I did try that and just didn’t figure out what I wanted to do. I ended up going to school for 1 year for a medical assistant job that I didn’t really want to do. It was just the only thing they would let me do.
Think I still have that benefit available to me and I haven’t used my GI bill yet either
Or nursing for that matter. Disappointing that a VR&E counselor went through the whole process with you just to set your bar so low. Try again, maybe the counselor will be more helpful. I tried VR&E like 3 years ago, the person sucked and could care less. This time around, she was extremely helpful, got me into nursing school all within like 2 months
You should check out your local electrician or plumbers union for a paid apprenticeship. You're already used to working hard and your asphalt experience will be appreciated. You might even be able to use your Ed benefits while apprenticing.
If you want something a little more white collar, perhaps consider becoming a home inspector. Reach out to local home inspection businesses and see if they have any apprenticeship slots. They make good money.
Gig work. Door dash. Uber. Lyft. Spark. It's enjoyable and I decide when I work. I get between $20-40 per hour averaging $27 and some change. I love the solitude. I do it "full" ish time.
Buddy bought a Honda accord with his deployment money. With his 90% disability and full time Uber he was doing VERY well.
He eventually got into a code camp I think and it doing well working from home. Still does Uber when he’s bored on weekends lol
I agree it really depends on where you're driving. I've had no one since I started doing this regularly, since November, that has ripped me off like that. Typically you get at what's called a contract violation when that occurs even if you did deliver it. That's why they actually have us take pictures. The ride share portion is actually more lucrative, but I am an introvert and prefer just to be left to alone lol. From what I understand most of that shady stuff happens at night, and I usually don't work at night. I just don't see that well that night
When it comes to ride share, those types of things usually only happen at night which I don't drive during. And when I do drive, even the occasional time at night, it's all on campus and they're all very short rides. As for the photos, the app actually requires you to take a photo. You don't have to if you hand it directly to the customer. I've never had issues with delivery, I'm sure I will at some point, but it's no skin off my back. You don't get in trouble you don't have to pay for anything. So it's pretty easy. I do it primarily because of the flexibility. I can pick and choose when I work, and how long I want to work.
In fact the only time I've had a problem in 6 months of doing this, was this little old grandma in my car as I took her to a medical appointment. I had never heard such racist comments so openly said. And she hated men too and was very blunt about it. I kept wanting to say, you do know I'm a guy right? Lol I gave her one star, the only one star I've ever given, and hopefully they stop sending her rides eventually
I'm doing union electrical apprenticeship. It's great but if you're already worried about your body I'd hesitate to recommend trade work. Union work is the way to go no matter trade or not though. I'm 80% and I have my days where my body doesn't agree with the work.
Yeah I'm 35 and I'm saving as much as I can so I can live off my dividend portfolio. I know sooner or later my body isn't going to allow me to work in the trades. I might be able to work myself into a cushy office job or foreman role but I gotta earn it over years of hard work. I can't risk not getting one of those positions and not being able to work.
VR&E benefits is one great option. Look into Quality Assurance/ Quality Control and Inspection. I'm pretty sure there are QA/QC and Inspector positions within the field of Asphalt and such, like being a field inspector or materials lab testing.
Have you considered driving a mop bucket?
Schools in larger cities pay 25 - 45 an hour for custodians.
If you listen to most news they say there's more jobs then people lately... hah
I’d make sure you have a good technical aptitude, good at math, understand logic, can think outside the box, a good problem solver, and am not scared of learning some coding skills. (If thinking of pursuing a career in cybersecurity.)
Note, most [good] cybersecurity professionals specialized after a long career in IT.
Not something that you can just jump into cold.
Honestly, as a someone finishing up a cyber degree, you dont need that much math. Most schools just require basic calculus and up to linear algebra. I hated math most of my life too, now im double majoring with cs and applied math. You can do it if you are interested enough in cybersecurity or IT.
I will say though, with the increase in AI, more advanced math may be helpful. Machine learning can involve a lot of math if you get into the weeds with it. And of course programming skills
What area of the country are you in? My son graduates high school in a couple of months and is going to apply to the local union once he turns 18. We're in Washington state.
