Linkedin? Indeed?
If you're in the NoVA/DC area and have 4-6 years 1D7XR1 experience use Linkedin and your phone will melt from the recruiter spam. You'll feel like a thicc Latina E-3 on a deployment.
Good luck. The main thing you should realize is when you separate, it’s nearly impossible to get back in. Make sure this is the path you want to take.
Far too many people assume getting back into active-duty, Air Force is easy before they separate
With that being said, you absolutely can do this. Many of us have, and many of us are much happier out here. Take advantage of your grants, apply yourself in school like you did in the service, and you’ll come out just fine. Good luck, OP. You can do this.
We're talking like under 100 people per year they let come back in from what I've heard (but idk how to confirm). Like significantly less, but saying under 100 ensures my accuracy for it changing year to year lol. So checks out.
As someone who went through the process myself, it is tremendously difficult. With that being said, the Reserve and Guard isn’t bad. If your unit has money for orders, take them. It’ll get your blood pumping again
You're going to do great. Life outside the Air Force has many opportunities waiting for you. Don't jump at the first job, but really consider what lifestyle you are looking for. Just as much as you are marketing yourself, companies are trying to sell themselves to you. You're going to have a great time in your civilian phase of life. There are some changes that are tricky for some, but I think you're going to smash them.
just fyi, you won’t be paid for school with the gi bill for the days you are not in class. example: classes start august 15 and end december 15. you get pro rated from 15 august to 31 august, then all of sep, oct, nov, then pro rated 1-15dec. plan accordingly.
as others have said, indeed, glassdoor, clearancejobs, usajobs. as frustrating as it is, don’t expect to get a job until at least 90 days out. even then some people still may not entertain you.
but don’t get too stressed (i know easier said than done). it is possible to get out and into a great job. was an e5, got out to be a gs12. applying for gs13 jobs now while i finish my masters degree. i just separated a year ago so if you have any questions or need to vent feel free to reach out
Thanks! I'll probably reach out within a month or two. I'm about to start building a resume by the end of this week and put myself out in indeed, glassdoor etc...
If you want to make more money on the outside, it doesn’t take a whole hell of a lot with a 1D7 background, a couple of IT certs, and a clearance.
Don’t be shy about taking something that isn’t exactly a dream job right out the gate if you aren’t able to land anything better. It is better to have something on your resume in your chosen career field that doesn’t pay great than it is to have a giant gap in employment, plus you’ll still need something to pay bills, buy food, etc. This isn’t the military, you can leave at any time for a better job.
https://www.reddit.com/r/AirForce/comments/pjlcob/for_those_curious_about_the_guardreserves/
Make sure you read up on what you are getting yourself into
Big thing is to have backup plans and back up plans for your back up plans
What does your financial situation look like currently? How does your emergency fund look?
Job wise. What state are you going to? Do you have any certs? If so what?
How does your current resume look?
Have you looked into skillbridge?
If you havent reach out to this community: https://veteransec.org/ They have a resume channel and a bunch of vets who have gone through this process
Good luck OP!
> I’m in the process of looking for a company to I tern for skillbridge.
A little late to change things but you should've started this process 6 months ago.
That said consider this: Most people complain when things aren't working out well, and when things do work out most people just move on with their life and don't say anything.
Meaning for all the people you see complaining about how bad things turned out after separation, there's generally dozens who things worked out perfectly fine for.
I think it does well to, no matter where you want to end up, to start early with an "in between" job. One of your first civilian jobs should be with a place that is familiar with military. I think you have to build some civilian "street cred" a bit to be able to open more doors.
For example, I struggled pretty hard finding satisfying employment, despite getting a college degree in natural resources. So I used my Air Force credentials to get on at Boeing in manufacturing. It wasn't what I wanted to do, I saw it as a backup. But it was good pay and respected, especially in the area. Did that for 3 years. After that, I was able to apply to local government jobs and I got more callbacks and better reception. Boeing respected my military experience, and civilian world respected Boeing.
It might not be first choice, but I think the civilian/military divide has grown to the point that you gotta have something in between they understand, and it helps you speak the language better too.
I had to smarten up a bit, use all my resources. I pulled it out of a ditch. I drove a bus for a daycare for about a year before that so it hasn't always been smooth sailing!
