@Ironfell, I’ll support the great advice you’re getting:I have 2 years left on my enlisted military contract and will be about 25-26 years old at my projected separation. I'm unsure if I should use my GI Bill to get a bachelor's degree or if it would make sense to look for a contracting job immediately.
1. Go to TAP, SFL, or whatever transition seminar you can arrange as soon as you can get a seat. The transition counselors can point you to more self-assessment surveys and career-research tools that will help you refine your interests. You should also visit your military base’s college office to start working on those resources now.
2. College today is better than college later, and corporate employers would rather support your (someday) MBA or other graduate degree.
When you do college after your military service, you’ll already feel older (more mature & motivated) than the other students. You might even gravitate toward the other vets working on their own GI Bill degrees. A major college campus usually has a Veteran Coordinator (full-time job). If you’re near a large state university then you could visit their Vet’s office to ask more questions.
3. Reserves/Guard has many of the things you’ve enjoyed during your active-duty enlistment (mission, camaraderie, shared values) and less of the sucky parts. Depending on the applicability of your MOS, you might want to talk to Reserve recruiters of the other services. National Guard armories are generally closer to your location than Reserve units, although they vary widely across the nation. You could even consider going ROTC, although you’ll do just fine with the GI Bill.
4. Pick any STEM program that interests you from the transition seminar, your career research, and your self-assessment work. You can change your major later, especially based on what you learn from your internships during semester breaks. (If nothing else, take business classes like accounting, marketing, or sales.) Mandarin language electives sound like a great way to improve your proficiency and enhance your GPA.
5. Personally, I’ve confirmed that San Diego surf is way better than LA, NYC, or DC. But if you’re intrigued by medical professions then we need all the help we can get out here on Oahu, and Honolulu is still a sizable urban environment with way better weather and an lifestyle. There’s also a rising need for white-collar construction planning & supervision careers as we grapple with the island’s residential housing shortage.
Thank you, @Miriam2!The Bogleheads Life Stage Chapters are hosting retired military officer and long-time Boglehead Doug Nordman aka Nords for an online meeting on Wed April 17, 2024, at 8:00 pm ET.. Nords will carry forth and answer questions for hours :D on "Financial and Life Lessons Learned from Military Service" and how to plan for your future following the Great Military Adventure. I think you'll enjoy the meeting!
Everyone is invited and the meeting announcements will be posted soon on the BH forum. The meeting is already posted on the Bogleheads Calendar of Events along with the zoom link.
If anyone has questions before the Zoom call, I’m happy to answer them here or on a separate thread.
Statistics: Posted by Nords — Sat Mar 09, 2024 4:44 pm — Replies 24 — Views 2114