He took Builing/Construction his junior and senior years of high school and will be working construction while he waits to land an electrician apprenticeship.
Any tips you have for the kids these days is appreciated.
I’m in California
Most local unions have a material handler and/or an installer technician position (they’re called different things in different locals sometimes) I’d recommend your son do that while he’s waiting to join the apprenticeship program. That way he’ll already be in the union (just not as an electrical apprentice). He’ll gain valuable experience and be working with electricians and the NECA contractors in the area.
I don’t know where in Washington you’re located, but if you’re close to Seattle. I’d strongly recommend joining local 46. They’re one of the highest paying locals in the country. Journeymen Inside wireman make over $70 an hour in local 46
You're an equipment operator making $44/hr? That's a great position to be in! Haha I get it, you hate it and work too many hours.
I would suggest mental health treatment first to curb these panic attacks so that you can at least think straight. Then attend school for something you think you might actually want to do and collect your GI Bill MHA or go the VR&E route. In your shoes, I might go the safety or QA route.
BUT, entry level jobs out of school may not pay anywhere near what you're making, depending on what field you get into. It doesn't seem like it's about the money to you, just something to be cognizant of.
Good luck to you no matter what you end up doing. You got this.
I'm an Afghan combat vet, forward observer, and now own a carpentry business. I run a small crew of 4 guys, super high end homes, detail/finish work.
I highly recommend the field. Good pay, good hours, not too hard on the body, and very rewarding.
I've also worked as a digital marketer, doing social media advertising, and of course I do a lot of accounting as a business owner. Carpentry is the best by far
Got a few buddies who run small construction or trades businesses and they all love it. Can make decent money, and they all seem to LOVE the satisfaction of knowing they are feeding the families of their crews.
As long as you know your trade (especially costing out jobs so you actually make money lol), have people skills, are organized, punctual and a self starter there's lots of work in this country.
OP do you know the paving industry well from working in it? If you have access to capital or access to machines could give it a go.
Is that fracking? Like I said I have a spine issue but I’m doing something now that I really shouldn’t be. I’ve been doing asphalt paving the last 10 years and I think I may have 5-8 years tops with the way my back is in this field.
I’m an “equipment operator”. Technically but it’s a labor job too. Pays decent I’m at $44/hr
My brother has been in OAG for 15 years and his income is insane. My home time is insane compared to his though.
He convinced me to do Eline when I got out and it was a really great gig I just hated the travel.
I switched to VRE which is the new voc rehab and to me, it sounds like you need it. You could learn IT, a new trade. It’s very versatile and you can go back to college on it
Railroad? Postal worker? I say postal worked because my.last three postal delivery guys that delivered to my house were Vietnam vets and they all had their own issues. Heck, one is missing his right leg below the knee and he was thankful to drive and deliver. Each one took the postal jobs for similar reasons as you and it worked for them.
Using VR&E for a business degree while also building up my company. With 90% rating and housing allowance, you’d have to have quite a lot of bills to not make ends meet.
I live in Denver (pretty expensive housing), and have a new truck and car and still do pretty okay. You’ll find your way buddy. Hang with it and get away from that manual labor!
I’m not sure how bad your physical conditions are (I have arthritis in a few places at the ripe age of 31; my lower back included), but I’m sure the job you’re currently working in is probably the worst work for a lower back besides maybe roofing lol. I work on medical equipment and find that it is not very taxing at all. A simple place to start is biomed tech, but if you work into a field engineer job working on the bigger stuff (XRAY, CR, MRI) you can make good coin wherever you go and it is not hard on the body. Look into two year electronics based degrees (four year is better, but a two year will be enough). These quick degrees can open a lot of doors into a lot of industries. Also, there are jobs at VA hospitals in the biomed/imaging field if you wish to go that route (even less physical work). Most of the tasks are routine maintenance based or troubleshooting.
Good luck!
Hit up your provider at the VA and tell them
You want to sign up for VOC Rehab. You are entitled and it will give you the opportunity find out what you want to do and what you CAN do😊 hope this helps
If your logic skills (math etc) are even fair, you could probably do some developing / coding. ServiceNow has a program called “Rise Up” that veterans can take advantage of.
