Prior Military Experience?

Hello everyone,

I am going to be seperating from the service within the next six months and was wondering will it matter to employers that I served? My job in the service has been administrative. I did troubleshoot computer issues within my section. I currently have A+, Net+, and Sec+. Not sure if those are enough for an entry level position? I am planning to move down to Central Florida to finish school and hopefully find some employment.

Thanks for replies in advance.

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tpatt100

It helped me sometimes from what "I can tell" sometimes you get a fellow veteran either in HR, or somewhere in the hiring process. I have had it come up in interviews and I get the "Yeah I was former "X" and served "X" number of years and interviews can get sidetracked with talk of the "good ol days". Never a guarantee it works in your favor though. When I was still in the Guard I got asked "any chance of deployments?" which is a valid concern for a potential employer.

networker050184

It was a tremendous help for me when I got out. I don't think I would have gotten the first couple jobs without that on my resume. Every employer I spoke with let me know they like to hire people from the military for their discipline and dedication to the job. Keep in mind my experience in the military was directly related to the work I did on the outside though so that might vary a bit if you are getting a job unrelated to your MOS. I can't think of any reason it would be a negative except for what tpatt100 mention above about deployments with the gaurd or something simillar. If you are seperating that shouldn't be an issue though.

Success101

I would like a helpdesk or desktop support job...any other certifications I may need?

okplaya

Former military experience will definitely help you. It has come up on every single job interview that I've been on, and as networker mentioned it shows you have discipline. With behavioral questions, I have a tendency to bring up a time when I was in the military.

sieff

military service doesn't hurt you, that's for sure. it definitely helped me with getting my foot in the door. times are different now, the CCNA is the crown jewel for an entry level position.

SteveLord

Instant brownie points for any government level position.

it_consultant

SteveLord wrote: »

Instant brownie points for any government level position.

This is it exactly. You have an active clearance which can get you a job with a contractor, if you are into that sort of thing. Otherwise it doesn't hurt but be wary of employers who have had recent bad experiences with veterans. As much as we like to tout that veterans are good for businesses, the reality is that the corporate culture that is common in the US has little resemblance to military lifestyle. I have seen a lot of vets (me included) out on their butts after 90 days because of cultural issues. Generally the more "military" like the branch (like Marine Corps compared to the Air Force) the worse it is for the veteran to adjust.

ImTheKing

Success101 wrote:

I would like a helpdesk or desktop support job...any other certifications I may need?

You shouldn't have any problem finding a helpdesk or desktop support job with your qualifications. Microsoft desktop/server certificates probably wouldn't hurt. Cisco (CCNA) is probably something to consider as well. You could put your Security+ and your clearance to good use if you have any desire to continue to work with the government. If that is indeed the case, you might consider pursuing some higher level security certifications.

sieff

location would matter also. D.C. and a state like NC values military experience more so than NYC or a Miami based company.

instant000

Success101 wrote: »

Hello everyone,

I am going to be seperating from the service within the next six months and was wondering will it matter to employers that I served? My job in the service has been administrative. I did troubleshoot computer issues within my section. I currently have A+, Net+, and Sec+. Not sure if those are enough for an entry level position? I am planning to move down to Central Florida to finish school and hopefully find some employment.

Thanks for replies in advance.

Sec+ is enough for an entry level position.

I would think that by this point, you would know the type of work you like doing, and would recommend studying in that direction. Otherwise, all that you learned for A+/Net+ will go stale. Keeps things fresher if you press on forward.

There have to be some Florida posters on this board. Maybe they can give you some leads

JockVSJock

Success101 wrote: »

I would like a helpdesk or desktop support job...any other certifications I may need?

With those certs and military experience, it sounds like you are more then qualified for help desk.

Keep working on certs (like CCNA or and advanced cert or a college degree) and you should hit pay dirt.

And remember to not settle for the help desk.

Success101

JockVSJock wrote: »

With those certs and military experience, it sounds like you are more then qualified for help desk.

Keep working on certs (like CCNA or and advanced cert or a college degree) and you should hit pay dirt.

And remember to not settle for the help desk.

Thanks for the replies.

I don't have any actual working experience; which brings me to my next question...do certifications count for anything towards "job experience"?

I didn't think so, which is why I was looking for a help desk position.

JockVSJock

Success101 wrote: »

I don't have any actual working experience; which brings me to my next question...do certifications count for anything towards "job experience"?

To me, certs is a way to show a person is motivated and enthusiastic about the subject (IT). And you should be able to answer interview questions better because you have studied for a cert, and not necessarily have the experience.

Lenniusce

Not that this directly relates, but if you plan to go back to school be sure to use the AARTS program (Army/American Council on Education Registry Transcript System (AARTS) Home Page) to get credit for what you did in the military.

Otacon53

tpatt100 wrote: »

When I was still in the Guard I got asked "any chance of deployments?" which is a valid concern for a potential employer.

Future deployments and military obligations, from the perspective of the employer, are valid concerns. However, I would like to point out that an employer should not be asking questions like that since they imply that the chance of a future deployment has some bearing on one's potential of being hired. This is illegal according to federal law. USERRA clearly states that:
(a) A person who is a member of, applies to be a member of, performs, has performed, applies to perform, or has an obligation to perform service in a uniformed service shall not be denied initial employment, reemployment, retention in employment, promotion, or any benefit of employment by an employer on the basis of that membership, application for membership, performance of service, application for service, or obligation.
(c) An employer shall be considered to have engaged in actions prohibited-
(1) under subsection (a), if the person's membership, application for membership, service, application for service, or obligation for service in the uniformed services is a motivating factor in the employer's action, unless the employer can prove that the action would have been taken in the absence of such membership, application for membership, service, application for service, or obligation for service;

A complaint can be filed against any employer who violates USERRA, however, it could be difficult in some circumstances to prove that the employer's actions were based on your military membership. I think it is important for any military members here to understand their rights.

