November 18, 2016, by Dixie Somers – If you are a veteran who is still in your 20s, congratulations! You have a promising future in terms of career and professional development ahead of yourself. You are in good position to use the benefits owed to you by virtue of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act, also known as the 21st Century GI Bill.
As a young veteran, you may want to look into one of the five career paths below; not only are they designed for the 21st century but also for suitable for former members of the United States Armed Forces.
Aviation
Globalization will continue despite the best efforts of the Trump administration to revise trade agreements and restrict international travel. Aviation careers have been growing at a fast pace due to globalization, and this is a trend that is bound to continue in the next few decades. Veterans who served in aviation units or who held specialties related to avionics should strongly consider looking into institutions like the Institute of Aviation at Parkland College. Those who wish to use their benefits to get a pilot’s license may for personal reasons may later end up becoming interested in flying as a career.
Specialized Security
If your service was mostly in the combat arms field, corporate recruiters will likely contact you soon after your discharge with proposals to work as a security contractor. To get the most out of this type of opportunity, you should first consider getting a college degree. The field is wide open in this regard but think about political science, administration, logistics, geophysics, or even foreign languages. Any of these degrees can make a big difference in terms of salary, as you will be hired as a specialist instead of at the entry level.
Service
If your specialty was in food service in the military, don’t just stop there; make the best out of it by getting a higher education degree in culinary arts, nutrition or hospitality management. If cooking is your passion, you can still do it for a living, but be sure to do it as the main chef or as a manager of a large operation.
Information Technology
If you were an IT specialist in the service, plenty of job opportunities are waiting for you in the civilian world, but the best ones will require you to get a degree. You can choose computer science if you are interested in research and academics; if you want to earn a big paycheck, you want to look into database programming.
Human Resources
If you were a clerk or worked in the personnel section of your unit, a degree in human resources administration will likely get you a job fairly quickly. There are many job seekers with these degrees, but not many have the hands-on experience veterans have.
In the end, you should not wait for too long after your discharge to get a college degree. When it comes to veteran’s benefits, the sooner you use them, the better they will serve you. A degree will help you narrow your interests and enhance the skills you have already been honing in the military to give you the best future possible.
AUTHOR BIO: This article was written by Dixie Somers, a freelance writer who loves to write on business, finance, careers, and education. She lives in Arizona with her husband and three beautiful daughters.