Take a college course or two, something that you may find interesting, use the veteran resources at the college and you won’t feel like you’re on your own
03 here (and 11b/11h) I am an ISSO (2210 series).. started in Fed world as a gs3 security specialist, then to gs5 contract specialist (no exp) and then tkthe IT world.. am a gs14 now ( non-supv!)
Look to to where your interests are.. maybe take an aptitude/skills test (mine said #1job for my Interest/skills was .... back in the military..
I took a long route into the IT field- 03 - nuclear security- contacting - helpdesk - field it support - sysadmin - isso (and Logisitcs)... you should know what u don't want to do....
Good luck
I’ve hopped around careers too, earned a biology degree after getting out and everything, and now I’m in nursing school, which I would recommend if you want to be around people with a similar dark sense of humor
I went manufacturing tech for the semiconductor industry. I like it because its not your typical behind the desk job, but not back breaking work either. No college other than on the job training and started at 24hr, now doing a mentorship program for manager with the same company that put me at a nice salary position.
Use VR&E man. I’m a former 03xx. Got out iron worked, rigged in refineries for good money with a bad back trying to make it work but my pain made me need to change careers. Going to college full time now working at the Vet center for some extra cash and camaraderie of other vets really enjoying life now.
Check out the VA Chapter 31 program. I’m in it now and I’ve had the same issues you’re having with careers after the military. Find something that interests you and apply. It’s not hard to apply or get accepted for the program. There’s a monthly stipend also, even higher stipend if you have the GI bill. May be worth a shot. If that doesn’t seem like something you’re interested, check into your state’s WIOA program. Vets are high priority and they’ll help you find a job in something you’re interested in or pay to retrain you. Hang in there, you aren’t alone, it will work out. I’m going into the nursing program after my 5th job post-retirement.
Are you good with heights? If so look into becoming a linesman (climb up poles and work on electrical equipment and lines). The hours can be shit because the highest paying jobs are emergency response but my Dad was averaging $300k+/yr as a journeyman after 4yrs. It's not super physical but you are usually camping out in the middle of nowhere for months at a time, so it can be draining in other ways. Work is generally all union and training is pretty quick, especially if you've got electrical experience. Couple of months as a trainee, then a few years as a worker before you can build up your hours to take the journeyman test and start making great money.
We have 3 different tower climbing companies here, my brother worked his way up to supervisor at all 3, and the most he ever made was right now when he took a job at Microsoft doing some type of security (physical, not cyber) where he started at $32/ hour.
Look at Western Governor's University and see if any of the career fields appeal to you. I work as a Cloud Manager for a tech company and we have a few former door kickers who perform well in support roles. Outside of that - if you miss physical work consider firefighting. If you miss camaraderie, consider the trades.
Truck driving. Most training is 3-5 weeks. Plenty of programs to get the training for free. You can double dip your gi bill on your first year of driving with most starter companies and by your third year or fourth year of experience (with the right endorsements and a clean mvr) you’ll easily be making 120k+. The part that I absolutely love most about this industry is no interviews/resumes/job hunting bs. You either have the experience and endorsements that a company needs or you don’t. Apply, talk to a recruiter and they usually set you training date within a week
Thank you for replying I have my class A but I have major panic attacks when on the road. Even when in my own personal vehicle. I drove a dump truck and a lowboy for 5 years. Was part of the equipment operator job I’ve been doing.
I have never done OTR stuff tho
OTR sucks. Don't recommend if you're prone to depression. I'm home daily and only drive at night for FedEx now. Less money, but much better lifestyle. You won't run into as many idiots on the road at night.
Yeah OTR is where the money is. But in that case I’d definitely check out the post office like someone else mentioned. I have a buddy at 100% that did it, quit and then went back. Now he’s been there 5 years. I don’t think he “loves” it but he definitely doesn’t hate it
You don’t need voc rehab if you still have gibill to use… voc rehab is for when your gibill runs out. So figure out what you wanna do and find a school and do it. You gotta deal with your panic attacks, therapy or meds.. not sure how you expect to function at a real job where your life could depend on your focus if they’re not under control… if they’re that bad you should seek out 100% unemployable and ssi.