I started my first full time semester since separating today. And I’m at a large enrollment traditional university. I saw nobody in any of my classes over probably 21. It’s a bit of a culture shock, but honestly I’m loving it. Just being able to 100% focus on me and my future is a great feeling. I’m also in the reserves but my first drill isn’t until next month so I’m not sure how all that’s going to go. As far as work, I would highly suggest not trying to work anywhere near full time while in school if you can at all afford it. I decided to study engineering so there just wasn’t any way I could work more than 10-15 hours a week with my course load. So I got a job at the university library. No nights. No weekends. No holidays. 15 hours a week. And I can do homework while at work. It’s literally perfect. But I understand that everyone’s financial situation is different. My wife is attending the same school and my best friend also separated and moved with us to attend the same school. So I’m splitting all bills 3 ways. Having low cost of living was an absolute must for me before I separated so I could ensure I didn’t have to work a ton.
If you have any questions at all let me know!!
Sounds like things went smooth for ya, I am in not in the NEED to get a job I just need the feeling to work as in have income coming in. I am financially stable but I would like a good paying job to help reach my short term goals. I appreciate the feedback, will strongly consider reaching out if I have any questions. Thanks!
So much of Air Force leadership saying you should stay active duty is simply because they take your decision to separate as a personal attack on their decision to stay in. That's been my experience at least - when pressed to defend their opinion, it usually goes along the lines of "My friend knows someone who got out and couldn't find a job!" Not a really great dataset to base your life decisions on, imo. But that approach is not unique to the Air Force - a lot of people see anyone taking a different life path as a challenge to their own decisions. But I think I see it a lot more in the Air Force, which contributes to this cult-like mentality of maintaining its membership.
You have great experience with a 1D7X1R career field background. You'll do fine on 'the outside'. I'm assuming you have a clearance - check out [clearancejobs.com](https://clearancejobs.com). If you do decide not to go down the school path, this is a good resource. Don't be afraid to inquire about jobs you feel you are very underqualified for. A lot of employers struggle to get people with security clearances and are willing to take someone with a clearance that is underqualified and train them up vs a well-qualified candidate that they have to take a risk on getting their clearance or wait 6 months to get cleared. Good luck!
I did the same thing your doing 13 years ago. I transferred to the ANG I worked full time and went to college full-time (in-person). I also picked up a commission. The guard has many perks take advantage of them. Your AD experience will be attractive if you want to do temp tech. Your base will have job preparation resources that you should consider. Also consider some defense contractor positions at your guard unit if available.
I separate last March to attend school full time. I had a big savings, but I live off the GI bill comfortably enough. You honestly don’t need to work even if you’re only a little frugal. And it’s okay to take a step back in pay if it’s building towards something. It’s stressful now but once you settle into civilian life and school you’ll be happy with your choice.
Depending on how much of a go getter you are, and how much you put into school and certs getting out is fine. You have multiple avenues of free training and money with VETTEC and GI bill usage, plus getting a job on top of it.
Do gi bill with a cushy entry level tech job, or break your back and do a harder tech job if the pay is right and do school as well.
Did 6 years, got out, using my GI BILL to finish up my bachelors, and got a job (DMV area). All said and done I'm bringing in mid 6 figures after taxes. Its easily achieveable and super fulfilling on the outside. No more pats on the back and burger burns for your hard work. You get to actually see it pay off with dollars and promotions.
Air Force is two words. There is light if you make a plan. Use LinkedIn. Check USAJOBS and similar sites. There are VA benefits advisors that you can talk to for resources related to finding jobs, education, etc. They should be at your ed center if it's like my old base. Use them.
People do it all the time. As long as you have a solid financial plan, do your research, and have a backup plan it can go well. The Guard pay can help keep things afloat, 6 months free Tricare for Palace Front, etc. Also if you're struggling and in between semesters you can pick up short term orders (if available) for some extra $$$ and if long enough even free Tricare if you expect an expensive medical need. just because you're using GI Bill doesn't mean you can't apply for military focused scholarships that you have a higher chance of getting since not everyone can apply. Look for ones meant for helping with books and incidentals that pay you directly. Also I've heard about a lot of people who work part time at their schools IT program which will be the most flexible job for in person classes that also builds your resume you can probably get.
