4 Things To Know About Entering The Workforce After Military Service
For most veterans, retirement from military service is an opportunity to venture into new employment opportunities, becoming a freelancer, becoming a homemaker, or starting their own businesses.. This can be a daunting task, especially if the veteran does not know where to begin or what to do to secure a meaningful job. Whereas there are numerous opportunities available out there, veterans need to know some crucial things while entering the workforce.
Harnessing benefits
For a veteran, there are numerous resources of interest that they can use to secure their seamless entry in the jobs market. One of the suitable opportunities to this effect includes seeking advanced education from learning institutions. Most universities and colleges have partnered with the military to provide tailored courses which would help the veterans gain competitive skills. Also, there are some dedicated non-profit organizations which work with veterans to help them secure positions in the jobs market based on their competencies.
Become a Freelancer
More and more there are individuals choosing to go their own path in regards to a career. Freelancing is a great option for those who don’t necessarily want to start their own business, but like the idea of being their own boss. As a freelancer you can use whatever skills you’ve acquired in your service and your experiences to create things that people want. According to Monster, “the most popular freelance jobs are advertising, information technology (IT), transcription/translation, design/illustration, and also anything you have experience in. Many HR, Sales, IT, and Law businesses almost always have freelance or temporary positions.”
Starting a business
Starting a business is also a viable opportunity for veterans. Whereas this a desirable option for most veterans, it is capital-intensive and may require a veteran to secure VA loans for starting the business of choice. Obtaining VA loans requires proper documentation and in most cases has zero upfront fees where one can borrow up to $350,000. Most of the loans have attractive low-interest rates and flexible repayment periods. Also, under the regulations of the US Small Business Administration, veterans have numerous types of loans which can be customized based on the condition of the veterans and whether they have war-related injuries and disabilities or not.
Networking with friends
Military life is normally defined by confinement where one does not interact with other persons as often. However, after retirement, this confinement must cease, and the veterans must network with friends to self-expose themselves to the rest of the society. Such informal interactions are opportunities for the veteran to understand the dynamics of the jobs market and thus helping secure a job much sooner. Inc.com has many great tips for networking with people, but one of the best things they recommend is learning how to make yourself memorable, and with your military service, that shouldn’t a problem! Networking also helps you by giving you a pool of initial clients which can give you the boost you need to start working for yourself and building your portfolio.
Other benefits: Buying a House
Having a home is every person’s interest, especially if it’s always been a dream of yours to own a house. With most homes being as expensive as they are, it almost certain that someone would have to obtain a loan to pay for one. Thankfully for your service, you have access to veteran affairs (VA) loans which can make it easier for you to able to buy a house. Per one VA program, Low VA Rates, “The purpose of the VA loan program is to help our nation’s veterans obtain adequate housing on better terms than they could get otherwise. To make sure that a veteran is treated like the hero that he or she is, and gets the benefit they were promised when they signed up to protect our freedom.” Veterans have a host of options customized for them as far as securing a loan from a lender is concerned. Proper advice should be sought by the veteran on information relating to the loan, the mortgage rates, and the qualification status of the veteran for the loan. If one qualifies, the lender would issue a certificate of eligibility to show how much the veteran can secure in the form of a VA home loan.
Summary
For a veteran seeking a career, there are a host of opportunities out there, including self-employment through starting a business, or by becoming a freelancer in some capacity, as well as being employed. Exploring these opportunities requires the veteran to understand some key concepts as outlined above in order to make their quest for employment a success.
If you’re looking for some helpful tips for becoming a freelancer or working for yourself and building your business please sign up for early access to the workshops!