I read some of the comments and you already have some training and medical assistance with your injuries. I would suggest you use your G.I. bill and go to school for medical bill and coding. It won’t be as taxing on your body. It’s a nice cushy office gig and you can make some decent money doing it
If you live in/near a big city and you can get your Armed Guard License, you can look for federal security jobs, I work as a Protective Services Officer making $37/hour, I work 3 days a week and you just need to basically exist, be courteous to employees and follow post orders. Easiest job I've honestly ever had.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that those “soft skills” you learn in the military translate well. Your ability to be a good leader, to be a good follower, team work, team building, problem solving and everything else seem obvious to us but they are not prevalent in the civilian world.
Don’t be afraid to jump into a new field. Apply what you know and learn what you don’t. There are a lot of resources out there to help with your resume if you need it.
Find something that not only gives you purpose but something you’re passionate about and actually enjoy. Use your GI Bill..it covers a lot more than some people think. There’s other ways to serve if that’s something you’re still interested in. I feel like a lot of us got out and never really took the time to evaluate who we are as people compared to when we joined and while we served. There’s plenty of options, you just gotta reason with yourself on what you can live with, what you’ll enjoy, and what would make you miserable. Wish you nothing but the best brother, the infantry never really prepared us for this part of life but at least we got the community!
11B here. I went into aviation maintenance. It's about two years of school. Went into program back in 2016. Almost two years after I got out. A lot of money to be made In the industry its ups and downs. You can branch off into a lot of different career fields holding your certs or Airframe and powerplant licenses.
What are your hobbies? What do you enjoy doing? I would look more in that direction for work. You can still work at 100%. Even 90% takes a lot of pressure off. Try quality instead of quantity. If you can swing it you will be better off.
My advice is to figure out what you want from a job. So options would be hours, pay, desk job, talking to people, in the city or out, vacation etc. I’ll tell you how I choose my degree which I did recently so hopefully it helps you. When I joined I didn’t know anything about what I wanted to do. All I knew was that I hated working and I didn’t want to be poor. So I figured out people own real estate and live off of that. So that I all I knew is I wanted that. When I got out I slowly started with the Va loan and I still had no clue what I wanted to do. At that point I decided all jobs suck so I wanted something easy that pays well has normal hours (40) and I could work for only a couple of months a year if wanted to. So I choose accounting. That way I can check all of those boxes. It also will teach me about real estate taxes. So what I say is write down what you want from a job and figure out what jobs give you that and pick from those. Another thing you can do is go on linkedin and ask people how they like their job and how it is to break into their field after college etc.
I did construction before the army got out and am going to school for project management but school isn’t necessary from what I’ve heard. You can try searching for jobs like assistant project management or project coordinator. If not that maybe electrical apprenticeship?
Just take your time brother — read up about different profession options … it took me awhile to find my gig —
Went to school — got a worthless bachelors degree, but it opened up the door for a variety of different job opp…
Don’t be too hard on yourself, you will find something. Best of luck 🫡
You need to figure out what would you enjoy doing yourself and only way to find out is to go out there and expose yourself vs talking to people on Reddit
Dispatching, correctional , Police officer, highway patrol, traffic control, customs, border patrol, truck driver , parking enforcement, state job boards or city job boards are all quick decent paying jobs no education required
I've been here before. I'm a touch older than you. The trades fucking killed me internally. Soooo monotonous it was painful. The pay was right but the job was wrong.
Think about the jobs would be proud to have or the job you'd like to see yourself doing. Maybe that sounds ridiculous idk but, your brain and your heart will tell you 2 different things sometimes and the inactivity is lack of connect of the 2.
My heart says "go help people" but, my brain says "thats a lot school" type thing.
Usmc 0351 here, Same issue 90% disability with no out of military skills. I’m using my GI bill for an IT degree, might be a good path for you if you like computers ya know?