However, outside of that concern, the military looks good to potential employers.
The military has a number of career services that you can look into to help with your job searching.
Also, if you served overseas you are eligible for Veteran's preference when you apply for federal jobs.
Good luck.

ImTheKing

Success101 wrote: »

I don't have any actual working experience; which brings me to my next question...do certifications count for anything towards "job experience"?

Not necessarily, but certs do show a certain level of knowledge and intent. A+, N+, and S+ are plenty for a help desk or desktop support position.

Not to push the issue, but if you have any interest in continuing on in the government sector, you could probably gain a higher level position just by extension of having military experience, having the Security+, and your security clearance.

Success101

ImTheKing wrote: »

Not necessarily, but certs do show a certain level of knowledge and intent. A+, N+, and S+ are plenty for a help desk or desktop support position.

Not to push the issue, but if you have any interest in continuing on in the government sector, you could probably gain a higher level position just by extension of having military experience, having the Security+, and your security clearance.

I was thinking the same thing. Also, I could gain some much needed experience correct? Thanks!

ImTheKing

Success101 wrote: »

I was thinking the same thing. Also, I could gain some much needed experience correct? Thanks!

Absolutely. If nothing else, you would certainly have a better chance of being hired for helpdesk or desktop support position with a contractor or other government agency. There's a lot of positions here (a town primarily based around the Army base) that list an active clearance as a requirement and often list experience with Army procedures/systems to be a plus. Your certs (in particular, S+) should also satisfy any 8570 requirements.

WafflesAndRootbeer

Success101 wrote: »

Hello everyone,

I am going to be seperating from the service within the next six months and was wondering will it matter to employers that I served? My job in the service has been administrative. I did troubleshoot computer issues within my section. I currently have A+, Net+, and Sec+. Not sure if those are enough for an entry level position? I am planning to move down to Central Florida to finish school and hopefully find some employment.

Thanks for replies in advance.

If you have a clearance, look into doing something else. There are tons of administrative jobs requiring clearances, so if you have one, you're more likely to get hired for those. Heck, you can probably find a civilian job connected to the service you are separating from doing the exact same thing you did in the uniform that pays three times as much. The IT field is saturated with warm bodies right now and the pool of potential hires for the entry level jobs makes you look pretty bad.

Success101

WafflesAndRootbeer wrote: »

If you have a clearance, look into doing something else. There are tons of administrative jobs requiring clearances, so if you have one, you're more likely to get hired for those. Heck, you can probably find a civilian job connected to the service you are separating from doing the exact same thing you did in the uniform that pays three times as much. The IT field is saturated with warm bodies right now and the pool of potential hires for the entry level jobs makes you look pretty bad.

Thanks for the info. Everyone had to start somewhere though; I don't look any worse than the guy applying for the same position without any certifications. Glancing at your certifications, it looks as though you've been doing this for awhile. I'm sure with a little time and patience, I'll be right there.

I've got over six years of administrative experience, but I'd rather not continue to go down that path. Obviously, if need be I will take what I can get to survive.

Qord

I think you've already got everything to get a foot in the door, now all you need to do is have it written well in a resume. You've got work experience, all it takes is very careful and thought-out word choices to make it relevant to any job you're applying for.

My only advice would be to find a job that (at the very least) allows you enough time to go to school part-time. Even better if they'll offer tuition remission or reimbursement.

Valsacar

Prior Military will definitely help, and those are the basic certs you'll need for entry level positions (as others said, basic MS and/or CCNA are useful as well). Even if not applying to government/contractor positions, showing your active clearance IS beneficial as it shows the level of trust that can be bestowed on you.

Keep in mind, a clearance goes inactive within a year of not being used (not just when your 5/10 year period is up). If you don't move into a clearance requiring job as soon as you leave, you might as well write off any future work in the government (civilian or contractor) world. Reserves or guard are a good way to keep the clearance active while focusing on studies.

--Prior Army, now contractor.

holysheetman

that's not entirely accurate what Valsacar said. I'm in a contractor role right now as a security analyst for DISA holding a TS/SCI and I can tell you from experience, that it depends on the contracting company. They can get you an Interim Secret or TS while your investigations / paperwork is being done to formally get your final TS or S. Again, this all depends on the company hiring you and how badly they want to hire you (your experience will help).

ImTheKing

holysheetman wrote: »

that's not entirely accurate what Valsacar said. I'm in a contractor role right now as a security analyst for DISA holding a TS/SCI and I can tell you from experience, that it depends on the contracting company. They can get you an Interim Secret or TS while your investigations / paperwork is being done to formally get your final TS or S. Again, this all depends on the company hiring you and how badly they want to hire you (your experience will help).

My understanding is that, more than anything else, contractors just don't want to spend the money it takes to process a TS clearance.

Valsacar

While there are exceptions, the fact is that it's cheaper to train up someone with minimal experience than it is to get the perfect candidate a TS. Good ol boys club is always a factor as well. My company is upgrading me to a TS, so I know it can happen, but I'm also one of the select people the PM takes out for lunch almost every day.