Do You Need More Schooling to Accomplish Your Post-Transition Career Goals?

Photo By John Wayne Liston | Not letting a spare moment go to waste a medic takes a moment for studying during a break in the action for the 2017 Madigan Army Medical Center's Best Medic Competition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Tacoma WA.  

FORT KNOX, KY, UNITED STATES

02.28.2018

Story by Jenny Hale 

U.S. Army Human Resources Command

The number one priority of transitioning Soldiers is finding a career, followed by attending school, based on fiscal year 2017 Soldier for Life – Transition Assistance Program (SFL-TAP) exit questionnaires.

The exit questionnaires also showed a considerable increase in Soldiers responding that education became a priority during SFL-TAP instruction. This may indicate that the transition process may open up Soldiers to the idea of increasing education and skill sets in new industries or specialties in order to achieve post-transition career goals.

Some transitioning Soldiers decide that they would like to pursue a new career separate from their military training in the civilian sector. This may require them to attend college or receive specialized education that can help them meet their personal goals.

This was true for retired Lieutenant Colonel Janet Herrick, who had a master's degree upon transition, but decided to pursue a new career field - healthcare. After retirement from 20 years of active duty Army service, Herrick, who attended Accessing Higher Education (AHE), a workshop offered during SFL-TAP, enrolled in a local college close to her family.

"I knew I wanted to go into a line of work that was different than what I did in the Army. The workshop shared many resources and comparison tools for finding a school that matched my future career path," Herrick said.

Other transitioning Soldiers in the same position can find assistance during SFL-TAP by attending the AHE workshop. The two-day, no-cost workshop assists transitioning Soldiers with finding the right college or educational opportunities, as well as how to apply to the school and meet with school representatives.

According to the Pew Research Center, The State of American Jobs, those with a 4-year college degree or higher-level education were the only group to experience a gain in median earnings since 1980, from $57,764 to $64,000. Transitioning Soldiers may be interested in breaking into competitive fields and industries where additional education can help the Soldier have a leg-up against other applicants. Education may also be a way for Soldiers to increase future income and promotion opportunities.

Transitioning Soldiers interested in learning more about their educational options and deciding if gaining additional schooling will assist them in finding their dream careers should contact a local SFL-TAP center and speak with a transition counselor to sign up for the next AHE workshop.

Visit SFL-TAP at www.sfl-tap.army.mil. Find your nearest center by searching under the Locations tab. SFL-TAP is also on Facebook (@ArmySFLTAP), Twitter (@SFLTAP), LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/sfl-taphq), LinkedIn Groups (www.linkedin.com/groups/7063275), and YouTube (www.youtube.com/SFLTAPTelevision).

• Date Taken: 02.28.2018
• Date Posted: 02.28.2018 09:52
• Story ID: 267489
• Location: FORT KNOX, KY, US