National Veterans Outreach Directory

Crisis Resources

Veterans Crisis Line

1.800.273.8255 and Press 1
Military Crisis Line

1.800.273.TALK (8255)
National Call Center for Homeless Veterans

1.877.4AID.VET (424.3838)
VA Caregiver Support Line

1.855.260.3274

Low Cost High Impact Ways to Transfer Military Experience into Civilian Job Skills

Many job descriptions require specific certifications as a qualification for consideration. Often these certifications cover civilian versions of military skills. OSHA Safety Courses, Project Management Certifications, FEMA Independent Study, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Computer Networking, Computer Databases, ISO9001 Quality Standards, AS9100 Quality Standards and Continuous Improvement Certifications are valuable ways to transfer military experience into civilian job skills on a resume. It is also good to learn how civilian processes differ from military methods.

For example: If a veteran tells a company to have a Field Day and impose some discipline they will probably get fired. If the same veteran suggests implementing 5S from Toyota Production System to minimize waste they will probably get promoted. The same can be said for Safety, Project Management and other military methods that have civilian counterparts.

Navy and Marine Corps COOL Certifications

Marines and Sailors can visit http://www.cool.navy.mil/ to select an MOS and see commonly associated civilian skill sets and related certifications, such as a commercial driver's license, a welding or a financial management certification. There are more than 900 certifications available for active duty military personnel.

Syracuse University Veterans on-line program

Syracuse University Veterans on-line program offers one free course for veterans. The Project Management Certification is probably the most valuable for veterans. http://vets.syr.edu/

FEMA Independent Study Certifications

FEMA offers free independent study certifications that mirror military experience. There is even a FEMA Professional Certification. sw://training.fema.gov/is/

OSHA 30 Hour Safety Cards

An OSHA 30 Hour Safety Card are a very good way to transfer military safety experience into a Safety Manager or Safety Technician position when combined with military experience. OSHA 30 Hour Safety Cards are for managers and supervisors and many jobs require them. OSHA Cards do not expire and they are good in all 50 states.

OSHA-Authorized Online Outreach Training Providers are listed below:

OSHA Construction 30-hour:

University of South Florida – www.usfoticenter.org

OSHA General Industry 30 hour:

University of South Florida -http://1030.trainingweb.com

LEAN Six Sigma Green Belt

The military offers a LEAN Six Sigma Green Belt. (See Your Career Planner)

A LEAN Six Sigma Green Belt is enough knowledge to understand the concepts of continuous improvement for an interview. Since most large companies use some form of LEAN or Six Sigma the Green Belt is important for HR to see on a resume improving your chance of a higher paying job. LEAN and Six Sigma are two different continuous improvement systems that are designed for different things.

LEAN Made EZ- by Russell Levy JD

The World War II version of LEAN was used by the United States War Department to train almost 2 million armaments plan supervisors in Job Instruction, Job Relations and Improving Job Methods to minimizing waste on assembly lines. During World War II Six Sigma was known as Army War Standards and it focused on minimizing variation in machine production using Statistical Process Control. During the American Occupation of Japan the American Military taught these Continuous Improvement Methods to Japanese Industry. LEAN tools are analogous to military methods that all veterans are familiar with and improvements can be made immediately. Six Sigma takes months to collect the data and deploy a solution so it only works with long run production. You can learn more about LEAN and how to apply it in the PDF available for sale above.

Effective Veterans Resources

For Military To Civilian Transition Recommended Reading

What Color is Your Parachute- R. Bolles
48 Days to The Work You Love- D. Miller
Start; Punch Fear in the Face- J. Acuff
Knock em' Dead- M. Yate
LEAN Made EZ- R.Levy JD
Military To Civilian Transition Manual - R.Levy JD

Veteran Education Resources

2016 Guide to Veterans Education Benefits- {Click }

This is an in-depth Guide to Veterans Education Benefits

Continuing your education and career after military service can be an intimidating prospect. Choosing a school and getting all of your benefits requires you to weigh many factors including cost, distance, time, and of course – paperwork. All of these details can make the idea of getting your degree seem intimidating and many will wonder whether it’s worth the time. This guide helps you make that decision.