Cap Phantom

The choice of careers these days is so vast that it is many times very difficult to select the appropriate one. If the military appeals to you and you have an aptitude for management then a career in military traffic management may be the right choice for you. Working for the military has numerous benefits. Moreover, if you possess an intrinsic flair for management, you will certainly shine in this career also.

However, there are some essential facts that you should be aware of prior to opting for a career in military traffic management. Some fundamental skills in traffic management are required to equip you to effectively manage traffic and related aspects of this job. Further, you have to possess the qualities necessary to become a fine manager. Lastly, the urge to be in the military, is required if you really choose to be in this career. If the above is in line with your career aspirations, and you think you’ll be able to make the grade, then read on for more on this unique career in military traffic management.

Firstly, while some careers in management do not require much educational grounding, this does not fall into that category. For those not trained in traffic control, this can prove really bewildering. You need not be a traffic controller in order to manage traffic. Due to the crucial significance of this job, you may be required to take the position of your employees if they are found not fit to carry out their job. Therefore your training is important before you take up this job. Fortunately, the military normally completely trains its personnel to handle a career in military traffic management so that you are aware of your job and what is required of you. This training is usually free of charge, which is a huge benefit.

An additional key aspect that you should ensure is that whether you are competent to manage people. Very few people can take on this kind of responsibility. If you are thinking about a career in military traffic management, you should possess an in-built ability for inspiring and guiding people. If you earlier had directed a project and came out in flying colors, and were passionate bout it, then you are bound to excel in this task also.

In the end, you should be desirous of working for your government and to play a vital role in the noble service that the military renders to the country. In case you happen to be a political revolutionary and are opposed to the concept of war, this might not be the ideal career for you. But if you admire how the military operates and what it carries out and take pride in representing them for the country, then opt for this career.

After discharge from military service most ex servicemen find it very difficult to find suitable civil employment. Despite trying very hard they are unable to secure good jobs. Having been in military service for long periods of time serving under unique working conditions in an entirely different setting they do not find themselves fitting into a civilian working atmosphere. To be able to adjust to new conditions what they really need is placement in a workplace where military thinking and leadership are valued. They can pursue a career successfully in any organization where they are understood and where experience gained during their military career can be gainfully utilized for achieving company objectives.

Transition from a military to a civilian life is in itself very stressful. However, given the proper opportunity and suitable working conditions these veterans who have the drive and ambition are more than capable for successfully making the transition from a combat setting to a business environment.

Even when it is true that many skills learned during a military career are highly sought after by big companies it is necessary to find a company that will be able to use these skills. However, it is difficult for veterans to do this on their own more so when ideally they need to get into a job quickly i.e. before their terminal leave is over in order to be in a position to properly support their families. Many of them conduct their own job search for months submitting their resumes to countless number of employers they think would be interesting to work for. However, their efforts are seldom rewarded with the response they expect and usually the few face-to-face interview opportunities that emerge turn out to be related to positions that do not match their qualifications.

In such a scenario the best thing for you to do as a job seeker undergoing or having undergone military separation is to seek the services of a reputed military job placement company. A good company renders invaluable service in terms of quick job placement in positions suitable to the skills and qualifications of the individual in reputed companies in the civil sector. These placement companies have numerous Fortune 100, Fortune 500 and many other companies on their list and work to place you in the best jobs suited to your profile that you would enjoy doing.

They render support right from start to finish in a professional manner helping out in everything while moving through de-mobilization to joining the new work force. They provide detailed information about the Hiring conferences they hold and encourage participation. Their staff works as a dedicated team working behind the scenes cross referencing with each other in order to locate an employee-employer match. During their interaction they hold in-depth discussions and offer valuable advice on your expectations, interviewing feedback and post-interviewing procedures. Not only that, they also guide and provide you with tips on negotiating etiquette related to salary and perks while finalizing terms for the new position. 

All said, the services of a good military job placement company can be tremendously beneficial in finding the right jobs in the civilian sector for ex-servicemen to match their skill set, experience and preferred geographical location.

While you are serving in the defense forces it is necessary to prepare yourself for a post military career should you decide to leave the forces at some point in the future. In the initial stages adjusting to a civilian life and work place is more often than not painful and involves a lot of problems for separated military people. Keeping this in view you must plan your transition to civilian career while still in military service. To let you adapt to civilian like in a better way the government has various assistance programs that allow you to earn a college degree, gain vocational skills or get technical education in your free time while you continue serving the nation. Innovative technological advancements in computers and the Internet allow you to undertake educational programs from any place in the world through the distance-learning mode that you can complete at your own pace. Subject to certain conditions the government takes care of all your training and educational expenses in order to give you every opportunity to prepare yourself for a desirable post military career.

