There are numerous careers available to military service members. It is to your advantage to research them thoroughly before taking the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) or any other placement test. In addition to learning about the many job opportunities offered you should also learn about special considerations you could take and find out how to spend your time preparing most effectively.
If you are overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, you are in the perfect spot! The following tips will help you while make a decision.
- Look ahead of time. When you meet with your recruiter he will have a book of job options for you to review. You can look up the occupations that interest you and read more about them. It is also important to note any special requirements that you must meet for a particular position.
- Don’t wait until you process in to start looking for a job. To help narrow your search you should ask other service members before selecting your job preference. If you don’t know anyone you can search the internet for any information or find people on message boards who would be more than happy to answer questions about daily operations. This advice may give you a better idea of what the job is actually like.
10 things to consider when picking a military job
- What do you enjoy doing?
- What jobs interest you?
- What are you good at?
* The ASVAB will help you in this process, if you don’t already know. It will help identify the things you are good at, the things you are interested in and what will most likely be a good job match for you. - What will give you the most promising future? When you retire from the military and want to work as a civilian, your transition will be made easier if you have experience in a trade where there is a demand.
- Are you interested in being promoted? If you would like to move up frequently, then you should make sure this is an option in your job field of choice.
- Where would you like to be located? If you are single this is probably not as important but if you have a spouse and or children to consider, this could play an important role in making your decision.
- Do you have surrounding requirements? Do you feel uncomfortable in small spaces? Do you enjoy flying in planes or being on a boat?
- Do you meet the qualifications?
- Are you willing to be flexible with your specific job? Specific jobs are typically not guaranteed. For example, in the Marines you are expected to "want to be a marine" You can often enlist under a certain field but it is more difficult to select a certain Military Operations Specialty.
- Money Some military jobs offer sign on bonuses. Money is important , but you should not pick a career based on that alone. This is a job you will be doing for a long time. It is not like a regular job you can just quit. There are contracts and obligations you must meet. If you are trying to decide between several jobs you can possibly use a bonus as a deciding factor.