Saw you're working on sec+. There are programs like Vet Tec for certs that also pay BAH, but heard they've been having some budget shortfalls so may not easy to get into. Nonprofits like Hire Heroes USA will do free professional resume critiques so you can build a solid resume now in case you do end up needing to get a job quickly. Act Now Education has programs for free certs and training you can find info on their website and FB- this includes 12 months free Coursera. Remember as an ANG member you still have an .mil email for Digital U for free Udemy access for cert courses and stuff that can overlap/augment college.
Signals Jobs is a good community for job postings. Also you have your normal Clearance Jobs LinkedIn group, DHS, vets2industry, etc groups you can find. Sometimes you can literally post your resume and someone will offer you a local or remote job. Also sticking with more military friendly/vet heavy job groups/companies will increase your changes of a job that works with the student and ANG schedule if you do end up needing a job while in school.
I would put good effort into learning how LinkedIn works and how to improve your profile. It helps a ton. There are free courses on LinkedIn learning and YouTube on what recruiters look for and how to market yourself. Remember when someone's looking, they are looking at dozens to hundreds of profiles. So they're glancing 10-30 seconds initially only to decide to pass or contact. So keep things focused and easy to find your core information. Also when on LinkedIn watch out for recruitment scams and be weary of giving out PII for job applications that seem off. At least makes sure they have a website, LinkedIn business page, some reviews, and proof the business/recruiter exist and are tied together. NEVER transfer money to start a job (but buying own supplies like laptop, webcam, etc for remote jobs you keep is acceptable).
Some of the above communities and others are great to find people getting out to stay in touch with and help each other out. Also communities like r/skillbridge, the LinkedIn group, and Facebook community (all different admins and members) have an TON of info about seperating, job hunting, nonprofits, etc.
For anything VA just go to r/veteransbenefits and their discord. Follow their advice. Get your VA appointments before your DOS to get it fast. Don't think you're broken? Ya I don't care. Find your base VA rep and give them all your medical records and AFSC anyways. Anything hurts or bugs you? Schedule an appt with your PCM yesterday. You'll be surprised what you can get disability for. being a 1D7 alone is probably enough to get 10% Tinnitus (it was for me) which means no VA loan origination fee, free college in some states (r/veteransbenefits has a list in their sidebar) and about an $100ish/month tax free. Guess what? Frugal college life 10% disability will bare minimum amount of food to get by with some creativity. 20%? Comfortable amount of food. 50%? Free medical and can start to cover core living expenses GI bill doesn't.
You get into financial issues? Don't use student loans or personal loans. Go to you schools Education office. Alot of them especially bigger schools have a military specific office with a TON of resources. Starting talking to VA and veteran nonprofits. Hell even your ANG unit. There are more programs than any of us even can possibly know about that can help pull you through to get that degree and the jobs you want.
Oh- also r/itcareerquestions. Also of good peeps in their discord with a ton of experience. Including you guessed it- other vets. Might find a few people with your background.
Also I do know people with similar goals/backgrounds going to school with minimal to no working to get where they want faster. Some are changing fields entirely and snagged some decent jobs. I can reach out to them if you want. One is an ANG member who just finished retraining from Avionics to 1D7 and is using GI bill full time to get ahead even though it's a pay cut. People like him are probably the best resource for applying to schools, navigating benefits, and learning what programs are out there for you.
Hope this helps!
What type of unit are you joining? I'm curious because many utcs for radio guys deploy often, so that could disrupt your school plan since you're already fully qualified.
It’s okay to go backwards in pay if the prospects of significantly higher pay aren’t far out. Especially as cyber. You’ll likely need to start out as help desk making 20-30 an hour, which will likely be a bit of a pay cut. But you do helpdesk for 6 months to a year, obtain certs during that time and learn new skills all while constantly applying for better jobs (sys admin, network engineer, whatever you want to ultimately do) and you’ll eventually land something. Average amount of applications to land something good in IT is in the hundreds, just fill out like 20 applications a week. Once you’re in you’re in though. The entry level is just hard
Check out the IT subreddits.
My advice, if you really want to do school, go full time, don’t work, live on the GI bill and take school serious. Get the best grades you can and get an internship for a good job in the field you want. Otherwise, helmets to hardhats will take you and you can go join the trades. Choose wisely.
