Life after military? IS IT WORTH IT AT THE END?ANY ANSWERS PLEASE???????????????????

Question

once you finish your time in the Navy,army,marines etc do you get a good job after?alot of people say that you will get a great job after. Why is that some people that get out of the military work at a fast food and they say the navy,army etc was just a waist of their time?The reason im asking is because my husband wants to join Then navy.He wants to be a mechanic or engineer, but if he decides not to re enlist what are the chances of him getting a good job in the civilian life?or is he better off not joining.He wants to join to serve his country and wants a career that will payoff.No i know military life wont make us rich!But we do want to have a good life ya kn0w.So what do you think about this?He just might make the navy his career?I just want to support him!If you have any advice please let me know.Thank you

Answer 1

Let me think about this one for a second. I enlisted in 1984. I was 18 years old, straight out of High School, and only owned the clothes on my back. I retired in 2004. During those 20 years, I purchased (still own) two houses, cars, got a degree, have money in the savings account, IRA, a retirement check, and am making $60k+. Hmmmmm.

For me, the Army was good. The military is not for everyone, but the training is good, the pay is OK, the travel opportunities are good, and the retirement is good.

Live is what you make of it. Those kids that work in fast food joints and say their military time was a waste PROBABLY didn't do anything with themselves. They sat in the barracks and didn't go anywhere, didn't try to better themselves, and just wasted their time. I wanted to make something of myself and to provide for my family. Therefore, I did something with my time. It's on you. There is no such thing as a free ride. Your husband can come away with valuable training, education, and can go anywhere.

Good luck

Answer 2

I served 22 years in the navy. I had multiple job offers in the $40,000 range before I retired in 1997..

Serving 4 years in the navy will not qualify most sailors for anything other than an entry level position once they get out.

Here's what you both need to know. The military, especially the navy, isn't a job. It's a way of life. It's often NOT family friendly. If he joins the needs of the navy will come first, all the time. Some people deal with it better than others. The divorce rate is astronomical.

If he joins the navy, he's going to sea. The only exception would be with a very few jobs that don't have sea billets. But in these non sea duty jobs he can count on an overseas tour, possibly without his family.

Think long and hard about it.

Answer 3

Depends on your mos(job). I'm not sure about navy jobs, but I know alot of them are a lot more technical than their counterparts in the army. Many of the skills, if not directly transferrable to civilian life, will at least give him the upper hand to get certified through proper civilian institutions. Also consider the GI Bill which will help pay for higher education and/or vocational training. To be perfectly honest, in my experience, military made no impact on my employers really, at least the 9-5 desk jobs. I suspect if I got a dishonorable discharge though they would take it seriously. Then again, i don't have a technical mos, which as i said earlier could help. Military pay generally allows people to live comfortably, neither rich, nor poor, you can look up the basic pay schedule online. If he's enlisting, he probably won't be making decent pay, about 30-40k i think, until E-6 or E-7 ( which will take at least 2 enlistments to reach). Many people find the benefits and job security worth it, not to mention the whole travel-for-free thing.

Answer 4

It all depends on what your job is int he military. I've know people who had desk jobs in the military that now work at Subway. My father, who retired from the AF after 30 years, now works as a civilian for the government and makes over $250,000 a year. My husband is a crew chief for the AF and the last time he looked into getting a civilian job, he was offered $115,000 a year working for a major Airplane manufacturer. He re-enlisted instead of taking the job (he LOVES his job and it's not about the money anyway) but he just wanted to see what was out there.

Answer 5

He wants to be a Seabee huh. Well, I am a former Seabee. A builder for the Navy. Yes it is a transferable skill. He can get a great job when he gets out. He has to want it though. Get some college too. It helps. The Seabees offer a Journeyman program. He does it and gets it all signed off. When he gets out there are many places and people that will hire him. Make connections before he gets out as well. With different companies. You can get this information when you are a year out of leaving the military.
Like I said he has to do it in order to get the job. The only reason the others are working in low end jobs are because they didn't pursue it when they had the chance.

Answer 6

I was in the navy for 5 years... I go to school full time and work part time as a manager at a movie theatre.... Of all of my friends that got out only a couple have a job that transfers to cilvilian jobs... My recommendation is to really spend time picking the right job. Talk to companies in the area and see what that job field is offering... Cause you can get great training in the Navy.. but if you dont have a good job on the outside what is the point. I was a search and rescue swimmer for 4 years.... but that job doesnt cross into the civilian world too well... Good Luck!

Answer 7

I can tell you this much. I was a kid from a poor family in the poor part of Detroit in the 60's, with no hope of college. If I was lucky when I graduated high school ('69), I might have gotten a job at an auto factory, but more than likely I would have ended up being a store clerk or janitor, which didn't pay so well. At that time there was a mandatory military draft, no lottery or volunteer service. Kids like me got drafted when we graduated high school and gone straight to Viet Nam (our dads weren't rich enough to get us a deferment). In the military I would have learned infantry, or gunnery... not skills with great demand in the real world (the military has come a long way since then).

