Mustering Out

Computerworld - The most common private-sector IT jobs for military vets:
Systems analysts: Mostly Unix administration (the military has been slow to adopt Windows NT)
Programmers: Cobol, Ada and, increasingly, Java
Project engineers
Source: Military Recruitment Division, Lucas Group, Atlanta

Top traits sought by civilian recruiters:
• Independence
• Flexibility/adaptability
• Resourcefulness
• Leadership
Vets' Best Bets
More than technical ability, soft skills like leadership appeal to private-sector hiring managers, according to Mike Deveraux, vice president of the military recruitment division at Lucas Group, a national recruiting firm in Atlanta.
"The military isn't so much training technologists for the corporate world; they're training people to lead and motivate and manage," Deveraux says.
Beth Cygon, a former procurement specialist in the U.S. Air Force, says adaptability is another trait sought by private-sector employers.
Her first job out of the military was to procure billing support and member services applications at America Online Inc. So she quickly learned the technology and was promoted within a year, an accomplishment she attributes to her military background.
"The environment here at AOL and that in the military are very similar. They're both constantly changing," Cygon explains. "As long as you're organized and you know how to lead the process, you can adapt to anything."
- Deborah Radcliff

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