Careers in Computers and IT
Some information technology jobs require a four-year degree,
others a certification. Military personnel bring a
strong work ethic valued by many employers.
by Erin Flynn Jay, MAE Correspondent
There are a variety of information technology (IT) careers available to someone transitioning out of the Armed Forces. Training or education is usually required—a four-year degree or certification. Military experience does help many workers get jobs in the IT industry— skills in areas such as program management are often transferable to the civilian environment.
“Every IT function done in the civilian world is done in the military and more because the military has such a high stress on security,” said Ted Daywalt, president of VetJobs.com, a military job board on the Internet sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. “Most people in the military involved in IT get certifications that deal with Internet security. As a result, they are in high demand when they come out of the service,” Daywalt added. Examples of such certifications include the CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) and CISA (Certified Information Systems Audit).
Military communications is big business. “Somebody who understands those environments and the language is very valuable,” said Andy Steinem, CEO of Dahl-Morrow International, a Washington D.C.-based retained executive search firm specializing in IT and other hi-tech careers. “Many times the folks are coming out with clearances and they stay active; even if it is just a DoD secret clearance, at least it gets them in the door.”
In the military, more than 50 percent of the enlisted personnel can program in at least one language—that compares to 2 percent of the civilian population. In today’s military, 30 percent on active duty have a degree; if you include the Guard and Reserve, over 60 percent have a bachelor’s degree. “The military IT schools are some of the best in the world in terms of teaching them how to be a programmer, database administrator, Internet security specialist, network administrator or database analyst,” Daywalt said.
On VetJobs.com, almost 7,000 jobs are IT-related. Systems engineers and program managers are in demand nationwide. Some of the areas where Daywalt sees demands for these skills are in the greater metro D.C. arena, metro New York arena, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Chicago and southern California. “If you are a programmer, with the exception of maybe COBOL programming, and you don’t have a job, it’s because you’re not looking very hard,” Daywalt concluded.
Steinem does a lot of work with folks coming out of the military—they usually have a BSEE, master’s or computer science degree. “These days, getting to where you want to get without a four-year degree is difficult, she said—especially when it comes to the technical field.” But Steinem is not saying it can’t be done. “For most of the large integrators, a four-year degree is a prerequisite before they even talk to you,” Steinem indicates. “The federal government is the largest buyer of IT in the world. It’s a multibillion dollar business. Much of that business is coming through the DoD environment.”
SKILLS TRANSFERABLE TO THE PUBLIC SECTOR
If military personnel have program management skills, these can often be transferred to the public sector and are very valuable. Someone who understands a communication system—be it networks, satellite communications, systems and architecture—would have valuable knowledge for an IT job.
Many individuals with military experience are trained into desirable public sector positions. The difficulty can be proving their credentials to the marketplace. “People transitioning from a military experience may have to consider entry-level IT positions with expectation that these are often transitional jobs,” Steve Lashwood, IT coordinator of National American University, said. “A support or help desk job is likely to be a transitional position. People are found with developed skills in these positions.”
Employers seeking people to respond to clients via a help desk want people with a general knowledge of computer technology, the firm’s hardware, operating systems, and the application software the business supports. “These positions groom the individual with the knowledge of how things are done in the organization,” Lashwood said. “It gets them in and then people notice them and look to use their ‘undocumented’ skills to the advantage of the organization,” he added.
Many military workers bring a great work ethic. “They understand what it takes to get a job done; those are attributes that employers look for,” Steinem concluded. “If they have the opportunity to get degree credentials, that’s going to help them further.”
“How armed forces personnel serve their future civilian employers has a direct correlation to the required work ethic in the military,” Lashwood agreed. “Military people are taught to get the job done in an appropriate and timely fashion,” he said. “Pressure and change exists on a continuing basis, and they have adapted. They show up, have an appropriate work ethic and, when working in IT in the service, have a common language; a civilian IT employer can build from that platform.”
Amy Alexander is project manager for the Creating Futures program under CompTIA, a firm that works with its members and partners in the IT industry to train transitioning military (among others) for jobs in the IT industry.
Alexander thinks military workers don’t need a four-year degree. “A lot of it depends on work experience,” she said. “When they transition out of the service, a lot of them are taking training and certification to transition their skills over to a civilian level position.” Alexander has seen people with bachelor’s degrees take their program because they didn’t have the certification and couldn’t obtain a position without the certification. “People who get A+ certification can obtain a position as a help desk technician or a service center technician like the Geek Squad,” she notes.
IT CERTIFICATIONS VALUABLE
Both certifications and degrees have their place in the civilian marketplace. Depending on a desired position, certifications may provide witness that they have attained an appropriate skill set. “While education sets the stage for a position, it is valid for a limited amount of time,” Lashwood said. “IT evolves and so must the industry professional. As a person accomplishes one threshold in IT, they need to be evolving a plan for continuing. The idea of lifelong learning is less a theory and more a practical survival skill to keep a person from falling behind.”
Does military experience help them get a job? Lashwood has a common answer: “It depends.” He’s seen several students decide to end their 10+ year Air Force careers because their Bachelor of Science degree and related Air Force IT experience provided them with a competitive resume in the civilian world. “Others come into the Air Force looking for the educational benefit—do their time, get the IT degree and are hired back home,” he said. “An interesting note is the developed maturity that becomes apparent as people elevate their knowledge. People generally become empowered as they evolve their skills and see that they too can compete in the marketplace.”
Civilian employers often love military personnel simply because of what they were doing in the military. People with evolved IT skills based on work they did in the armed services can make a direct transition into similar civilian roles. A network administrator in the military can use those skills in the civilian world when provided the opportunity. Their practical IT skills are likely to be very similar to what is required to support a civilian organization. Occupations in the military provide practical experience and sometimes required certification. ♦