is only the tip of the iceberg of what you are capable of achieving. Remember that all organizations need skilled people and veterans, especially combat arms veterans, are skilled people.
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Veterans: Combat Arms is Great Preparation for a Civilian Career originally appeared on usnews.com