I’ve already seen this mentioned a couple times, but don’t get hung up on moving backwards in pay! I mean relegating yourself to some dead end near min wage job is one thing. Avoid that kind of thing if possible obviously. Career wise, sometimes you need to take a step back to get where you need to be going forward. For one example, maybe some awesome company pretty much only takes on new hires into entry level positions but your experience means you’ll advance and end up where you should be quickly. Or another, maybe you are looking for any unrelated field of work, anything that pays good from the start. Is it worth more to you long term to take that line of work which pays more starting out but has limited increase before being basically topped out than it is another line of work that pays significantly less starting out but ultimately making significantly more down the road? Don’t worry so much about putting a floor on income based on past income. Concentrate more on what gets you where you want to be long term. It’s not always one step forward 2 steps back. It can just as easily be one step back 2 steps forward kind of thing.
You're joining the guard, it is an awesome safety net. In between jobs? See if they have an days at the base. Unit needs volunteers to tdy to somewhere cool and the dates work with your school schedule? Sign up! I've seen people make it though for college doing random days/orders and their GI bill. Once you're in the guard please make sure you understand how [USERRA](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/vets/programs/userra) affects school/work and sign up for [Tricare Reserve Select](https://tricare.mil/TRS).
I’m going to school full-time and I’m a SAHD with my 3 year old, 2 month old. Wife is a teacher, and honestly life is pretty okay. There’s struggles I didn’t have in the Air Force for sure. There’s so many more positives for my family and I though. I hate school, but between the BAH and my disability, and not paying for childcare (in our area it’s $3 to $4000/month for two kids), I’m still doing my part. I have free healthcare through the VA at 50% disability and my wife’s health insurance for her and the kids is actually great.
Get out, focus on school and yourself, and all will be well.
Linkedin? Indeed? If you're in the NoVA/DC area and have 4-6 years 1D7XR1 experience use Linkedin and your phone will melt from the recruiter spam. You'll feel like a thicc Latina E-3 on a deployment.
I am going to try those out. Hopefully I do feel like a thick Latina on deployment
What you do you mean by that? 🤔
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Good luck. The main thing you should realize is when you separate, it’s nearly impossible to get back in. Make sure this is the path you want to take. Far too many people assume getting back into active-duty, Air Force is easy before they separate
Yea I heard it’s harder to get BACK in rather than getting in brand new
This is absolutely true
With that being said, you absolutely can do this. Many of us have, and many of us are much happier out here. Take advantage of your grants, apply yourself in school like you did in the service, and you’ll come out just fine. Good luck, OP. You can do this.
Thanks for the positive motivation! 🙏🏻
We're talking like under 100 people per year they let come back in from what I've heard (but idk how to confirm). Like significantly less, but saying under 100 ensures my accuracy for it changing year to year lol. So checks out.
As someone who went through the process myself, it is tremendously difficult. With that being said, the Reserve and Guard isn’t bad. If your unit has money for orders, take them. It’ll get your blood pumping again
You're going to do great. Life outside the Air Force has many opportunities waiting for you. Don't jump at the first job, but really consider what lifestyle you are looking for. Just as much as you are marketing yourself, companies are trying to sell themselves to you. You're going to have a great time in your civilian phase of life. There are some changes that are tricky for some, but I think you're going to smash them.
Thank you for the motivation. It's going to be a challenge that I will overcome.
just fyi, you won’t be paid for school with the gi bill for the days you are not in class. example: classes start august 15 and end december 15. you get pro rated from 15 august to 31 august, then all of sep, oct, nov, then pro rated 1-15dec. plan accordingly. as others have said, indeed, glassdoor, clearancejobs, usajobs. as frustrating as it is, don’t expect to get a job until at least 90 days out. even then some people still may not entertain you. but don’t get too stressed (i know easier said than done). it is possible to get out and into a great job. was an e5, got out to be a gs12. applying for gs13 jobs now while i finish my masters degree. i just separated a year ago so if you have any questions or need to vent feel free to reach out
Thanks! I'll probably reach out within a month or two. I'm about to start building a resume by the end of this week and put myself out in indeed, glassdoor etc...
If you want to make more money on the outside, it doesn’t take a whole hell of a lot with a 1D7 background, a couple of IT certs, and a clearance. Don’t be shy about taking something that isn’t exactly a dream job right out the gate if you aren’t able to land anything better. It is better to have something on your resume in your chosen career field that doesn’t pay great than it is to have a giant gap in employment, plus you’ll still need something to pay bills, buy food, etc. This isn’t the military, you can leave at any time for a better job.
