Training, mentorship, and resources to help plan for and navigate your transition from the military. 

Transitioning from the military is a stressful process for most service members and their families. As I assist transitioning military and veterans in preparing for their re-entry into the civilian workforce, I have discovered many opportunities to get assistance throughout the process. Here are some training, mentorship, and LinkedIn resources to help you plan for and navigate your transition!

TRAINING RESOURCES:

Top Training Resources / Site Recommendations:

  1. Onward to Opportunity (O2O) - A career skills program through the Institute for Veterans and Military Families that provides civilian career training, professional certifications, and job placement support to transitioning service members, members of the Reserves or National Guard, veterans, and military spouses. Free: Includes one industry certification per participant.
  2. Code Platoon - A non-profit that helps veterans and military spouses transition into the civilian workforce by providing technical education and career services, including a 14-week program/immersion in learning the Full Web Development Stack, including Python (or Ruby), Django (or Rails), JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. No previous programming skills are required.
  3. Vets2PM - A Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business helping military veterans become civilian project managers by offering PMP, CAPM, and ACP Certification Boot Camp (Live Virtual, On-Site, and On-Demand) and providing free lifetime career/job placement services.
  4. Warriors to Work - Launched in 2019, the Warriors to Work is a program within the Wounded Warriors Foundation to help veterans get access to educational boot camps across a variety of disciplines, including technology, and then launch them into new careers.

IT and Cyber SkillBridge Resident recommendations include links to top training in this downloadable takeaway: Transitioning Military IT and Cyber Training Resources. 

Additional Training Sites:

General Training Sites:

  1. BrightTalk
  2. O'Reilly
  3. LinkedIn Learning

Technical:

  1. Pluralsight
  2. Udacity
  3. Code Academy
  4. Free Code Camp
  5. Cybrary

Life Science Training Sites:

  1. BioSpace
  2. Careers in Food
  3. CLMA (Clinical Laboratory Management Association)

MENTORSHIP RESOURCES:

  1. For college advising mentorship: Hire Heroes Guild - The Guild provides college advising to military members, veterans, and military spouses, advising on university options and navigating the GI Bill benefits process.
  2. For general career mentorship: American Corporate Partners - A national non-profit organization focused on helping returning veterans, and active-duty spouses find their next careers through one-on-one mentoring, networking, and online career advice.
  3. For project management career mentorship: Veteran Project Management Mentorship Alliance (VPMMA) - A non-profit organization that provides industry-based project management career mentorship and networking opportunities for service members, veterans, and military spouses.
  4. For programming/software engineering mentorship: Operation Code - Lead by veterans turned software engineers, this community provides access to a discussion board where you can ask questions, get career advice, learn about free and discounted training resources, and get connected to potential mentors and career coaches.

Additional Veteran Mentorship Organizations:

  1. Hire Heroes USA
  2. Veterati
  3. Veteran Mentor Network
  4. Honoring Our Troops

'TOP FIVE' Recommended LinkedIn Groups for Transitioning Military to Join:

  1. We Hire Heroes - Veterans Employment and Business Group
  2. Recruit Veterans Employment Network
  3. Military-to-Civilian Transitioners
  4. Military Veteran to Civilian Career Transitions
  5. Veterans Hired

DID YOU KNOW? Additional Resources for Veterans:

Active duty service members, veterans, and military spouses qualify for one year of LinkedIn Premium (one-time offer, restrictions apply) to jump-start your career networking and job search. It is recommended that you start a couple of months before transitioning to begin the networking process in preparation for your transition and job search. Learn more by clicking here.

Most active duty service members, veterans, and military spouses qualify for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), a tax credit your future employer can utilize if you are eligible. This program is through the Department of Labor and is an opportunity to gain an advantage with companies in your job search over non-qualifying candidates. Follow the link below to read about the Veteran Tax Credit, determine if you are eligible, and begin the free process of getting yourself certified to provide immediate value to your next employer. Click here to start.

 

If you're interested in developing additional skills, career resources, certifications, or transitioning into a new career, the Apex Veteran Redeployment Initiative offers numerous resources. 

Takeaway: Transitioning Military IT & Cyber Training Resources List