In pursuance of these objectives the government also provides assistance to spouses of serving personnel who want to prepare themselves for high demand careers that can greatly help the serviceman family’s transition to civilian life and also provide military spouses with jobs following military moves as long as the member remains in service. There are a number of accredited institutions in the country that offer educational and training courses to military spouses under the CAA (Career Advancement Accounts) that funds the educational expenses of military spouses of active duty military personnel under the Military Spouse Career Advancement Initiative.

The CAA program is geared to provide military spouses with portable career opportunities. A ‘portable career’ is one that has a credential which is recognized in several states and for which job opportunities can be found across the nation. A number of ‘high demand occupations’ that exist in several ‘high growth industries’ for military spouses have been identified by the Department of Defense and the Department of Labor. These are selected high growth industries, which are expected to add a large number of jobs to the economy. These are industries that offer the widest scope in portable careers.
The high demand occupations within these industries are growing at a pace much faster than average creating high employee demand.

Five industries have been identified by the government and categorizes as ‘hi-growth’. These include Financial Services, Health Care, Information Technology, Construction and Education.

Given below is a list of portable careers under each separate category. The list is not exhaustive but provides a fair idea of available job opportunities for qualified military spouses and is important from the point of eligibility for funding under Career Advancement Accounts.  Any occupation under these industries is eligible for CAA funding.

Financial Services:- Credit Analyst, Claims Adjusters, Bookkeeping, Accounting and Auditing Clerks, Bank Teller, Tax preparer etc.
Health Care:- Dental Hygienist, Radiology Technician, Practical/Vocational Nurse, Pharmacy Technician etc.
Information Technology:- Database Administrator, Data Communications Analyst, Computer Support Specialist etc.
Construction:- Pipe fitters, Steamfitters, HVAC mechanics and Installers, etc.  
Education:- Teacher’s Aide/Assistant, Child Care Worker etc.

Some occupations outside the above industries but falling under the CAA ‘in-demand occupations’ are also eligible for CAA funding support.

Are you an active-duty military spouse with an existing MyCAA account? You are lucky, because now you can take advantage of the Department of Defense’s (DoD) decision to reinstate MyCAA funds, but only to existing MyCAA accounts.

Don’t take your existing MyCAA account for granted another day.  In fact, many military spouses with existing MyCAA accounts have yet to choose a career training plan.  Understandably, it’s an important decision that requires careful consideration, from what you will be happy doing to what will be best for your family – especially if you need a portable career.

Get moving today with these seven, easy steps to selecting the right career path:

Begin your Career Path Search with “you.”

What do you like to do?  Or on the other hand, is there anything that you can’t see yourself doing? The first step is to Identify your interests, skills, values, needs and traits to help you determine the best career fit for your personality and lifestyle.

Research different industries, career paths and or jobs that align with your traits, needs and lifestyle.

Based on what you’ve learned about yourself, check out various sources of occupational information to discover those jobs that seem to be the best match.  More than likely, you will find several types of occupations that match your interests.  Now you can form your list of career possibilities.

Narrow down your search.

Once you have identified favorable career options, the next step is to delve deeper into your research. For example, what’s the salary range, training requirements and future job growth of the industry your considering?  Also, talk to family, friends, neighbors or anyone you can – you may locate a contact who can offer real-world advice and experience concerning your career fields of interest.  Additionally, the Internet offers a variety of valuable tools for successfully conducting this type of research.

Gather up your research and choose your career path.

Now that you have matched your needs and interests with possible occupations, spent some time researching and hopefully talked to individuals in your potential career fields, it’s time to select which one you want to pursue.  This is a big step, but if you did your research and gave careful thought to your likes and dislikes, you should be able to make this decision with greater confidence.

Choose a career training program with portability.

Now you are ready to put your existing MyCAA account to work.  You can use the search option on the MyCAA portal to check out military spouse friendly schools. For example, the school must accept MyCAA.  Next, the school should offer portable education options, which is why an online school or university might be the perfect fit for your military family lifestyle.  Other important things to consider include national accreditation and live student support.

For information on how to use your existing MyCAA account, visit the military one source web site where you can access tools like Frequently Asked Questions and news/updates affecting your MyCAA benefits.