I am in the works of studying for my Sec+ exam that is something I want to accomplish before I get out.
https://www.reddit.com/r/AirForce/comments/pjlcob/for_those_curious_about_the_guardreserves/ Make sure you read up on what you are getting yourself into Big thing is to have backup plans and back up plans for your back up plans What does your financial situation look like currently? How does your emergency fund look? Job wise. What state are you going to? Do you have any certs? If so what? How does your current resume look? Have you looked into skillbridge? If you havent reach out to this community: https://veteransec.org/ They have a resume channel and a bunch of vets who have gone through this process Good luck OP!
I’m in the process of looking for a company to I tern for skillbridge. I appreciate you for sending these helpful links!
> I’m in the process of looking for a company to I tern for skillbridge. A little late to change things but you should've started this process 6 months ago. That said consider this: Most people complain when things aren't working out well, and when things do work out most people just move on with their life and don't say anything. Meaning for all the people you see complaining about how bad things turned out after separation, there's generally dozens who things worked out perfectly fine for.
It is a kinda late, I just got back from deployment about a month ago, I’ve been advised to do 3/4 month program
I think it does well to, no matter where you want to end up, to start early with an "in between" job. One of your first civilian jobs should be with a place that is familiar with military. I think you have to build some civilian "street cred" a bit to be able to open more doors. For example, I struggled pretty hard finding satisfying employment, despite getting a college degree in natural resources. So I used my Air Force credentials to get on at Boeing in manufacturing. It wasn't what I wanted to do, I saw it as a backup. But it was good pay and respected, especially in the area. Did that for 3 years. After that, I was able to apply to local government jobs and I got more callbacks and better reception. Boeing respected my military experience, and civilian world respected Boeing. It might not be first choice, but I think the civilian/military divide has grown to the point that you gotta have something in between they understand, and it helps you speak the language better too.
That makes sense, thats good that you got to apply to government jobs later on, seems like you had good opportunities.
I had to smarten up a bit, use all my resources. I pulled it out of a ditch. I drove a bus for a daycare for about a year before that so it hasn't always been smooth sailing!
Skillbridge, BDD claim, work on resume, network, and believe in your self. I got out at 13 years and I’m glad I made the transition.
All of this is work in progress, glad to hear that you are glad that you made the transition.
Air Force is two words.
Yes.
[удалено]
Tell your mom I said hi.
Yes ma'am.
I started my first full time semester since separating today. And I’m at a large enrollment traditional university. I saw nobody in any of my classes over probably 21. It’s a bit of a culture shock, but honestly I’m loving it. Just being able to 100% focus on me and my future is a great feeling. I’m also in the reserves but my first drill isn’t until next month so I’m not sure how all that’s going to go. As far as work, I would highly suggest not trying to work anywhere near full time while in school if you can at all afford it. I decided to study engineering so there just wasn’t any way I could work more than 10-15 hours a week with my course load. So I got a job at the university library. No nights. No weekends. No holidays. 15 hours a week. And I can do homework while at work. It’s literally perfect. But I understand that everyone’s financial situation is different. My wife is attending the same school and my best friend also separated and moved with us to attend the same school. So I’m splitting all bills 3 ways. Having low cost of living was an absolute must for me before I separated so I could ensure I didn’t have to work a ton. If you have any questions at all let me know!!
Sounds like things went smooth for ya, I am in not in the NEED to get a job I just need the feeling to work as in have income coming in. I am financially stable but I would like a good paying job to help reach my short term goals. I appreciate the feedback, will strongly consider reaching out if I have any questions. Thanks!
So much of Air Force leadership saying you should stay active duty is simply because they take your decision to separate as a personal attack on their decision to stay in. That's been my experience at least - when pressed to defend their opinion, it usually goes along the lines of "My friend knows someone who got out and couldn't find a job!" Not a really great dataset to base your life decisions on, imo. But that approach is not unique to the Air Force - a lot of people see anyone taking a different life path as a challenge to their own decisions. But I think I see it a lot more in the Air Force, which contributes to this cult-like mentality of maintaining its membership. You have great experience with a 1D7X1R career field background. You'll do fine on 'the outside'. I'm assuming you have a clearance - check out [clearancejobs.com](https://clearancejobs.com). If you do decide not to go down the school path, this is a good resource. Don't be afraid to inquire about jobs you feel you are very underqualified for. A lot of employers struggle to get people with security clearances and are willing to take someone with a clearance that is underqualified and train them up vs a well-qualified candidate that they have to take a risk on getting their clearance or wait 6 months to get cleared. Good luck!
