We make money from advertisers and affiliate partners. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
firefighter is a great career option for returning veterans

Recently a friend of mine retired from the Marines and was looking for a new career. He tried sales and the skills he learned in the military were good for that - but he wanted something more rewarding. If you are looking for a new career, your search may be motivated by something more than just money. Even for non-veterans, many of us reach a point where we need something new in our lives. Something that is more rewarding than your average job. If this is the case, you might be struggling to pick the one that is right for you. There are many rewarding jobs out there, it is just a case of narrowing it down to the one that suits you and your family best. So, let’s look at what some options that are looking for more male applicants.

Mentor Young Minds as a Teacher

First up on our list is the position of a teacher. Educating the youth of today is going to be rewarding in many ways. You will be teaching them skills that they are going to need later in life, as well as watching them grow into fine young people. If you like kids, then this could be a good career move, especially if you already have a specialist subject. You will have to get a teaching certificate, but you can do this while you are teaching if the school allows you to do so. This means that there are many options on how you could get to this role, and it is not difficult to complete. As such, if you think you have a way with the kids, you should seriously consider taking up a position as a teacher.

While you might think that going from serving in the military to being a teacher would be a rough transition, my friend has found a new passion here. The skills of patience and planning learned in the Marines can be an asset here as well. Plus, if you can deal with your fellow Marines and battlefield adversaries - a punk-ass teenager is no match!

 

Help Heal People as a Nurse

Or, you might want to do something a little different and work as a nurse. While skills learned in the military such as being a medic don't directly transfer into a certification. Many returning veterans have basic medical skills necessary to perform the job that they learned from treating sick and injured in battlefield situations. However, they still need additional training on how to become a nurse and serve civilians too. Certainly, those who served in a medical capacity do and so this would be a great transition as well. You get to help patients, and even save lives. Knowing that someone’s life is in your hand can be daunting, and not everyone is cut out for this, so make sure you have given this a lot of thought before you switch to this career.

Unfortunately, even though many of these men (and women!) already possess the necessary skills, additional education is required. There are many options here ranging from family practice to serving in a hospital. Some people prefer working with kids than working with adults, and if this is the case, you might want to consider taking the dnp nnp program to become a neonatal nurse. You will be helping newborns in this role, and we can’t think of anything that would give you quite the same feeling as helping babies to live.

 

Be a Hero and Save Lives as a Firefighter, Paramedic, or Police

Finally on our list is the role of a firefighter. You have to be fit, quick to act, and be able to think on your feet to be a good match for these roles. These are all things that most returning veterans already possess. The world is always in need of more firefighters, and if you think that this is something you can do, you are going to feel excellent for it. Unfortunately, fires happen every day and there are always people who need help. As a firefighter, it is going to be your job to save these people and get them out of harm's way. Again, some people find the pressure of having other's lives in their hand to be too much, so you need to make sure that this is something that you will be able to handle. There is going to be nothing worse than freezing when you most need to act.

 

More Resources for Veterans and Retired Military Seeking a New Career:

The opportunities above are only a few examples. Luckily, most organizations seek people with military experience because they know they are reliable and able to think quickly and perform under pressure. Here are some other career resources that may be helpful.

Veteran and Military Transition Center - provided by the U.S. Department of Labor

Military.com Veteran Jobs Listing

VetJobs.com - provides a listing of jobs for veterans as well as other resources

Hero Loan - VA Home Hero Loan Program for Veterans

HVGC interview about helping veterans through cannabis innovation

What is a VA Loan?