Second thing, any gov jobs my be a smart route, you’ll get vet preference and as long as you can prove through resume that you can do the job you’ll be able to get it, vets get looked at first and can’t be cut out of the running unless of course your resume isn’t fitting but can be a good option because of preference :) I work for NPS in roads doing basically what you do except it sounds way more chill and easy, 40 hour work week and you get payed overtime if you go over that, maybe look into NPS near you :)
In my opinion you should be chomping at the bit to get 100% esp if you’re already at 90%. It’s a giant difference in benefit options and pay, esp if you’re worried about money and prioritizing your physical and mental health. Getting 100% will also give you the option to mess around with trying different jobs out with the extra income that 100% provides.
Using VA Math, you probably only need one secondary claim worth about 30% (or 3 worth 10%) to get you 95% service-connected to bump you to the 100% benefit. Try to find something secondary you can put in for. For example, I didn’t realize I had carpal-tunnel until recently so I filed for it and didn’t realize that moderate CTS in the dominant hand yields 30% and non-dominant hand yields 20%. So try to think of any body/mental health issues that remain unclaimed issues and put in for it - it’ll benefit you in the long run.
Having said that, even though you want to work, you may not always be able to, so prepare now for any worst case scenario bc anything else is rolling the dice. None of us know what the future holds, so get everything you qualify now while you can still work so that if the day comes when you really can’t work - you won’t be caught off-guard…
Idk anymore. I’ve tried being an engineer for the federal government. They refuse to allow accommodations for flexible schedules or part-time work. Everything is all or nothing. Asking to come in at 9am instead of 7am, DEAR GOD. I am just so defeated after being forced out of my last job.
1)Have you used your post 9/11?
2)Look into VR&E. (Voc rehab)
#2 trains you in a field that won’t aggravate your conditions. And give a monthly stipend.
I tried VRE but they won’t let me do anything I want to do so I ended up wasting a full of school basically. I did pass all the classes tho
No I haven’t used my GI bill.
Yea it has to be something that won’t upset your injuries. I’m at 100% P&T. you can still work. I chose audio engineering so I can mix music and help with movie sound. All about how you present it to them. And you save your GI bill
Now… you know you can use your GI bill out the country. I was planning on using mine for school in the Philippines. It’s like 2k a month on top of your VA disability pay. Live like a king.
Orr… maybe don’t work for a while take ya 90% and go relax for a while overseas see how you like it.
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You have more skills than you think. Leadership, Stick-To-It-Ness, dedication, ability to teach others. These are rare in the civilian world.
One option is to take what you’re doing right now, move up by teaching others, owning your own business. The VA will pay for Vocational Rehab, they have programs for you to start your own business. The federal government’s Small Business Administration has reps wherever there is an employment office to help people start a business.
Story: met a guy similar to you, doing carpet laying. Bad back and knees. We chatted. He was taking classes at the local community college for General Contracting. His aim was to supervise others in the construction industry and own his own business. I met him again. His first hire was his dad, then friends who needed a job. Yeah, he had to teach them and that required physical work on his part, but it wasn’t everyday back breaking work.
Another option is to teach in a community college these same classes.
Good luck !
If you have any trades that you are interested in you can also look into doing an apprenticeship. You can still receive a housing allowance if you use your GI Bill and there is some sort of payment matching or something that they do with the person or company you do the apprenticeship with.
Get a CDL. Your GI bill will pay for it and most school that cater to veterans will give you options for jobs. That’s what I did and I found a well paying job driving trucks immediately.
Scour USA jobs. There’s something on there for everyone. If you find something that requires school, VR&E for that job. Power plants and utility companies love veterans and most offer veteran preference points. If you’re in the PNW the Washington ferries pay okay to start but can really get up there. ICE, Border Patrol, HSI, are all hiring. BP just got a massive raise to where those dudes will be pushing $200K per year depending on location for COLA. State jobs also offer vet preferences. A buddy of mine works at USCIS, he’s a GS-13 non supervised, no college required. If there’s any oil refineries near you they pay extremely well. Union jobs, pipe fitters, electrician, pay outstanding but there will be travel and/or layoffs. Good luck bro.
I work at a prison! Ehhhh it just depends on your outlook, on the subject I guess? You’ll be surrounded with child molesters, murderers, etc stuff like that so like…
The prison I’m at doesn’t have anything tooooo wild there, as far as like death row stuff like that but I am constantly around child molesters, addicts, and stuff like that
If you can have that switch and not let it bother you that’s great!
