Transferrable Military Skills

Transferrable military skills are those practical and theoretical skills you learn from the military that can be applied to other careers – such as finance, business, or even entrepreneurship.

There is a general misconception that once discharged from military duty, candidates will be unable, or will at least find it difficult, to find a new career in the civilian sector – or to successfully transition to a new career.

Yet, the reality is that being in the army offers an enormous opportunity to develop key skills – from the ASVAB exam to being discharged; you are always learning. Here, we discuss many of those key transferrable military skills; reviewing the top skills that not only apply to success in the military but also in many different roles as you transition back to civilian life.

These skills include:

• Team player skills
• Discipline and leadership skills
• Problem-solving and decision-making skills
• Financial prudence and responsibility
• Communication skills

I – Team Player Skills

One of the main challenges for many employees is the lack of proper team players.

On that note, it is important to emphasize that many candidates have great overall applications, broad experience, and top credentials. Yet, in many cases, they lack some key attributes such as the ability to be an effective team player. And that is where these former military recruits and officers come into the frame.

Teambuilding is one of the most essential transferrable military skills you will learn from your time on duty. After all, it is teamwork that wins battles. The combined effort is the catalyst for success in every armed formation. Therefore, bringing that teamwork into the new civilian career can make you a valued member of your new work collective.

Your time in the military will also prepare you to be effective in working with people from different backgrounds.

II – Discipline and Leadership Skills

The prospect of conflict in the workforce represents one of the key challenges for many companies.

On that note, it is important to emphasize that discipline and leadership are two key transferable skills that you gain and absorb from military service. That is a key skill that employers aim to hire. Not just experts in their fields, but also someone who has the potential to take a lead and to be disciplined in conducting a given work task.

Working in the army will prepare you to deal with tasks and obligations that require responsibility and someone who can lead by example for the future of the business.

III – Problem Solving and Decision-Making Skills

Other notable skills from the armed forces are problem-solving and decision-making skills. Candidates begin to develop these skills early in their career – beginning with the ASVAB test. There, practice test questions force you to think outside the box and it is precisely this kind of logical reasoning that both the US army and employers find attractive.

Whilst enlisted in the army, you will find that missions do not always go as planned. The domino effect of that is that personnel face complex situations that require smart and fast solutions. As you progress throughout your time in the military, these problem-solving and decision-making skills will naturally develop. For instance, you will have to make the proper tactical and strategic decisions on the battlefield. That experience can be easily transferred to the business world.

Companies are always looking for individuals that can identify and solve problems with proper decision making. Therefore, if you have that kind of a background of solving complex problems, then it is wise to put in on your resume.

It will no doubt increase the prospect of being hired. Decision making skills are one of the most important transferrable military skills you will learn.

IV – Financial Prudence

One aspect that is often undermined about former officers in recruits of the army is that they have financial responsibility.

These military skills are developed since you will likely be responsible for government resources and equipment. Soldiers are tasked to take care of equipment that costs millions of dollars. High ranking officers and personnel are responsible for budgeting and finance management.

Therefore there is a certain financial prudence that one gains from military service. It’s a skill that relies on working with what you have got to the best of your ability. This kind of prudence is transferrable to many civilian roles where it can save both time and money as you build efficiency into the business system. That kind of discipline is what employers recognize – and it is what will propel you forward as you leave the military and transfer to your next chosen career.

V – Communication Skills

Communication skills are a must-have to succeed in many careers and, after enlisting in the US military, that is a skill you can develop, hone, and master.

Communication is often the key to succeed. Knowing what to communicate and how to communicate it gets the best out of your teammates. This is true whether you are operating on the battlefield or whether you are preparing a mission scope or whether you are working in business. The principle remains the same – and it’s one of the most desired transferrable military skills you will foster.

Communication is also key to problem resolution. If there are problems in the workforce and you can work out solutions with effective communication plans and conflict resolution processes, this is a major plus for any business that relies on a team of employees working together to achieve a common goal.

The Bottom Line

Working in the armed forces creates opportunities to learn many key transferrable military skills. Here, we have focused on the top 5:

• Team player skills
• Discipline and leadership skills
• Problem-solving and decision-making skills
• Financial prudence and responsibility
• Communication skills

By mastering these five core transferrable military skills, you make it much easier to develop your resume and market yourself to prospective employers as a serious candidate who is bursting with experience, knowledge, and an ability to adapt to a new career environment.

That’s about it for now. Check back to our ASVAB Test Practice blog soon for more exclusive content to help you master the ASVAB exam and make it through to enlistment in the US armed forces. At ASVAB Test Practice, we get you ready.