Resource List for Veterans Transitioning to a Civilian Career
By: Patrick Simon
Tags: Career Advice, Veterans, Tech Career, Careers, Military

The members of the Box Veterans ERG are available to chat with you about your career and to offer advice: veterans@box.com

As co-chair of the Box Veterans Employee Resource Group (ERG), I’ve been supporting the veteran community by talking with military veterans from all over the world who are in transition into a new career in the civilian world. Box is a Silicon Valley technology company, so my conversations usually focus on my experience with “how to get into tech” (not necessarily as a software engineer, but in any applicable role in a tech company). I ask about their military experience and we talk about what types of civilian jobs their skills and experience might map to. Based on where they are in their preparation, I’ll offer advice on the next steps in their journey and share some resources to help with their current task (resume help, mock interview practice, etc.).

As I speak to more and more veterans, the list of resources I have shared continues to grow. This is a list of the top resources Box Veterans ERG members have compiled to help the veterans we speak with.

The members of the Box Veterans ERG are available to chat with you about your career and to offer guidance in your transition. If you‘d like to connect with us, please email us at veterans@box.com. And thank you for your service!

TL;DR: (The Top 6 Resources)

Sign up for LinkedIn’s free 1 year premium membership for veterans and military spouses. LinkedIn for Veterans (maximizing LinkedIn) How to sell your veteran qualities (some of which you might not even be aware) to civilian hiring managers in a way that makes sense to them: https://ivmf.syracuse.edu/article/the-business-case-for-hiring-a-veteran-beyond-the-cliches/ Do you need a degree or are your real life skills good enough? Companies are starting to relax their requirements for degrees: https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/no-degree-required/ Vetworking Facebook Group Anything else I’m missing below can probably be found in this massive cheat sheet: https://www.cheatography.com/xfaith/cheat-sheets/transitioning-servicemembers/

Pre-Transition Discovery

What kind of job are you looking for? These links give you an idea of what’s out there.

How do your military experiences translate to working in the civilian workplace? Ask a mentor:

Exploring Tech Companies

Where are the best companies to work for?

Resume / LinkedIn Preparation

Update or create your initial resume. Get something together that you can share to get feedback. Keep updating your resume as you get feedback.

Educational Resources

Career Prep Organizations for Veterans

Career Prep / Job Placement: Breakline

Training and Job Placement: NPower

Helping Veteran Entrepreneurs: BunkerLabs

Salesforce training: Vetforce

Become a software developer: Operation Code

Networking

You absolutely must build your network!

Applying for Jobs

Non-Software Interview Prep

Software Coding Interview Prep

Books for Software Coding Interview Prep:

Interviewing

Mock Interviews: Candorful

Mock Interviews and Mentorships: Veterati

How to sell your veteran qualities (some of which you might not even be aware) to civilian hiring managers in a way that makes sense to them: https://ivmf.syracuse.edu/article/the-business-case-for-hiring-a-veteran-beyond-the-cliches/

Tip: Research the company before the interview to find what kind of question you will likely be asked. For example, Amazon is known for their Leadership Principals and they look for candidates to site examples during the interview.

Salary Data and Negotiation

You absolutely must negotiate your salary. Companies EXPECT you to negotiate. The only time you should not negotiate your salary is never.

Miscellaneous Links