8 Advantages for Veterans in the Job Market
MILITARY STORIES
I have used these 8 benefits and found them to be very helpful as I transitioned from active duty to the civilian world.
FREE LinkedIn Premium for 1 year
Current or former military members are eligible. Members may find this useful as LinkedIn offers additional features to help get you hired faster and easier than the publicly available LinkedIn site.
Protected Veteran Status for 3 years After Separating
A protected veteran is someone who served on active duty in the US Military during an expedition, campaign, or war on the ground, naval, or air service and separated within the last 3 years of their service. They may also be considered a disabled veteran. Advantages of having a protected veteran designation are if you apply to jobs, they will place you higher on the list of applicants and prohibits discrimination against those identifying as a protected veteran. This designation was created with an amendment to the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (VEVRAA) specifying these requirements. You can find out if you are considered a protected veteran here.
FREE CyberVets USA Program
Active-duty service members with at least 8 months remaining before separation may be eligible for the CyberVets program. It is an IT training program designed to create a bridge for service members transitioning to IT careers in the federal government. This is completely free online training and the program's mission is focused in the area of cybersecurity.
FREE Onward to Opportunity Program
Customer service, information technology, and business management are the 3 areas of focus for this completely free professional training offer for active duty or veterans. This program is conducted in select locations in person or online and offers access to a variety of industry standard courses. Upon completion of these courses, O2O offers 100% free vouchers to take certification tests such as the illustrious PMP, AWS certifications, and Cisco certifications. I have personally used the program and was offered a CompTIA Cloud+ voucher upon completion of their in-person cohorts.
Massachusetts Welcome Home Bonus
Armed with your DD214 and a document proving you reside in Massachusetts; you can apply for a 'welcome home bonus' worth $500. This bonus is sponsored by the state of Massachusetts and only for their residents.
VA Funding fee waived for disabled veterans
If you are using your VA Home Loan to purchase a home, you will have to pay a VA funding fee. It is a one-time fee used to help lower the cost for U.S. taxpayers since the VA home loan doesn't require you to place a down payment. However, there are ways to get this fee waived completely such as having a 'disabled veteran' status.
FREE Cisco Networking Academy Program
Another great resource for military veterans in the IT field to gain skills in Linux and Cybersecurity using Cisco specific training, once again their courses are completely free for veterans.
FREE CBT Nuggets 'Outside the Wire' Program
This program is open to active-duty service member who are within 6 months of separating. CBT Nuggets is a highly regarded online IT training platform and is offering access to their full suite of training for those qualified for 6 months. Training usually includes hands-on labs, practice tests, and customer support, I have personally used CBT Nuggets to help attain the VCP-DCV6 certification.