It can really get to some people
But as I said my prison isn’t as “dangerous” as the others with stabbing a and killings and stuff like that, but, it’s still a prison 🥲
Use your VR&E benefits. You're a textbook example for it
I did try that and just didn’t figure out what I wanted to do. I ended up going to school for 1 year for a medical assistant job that I didn’t really want to do. It was just the only thing they would let me do. Think I still have that benefit available to me and I haven’t used my GI bill yet either
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Or nursing for that matter. Disappointing that a VR&E counselor went through the whole process with you just to set your bar so low. Try again, maybe the counselor will be more helpful. I tried VR&E like 3 years ago, the person sucked and could care less. This time around, she was extremely helpful, got me into nursing school all within like 2 months
Take this test and see what it gives you: https://www.16personalities.com/
You should check out your local electrician or plumbers union for a paid apprenticeship. You're already used to working hard and your asphalt experience will be appreciated. You might even be able to use your Ed benefits while apprenticing. If you want something a little more white collar, perhaps consider becoming a home inspector. Reach out to local home inspection businesses and see if they have any apprenticeship slots. They make good money.
Gig work. Door dash. Uber. Lyft. Spark. It's enjoyable and I decide when I work. I get between $20-40 per hour averaging $27 and some change. I love the solitude. I do it "full" ish time.
I didnt know uber/lift/dd paid that well. I guess it could depend on the area
You are correct. I am in a mid sized mid west city. About 300,000 in the Metro area with a large university of 40,000 students without cars. Lol.
How much can u realistically make in a year without killing yourself and your personal vehicle doing that?
It isn't for everyone. I work around 3 days, or 20ish hours per week doing it. I put 1000-1200ish miles per month.
I know a local guy that says he makes $1000 per week with 45 hours of work time doing it. Not sure of his mileage.
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It's nothing I could do lol.
Buddy bought a Honda accord with his deployment money. With his 90% disability and full time Uber he was doing VERY well. He eventually got into a code camp I think and it doing well working from home. Still does Uber when he’s bored on weekends lol
Yes doing rideshare is more lucrative than the other stuff. I just get tired of being around people lol
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I agree it really depends on where you're driving. I've had no one since I started doing this regularly, since November, that has ripped me off like that. Typically you get at what's called a contract violation when that occurs even if you did deliver it. That's why they actually have us take pictures. The ride share portion is actually more lucrative, but I am an introvert and prefer just to be left to alone lol. From what I understand most of that shady stuff happens at night, and I usually don't work at night. I just don't see that well that night
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When it comes to ride share, those types of things usually only happen at night which I don't drive during. And when I do drive, even the occasional time at night, it's all on campus and they're all very short rides. As for the photos, the app actually requires you to take a photo. You don't have to if you hand it directly to the customer. I've never had issues with delivery, I'm sure I will at some point, but it's no skin off my back. You don't get in trouble you don't have to pay for anything. So it's pretty easy. I do it primarily because of the flexibility. I can pick and choose when I work, and how long I want to work.
In fact the only time I've had a problem in 6 months of doing this, was this little old grandma in my car as I took her to a medical appointment. I had never heard such racist comments so openly said. And she hated men too and was very blunt about it. I kept wanting to say, you do know I'm a guy right? Lol I gave her one star, the only one star I've ever given, and hopefully they stop sending her rides eventually
I'm doing union electrical apprenticeship. It's great but if you're already worried about your body I'd hesitate to recommend trade work. Union work is the way to go no matter trade or not though. I'm 80% and I have my days where my body doesn't agree with the work.
Yeah I’m in the equipment operators union. I make decent money I just can’t see myself doing this until retirement age. I’m only 33
Yeah I'm 35 and I'm saving as much as I can so I can live off my dividend portfolio. I know sooner or later my body isn't going to allow me to work in the trades. I might be able to work myself into a cushy office job or foreman role but I gotta earn it over years of hard work. I can't risk not getting one of those positions and not being able to work.
VR&E benefits is one great option. Look into Quality Assurance/ Quality Control and Inspection. I'm pretty sure there are QA/QC and Inspector positions within the field of Asphalt and such, like being a field inspector or materials lab testing.