Thanks! This just gave me hope! I enjoy school but it's just time consuming /:
^^You've ^^mentioned ^^an ^^AFSC, ^^here's ^^the ^^associated ^^job ^^title: 1D7X1 = Cyber Defense Operations [^^Source](https://github.com/HadManySons/AFSCbot) ^^| [^^Subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/AFSCbot/) ^^^^^^jx7rzn7
I did the same thing your doing 13 years ago. I transferred to the ANG I worked full time and went to college full-time (in-person). I also picked up a commission. The guard has many perks take advantage of them. Your AD experience will be attractive if you want to do temp tech. Your base will have job preparation resources that you should consider. Also consider some defense contractor positions at your guard unit if available.
I did not know this, will definitely ask around the guard about the resources. Thanks!
I separate last March to attend school full time. I had a big savings, but I live off the GI bill comfortably enough. You honestly don’t need to work even if you’re only a little frugal. And it’s okay to take a step back in pay if it’s building towards something. It’s stressful now but once you settle into civilian life and school you’ll be happy with your choice.
Yes, unfortunately though, it's a fucking train!
Depending on how much of a go getter you are, and how much you put into school and certs getting out is fine. You have multiple avenues of free training and money with VETTEC and GI bill usage, plus getting a job on top of it. Do gi bill with a cushy entry level tech job, or break your back and do a harder tech job if the pay is right and do school as well. Did 6 years, got out, using my GI BILL to finish up my bachelors, and got a job (DMV area). All said and done I'm bringing in mid 6 figures after taxes. Its easily achieveable and super fulfilling on the outside. No more pats on the back and burger burns for your hard work. You get to actually see it pay off with dollars and promotions.
Air Force is two words. There is light if you make a plan. Use LinkedIn. Check USAJOBS and similar sites. There are VA benefits advisors that you can talk to for resources related to finding jobs, education, etc. They should be at your ed center if it's like my old base. Use them.
People do it all the time. As long as you have a solid financial plan, do your research, and have a backup plan it can go well. The Guard pay can help keep things afloat, 6 months free Tricare for Palace Front, etc. Also if you're struggling and in between semesters you can pick up short term orders (if available) for some extra $$$ and if long enough even free Tricare if you expect an expensive medical need. just because you're using GI Bill doesn't mean you can't apply for military focused scholarships that you have a higher chance of getting since not everyone can apply. Look for ones meant for helping with books and incidentals that pay you directly. Also I've heard about a lot of people who work part time at their schools IT program which will be the most flexible job for in person classes that also builds your resume you can probably get. Saw you're working on sec+. There are programs like Vet Tec for certs that also pay BAH, but heard they've been having some budget shortfalls so may not easy to get into. Nonprofits like Hire Heroes USA will do free professional resume critiques so you can build a solid resume now in case you do end up needing to get a job quickly. Act Now Education has programs for free certs and training you can find info on their website and FB- this includes 12 months free Coursera. Remember as an ANG member you still have an .mil email for Digital U for free Udemy access for cert courses and stuff that can overlap/augment college. Signals Jobs is a good community for job postings. Also you have your normal Clearance Jobs LinkedIn group, DHS, vets2industry, etc groups you can find. Sometimes you can literally post your resume and someone will offer you a local or remote job. Also sticking with more military friendly/vet heavy job groups/companies will increase your changes of a job that works with the student and ANG schedule if you do end up needing a job while in school. I would put good effort into learning how LinkedIn works and how to improve your profile. It helps a ton. There are free courses on LinkedIn learning and YouTube on what recruiters look for and how to market yourself. Remember when someone's looking, they are looking at dozens to hundreds of profiles. So they're glancing 10-30 seconds initially only to decide to pass or contact. So keep things focused and easy to find your core information. Also when on LinkedIn watch out for recruitment scams and be weary of giving out PII for job applications that seem off. At least makes sure they have a website, LinkedIn business page, some reviews, and proof the business/recruiter exist and are tied together. NEVER transfer money to start a job (but buying own supplies like laptop, webcam, etc for remote jobs you keep is acceptable). Some of the above communities and others are great to find people getting out to stay in touch with and help each other out. Also communities like r/skillbridge, the LinkedIn group, and Facebook community (all different admins and members) have an TON of info about seperating, job hunting, nonprofits, etc. For anything VA just go to r/veteransbenefits and their discord. Follow their advice. Get your VA appointments before your DOS to get it fast. Don't think you're broken? Ya I don't care. Find your base VA rep and give them all your medical records and AFSC anyways. Anything hurts or bugs you? Schedule an appt with your PCM yesterday. You'll be surprised what you can get disability for. being a 1D7 alone is probably enough to get 10% Tinnitus (it was for me) which means no VA loan origination fee, free college in some states (r/veteransbenefits has a list in their sidebar) and about an $100ish/month tax free. Guess what? Frugal college life 10% disability will bare minimum amount of food to get by with some creativity. 