Translate Your Military Skills into Training or a New Career

​Return to the Veteran Assistance Guide​ for more information.​

If you've left the armed forces, you may need to look at translating your military skills to civilian skills and exploring your skills and training options. While you may think you don't need to do any of this, your skills and training may need to be updated, even if you are searching for a job in the same field as your military experience because not all skills directly translate. By seeing how your skills translate, it is easier to understand their value and maximize your potential to land a great job and achieve even greater success.

To achieve your training or employment goals you will first have to understand how your military skills translate to civilian jobs. To start, you can enter your Military Occ​upational Classification (MOC) code to identify your military skills, search for titles and job descriptions from the MOC, and then keep track of all of this using the Military to Civilian Skills Worksheet.

Your workplace in the military may have been very different than the workplace you will be going into. Test and update your workplace skills with the job skill guides. These are basic skills that all employers want in employees.

Now that you're familiar with what you have to offer an employer, explore careers using the Careers, Wages & Trends tool. You will discover expected job openings, pay range, job growth, working conditions and more. Also be sure to check out Demand Occupations to ensure that your desired career field has expected growth in the future. Review the requirements and skills of the jobs you are interested in to make sure your potential job is a good match for you. 

If you're interested in training or feel that it could help you land the career of your choice, search for Illinois Training Programs near you by program name or provider. There are many programs that provide services specifically to Veterans. One great example is the G.I. Bill which provides up to 36 months of education benefits to those who have served at least 90 days of combined active duty after Sept. 10, 2001.

Last, but not least, print your Gold C​ard! Post 9/11 veterans can use their Gold Card at an Illinois workNet Center to receive intensive services for up to a six month period. These services include career guidance, job search guidance, and much more!

After successfully translating your military skills, exploring to find the right career field, and looking at or enrolling in a new training program, you are on the right path to reaching your career goals.

Click here to prepare and search for a job.