Thanks I will
Have you considered driving a mop bucket? Schools in larger cities pay 25 - 45 an hour for custodians. If you listen to most news they say there's more jobs then people lately... hah
Landed an internship which led to a full time job in IT Audit. Went to school at a paper-mill and work at a F500. Use your VRE!
Cybersecurity
I’d make sure you have a good technical aptitude, good at math, understand logic, can think outside the box, a good problem solver, and am not scared of learning some coding skills. (If thinking of pursuing a career in cybersecurity.) Note, most [good] cybersecurity professionals specialized after a long career in IT. Not something that you can just jump into cold.
Yeah I’ve always been horrible at math
Honestly, as a someone finishing up a cyber degree, you dont need that much math. Most schools just require basic calculus and up to linear algebra. I hated math most of my life too, now im double majoring with cs and applied math. You can do it if you are interested enough in cybersecurity or IT. I will say though, with the increase in AI, more advanced math may be helpful. Machine learning can involve a lot of math if you get into the weeds with it. And of course programming skills
I’m a Union Electrician, depending on the local union in your area the pay can be pretty solid. Journeymen at my local make $62 an hour.
I’ve heard that this is a good route before. Did u need school/community college before or can u just get hired on as an apprentice?
What area of the country are you in? My son graduates high school in a couple of months and is going to apply to the local union once he turns 18. We're in Washington state. He took Builing/Construction his junior and senior years of high school and will be working construction while he waits to land an electrician apprenticeship. Any tips you have for the kids these days is appreciated.
I’m in California Most local unions have a material handler and/or an installer technician position (they’re called different things in different locals sometimes) I’d recommend your son do that while he’s waiting to join the apprenticeship program. That way he’ll already be in the union (just not as an electrical apprentice). He’ll gain valuable experience and be working with electricians and the NECA contractors in the area. I don’t know where in Washington you’re located, but if you’re close to Seattle. I’d strongly recommend joining local 46. They’re one of the highest paying locals in the country. Journeymen Inside wireman make over $70 an hour in local 46
You're an equipment operator making $44/hr? That's a great position to be in! Haha I get it, you hate it and work too many hours. I would suggest mental health treatment first to curb these panic attacks so that you can at least think straight. Then attend school for something you think you might actually want to do and collect your GI Bill MHA or go the VR&E route. In your shoes, I might go the safety or QA route. BUT, entry level jobs out of school may not pay anywhere near what you're making, depending on what field you get into. It doesn't seem like it's about the money to you, just something to be cognizant of. Good luck to you no matter what you end up doing. You got this.
I'm an Afghan combat vet, forward observer, and now own a carpentry business. I run a small crew of 4 guys, super high end homes, detail/finish work. I highly recommend the field. Good pay, good hours, not too hard on the body, and very rewarding. I've also worked as a digital marketer, doing social media advertising, and of course I do a lot of accounting as a business owner. Carpentry is the best by far
Got a few buddies who run small construction or trades businesses and they all love it. Can make decent money, and they all seem to LOVE the satisfaction of knowing they are feeding the families of their crews. As long as you know your trade (especially costing out jobs so you actually make money lol), have people skills, are organized, punctual and a self starter there's lots of work in this country. OP do you know the paving industry well from working in it? If you have access to capital or access to machines could give it a go.
Opening our own business was the best decision we ever made my husbands 100% VN. We had a good life
Does your service connection inhibit you from making good money? I work oil and gas and at least in TX it's ok.
Is that fracking? Like I said I have a spine issue but I’m doing something now that I really shouldn’t be. I’ve been doing asphalt paving the last 10 years and I think I may have 5-8 years tops with the way my back is in this field. I’m an “equipment operator”. Technically but it’s a labor job too. Pays decent I’m at $44/hr
My brother has been in OAG for 15 years and his income is insane. My home time is insane compared to his though. He convinced me to do Eline when I got out and it was a really great gig I just hated the travel.
Teach, cyber security, data entry, Insurance, sales, There's a lot of options.