So I joined the Air Force. I was trained in electronics, and when I got out I got a job at Xerox as a technician. I later became a field service engineer, a computer applications engineer, course developer and trainer, and technical writer. A long way from the factories and slums in Detroit.

So YES, the military experience CAN be extremely helpful in one's life and in one's career. Besides technical skills you can learn discipline and leadership and maturity (I say "can" because some military people do not). You can also get a college education either while in the military or afterwords, with help from the G.I. Bill.

And now-a-days, the pay's not that bad either, once you get a little time in service (I made $200 a month including housing and meal allowances!). And the benefits are invaluable, especially for a family, including FREE medical care, including prescriptions, for the service member AND for his/her spouse and their dependent children too. And the retirement is almost unbeatable if you stay in for 20 years (retire at 50% of your base pay) and even better if you stay in for 30 years (75% of your pay), PLUS free medical care for you and your dependents for life! And I mentioned the G.I. Bill...

Now, with a totally volunteer service, I'm pretty sure your husband could choose what job he will be trained for, or at least the career field (check with the recruiter about this, and be sure it's guaranteed in writing). If he chooses a field like electronics, mechanics, etc., he can do well after the service. He might also choose to be trained as a Military Policeman or Fire Fighter, which is good training & experience for a law enforcement or fire fighting career.

Even fields that you might think there was no demand for on the outside can prepare you for a good job, especially if you take some college courses. My step-son is in signals intelligence in the Air Force (receiving and decoding transmissions). He could get a job with a high-level security company, such as IBM system security, etc. Of course with almost any job in the Navy or Air Force, and with most in the Army and Marines, you can also go into civilian government service when you get out. You might find yourself doing the same job as when you were in, but for a lot more money!

So I highly recommend military service for any young person, for many reasons. A couple pieces of advice from an old timer...

> Be sure, as I said, that he can choose his job, or at least his career field, and get it guaranteed in writing.
> Consider all branches of the service, remembering that if he is in the Navy, chances are he will be at sea for 6-12 months at a time. That can play havoc on a family.
> Remember that part of the military life is moving frequently. You probably would be moving to a different city and state, maybe even a different country, several times during his tour of duty.
> A military wife has to be very trusting of and devoted to her husband (or husband to wife). It is a difficult life for some because of the demands of the job and the travel and relocation.
> And anyone in the military, any branch, has to consider the current state of the world, and think about how a war would affect you and your family. Would you be called to combat?

Those are just a few pointers. I hope they help. Good luck to you both, and please let me know how it goes!

Answer 8

You can get free schooling in the military, some businesses look for veterans, They work at a fast food because they are choosing to, my uncle was a Marine and he works for Boeing, it is all about how determined you are to succeed. You can get credit for college by being in the military and you get basic skills that some people might not have coming out high school alone. You also gain a level of respect by serving and a sense of duty. If your husband wants to join the military to serve his country then join, don't worry about where you might be in 10 years, worry about where you are now. I am married so a man in the army and he will get a better job when he gets out because of the experience he gained, but also it has to do with MOS, like MPs are better as Police Officers, and Computer guys are better at Computers in the Real World. Support whatever decision he decides to make. Stand by his side.

Answer 9

That's the last thing that I would do, I made the mistake of joining the Army, I was a grunt. I have been out for 2 years, and I still can't get a decent job. I should of just gone to college as soon as I got out, but my life took some bad turns. Being mentally ill is one of them, so going to college is better than risking your life.

Everyone's outcome in life, if to fullfill their needs to complete happiness. Going to college, will easily turn the tables for anyone who wants a stable job. If he does what I did which is nothing, he'll be working at a warehouse. Furthering your education opens alot of doors, your husband has already achieve half of his skills in a field enviroment.

Their our students in college that don't have the skills of actually producing quality work or experiance. If anything your husband has an edge, if he apply's what he learned. It give's him an advantage, while other's students are reading about what to do, he has already done it. He's already half way through the learning process of what he learned in the military.

Answer 10

Make sure he tries for a specialty that translates into a good job in the civilian world. I spent over 20 years, and since I retired, I had only one job that I could point to and say I LEARNED HOW TO DO THIS IN THE NAVY. (Those that say the military was a WASTE OF THEIR TIME probably would waste their time in a civlian job. I've seen guys go in and never get beyond E-3 because they didn't try.) I held one job for 7 years before being laid off and now this one I've had for over 13 years, both doing what I learned in the Navy. My advice for him is to get a technical rating...electronics, computers, etc.
Good luck and stand by him!
(USN, retired...since 1985)