20%? Comfortable amount of food. 50%? Free medical and can start to cover core living expenses GI bill doesn't. You get into financial issues? Don't use student loans or personal loans. Go to you schools Education office. Alot of them especially bigger schools have a military specific office with a TON of resources. Starting talking to VA and veteran nonprofits. Hell even your ANG unit. There are more programs than any of us even can possibly know about that can help pull you through to get that degree and the jobs you want. Oh- also r/itcareerquestions. Also of good peeps in their discord with a ton of experience. Including you guessed it- other vets. Might find a few people with your background. Also I do know people with similar goals/backgrounds going to school with minimal to no working to get where they want faster. Some are changing fields entirely and snagged some decent jobs. I can reach out to them if you want. One is an ANG member who just finished retraining from Avionics to 1D7 and is using GI bill full time to get ahead even though it's a pay cut. People like him are probably the best resource for applying to schools, navigating benefits, and learning what programs are out there for you. Hope this helps!
So what kind of education or certs do you have now? How have you set yourself up for success which active?
What type of unit are you joining? I'm curious because many utcs for radio guys deploy often, so that could disrupt your school plan since you're already fully qualified.
It’s okay to go backwards in pay if the prospects of significantly higher pay aren’t far out. Especially as cyber. You’ll likely need to start out as help desk making 20-30 an hour, which will likely be a bit of a pay cut. But you do helpdesk for 6 months to a year, obtain certs during that time and learn new skills all while constantly applying for better jobs (sys admin, network engineer, whatever you want to ultimately do) and you’ll eventually land something. Average amount of applications to land something good in IT is in the hundreds, just fill out like 20 applications a week. Once you’re in you’re in though. The entry level is just hard Check out the IT subreddits.
My advice, if you really want to do school, go full time, don’t work, live on the GI bill and take school serious. Get the best grades you can and get an internship for a good job in the field you want. Otherwise, helmets to hardhats will take you and you can go join the trades. Choose wisely.
I’ve already seen this mentioned a couple times, but don’t get hung up on moving backwards in pay! I mean relegating yourself to some dead end near min wage job is one thing. Avoid that kind of thing if possible obviously. Career wise, sometimes you need to take a step back to get where you need to be going forward. For one example, maybe some awesome company pretty much only takes on new hires into entry level positions but your experience means you’ll advance and end up where you should be quickly. Or another, maybe you are looking for any unrelated field of work, anything that pays good from the start. Is it worth more to you long term to take that line of work which pays more starting out but has limited increase before being basically topped out than it is another line of work that pays significantly less starting out but ultimately making significantly more down the road? Don’t worry so much about putting a floor on income based on past income. Concentrate more on what gets you where you want to be long term. It’s not always one step forward 2 steps back. It can just as easily be one step back 2 steps forward kind of thing.
You're joining the guard, it is an awesome safety net. In between jobs? See if they have an days at the base. Unit needs volunteers to tdy to somewhere cool and the dates work with your school schedule? Sign up! I've seen people make it though for college doing random days/orders and their GI bill. Once you're in the guard please make sure you understand how [USERRA](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/vets/programs/userra) affects school/work and sign up for [Tricare Reserve Select](https://tricare.mil/TRS).
I’m going to school full-time and I’m a SAHD with my 3 year old, 2 month old. Wife is a teacher, and honestly life is pretty okay. There’s struggles I didn’t have in the Air Force for sure. There’s so many more positives for my family and I though. I hate school, but between the BAH and my disability, and not paying for childcare (in our area it’s $3 to $4000/month for two kids), I’m still doing my part. I have free healthcare through the VA at 50% disability and my wife’s health insurance for her and the kids is actually great. Get out, focus on school and yourself, and all will be well.