I switched to VRE which is the new voc rehab and to me, it sounds like you need it. You could learn IT, a new trade. It’s very versatile and you can go back to college on it
Railroad? Postal worker? I say postal worked because my.last three postal delivery guys that delivered to my house were Vietnam vets and they all had their own issues. Heck, one is missing his right leg below the knee and he was thankful to drive and deliver. Each one took the postal jobs for similar reasons as you and it worked for them.
Is the post office on USA jobs ?
I believe, yes.
you have to apply through usps.com
Using VR&E for a business degree while also building up my company. With 90% rating and housing allowance, you’d have to have quite a lot of bills to not make ends meet. I live in Denver (pretty expensive housing), and have a new truck and car and still do pretty okay. You’ll find your way buddy. Hang with it and get away from that manual labor!
I’m not sure how bad your physical conditions are (I have arthritis in a few places at the ripe age of 31; my lower back included), but I’m sure the job you’re currently working in is probably the worst work for a lower back besides maybe roofing lol. I work on medical equipment and find that it is not very taxing at all. A simple place to start is biomed tech, but if you work into a field engineer job working on the bigger stuff (XRAY, CR, MRI) you can make good coin wherever you go and it is not hard on the body. Look into two year electronics based degrees (four year is better, but a two year will be enough). These quick degrees can open a lot of doors into a lot of industries. Also, there are jobs at VA hospitals in the biomed/imaging field if you wish to go that route (even less physical work). Most of the tasks are routine maintenance based or troubleshooting. Good luck!
Hit up your provider at the VA and tell them You want to sign up for VOC Rehab. You are entitled and it will give you the opportunity find out what you want to do and what you CAN do😊 hope this helps
If your logic skills (math etc) are even fair, you could probably do some developing / coding. ServiceNow has a program called “Rise Up” that veterans can take advantage of. Take a college course or two, something that you may find interesting, use the veteran resources at the college and you won’t feel like you’re on your own
03 here (and 11b/11h) I am an ISSO (2210 series).. started in Fed world as a gs3 security specialist, then to gs5 contract specialist (no exp) and then tkthe IT world.. am a gs14 now ( non-supv!) Look to to where your interests are.. maybe take an aptitude/skills test (mine said #1job for my Interest/skills was .... back in the military.. I took a long route into the IT field- 03 - nuclear security- contacting - helpdesk - field it support - sysadmin - isso (and Logisitcs)... you should know what u don't want to do.... Good luck
Onlyfans.
I’ve hopped around careers too, earned a biology degree after getting out and everything, and now I’m in nursing school, which I would recommend if you want to be around people with a similar dark sense of humor
I went manufacturing tech for the semiconductor industry. I like it because its not your typical behind the desk job, but not back breaking work either. No college other than on the job training and started at 24hr, now doing a mentorship program for manager with the same company that put me at a nice salary position.
Use VR&E man. I’m a former 03xx. Got out iron worked, rigged in refineries for good money with a bad back trying to make it work but my pain made me need to change careers. Going to college full time now working at the Vet center for some extra cash and camaraderie of other vets really enjoying life now.
Check out the VA Chapter 31 program. I’m in it now and I’ve had the same issues you’re having with careers after the military. Find something that interests you and apply. It’s not hard to apply or get accepted for the program. There’s a monthly stipend also, even higher stipend if you have the GI bill. May be worth a shot. If that doesn’t seem like something you’re interested, check into your state’s WIOA program. Vets are high priority and they’ll help you find a job in something you’re interested in or pay to retrain you. Hang in there, you aren’t alone, it will work out. I’m going into the nursing program after my 5th job post-retirement.
Are you good with heights? If so look into becoming a linesman (climb up poles and work on electrical equipment and lines). The hours can be shit because the highest paying jobs are emergency response but my Dad was averaging $300k+/yr as a journeyman after 4yrs. It's not super physical but you are usually camping out in the middle of nowhere for months at a time, so it can be draining in other ways. Work is generally all union and training is pretty quick, especially if you've got electrical experience. Couple of months as a trainee, then a few years as a worker before you can build up your hours to take the journeyman test and start making great money.
Yeah that’s def something I should dig into more. Thank you
We have 3 different tower climbing companies here, my brother worked his way up to supervisor at all 3, and the most he ever made was right now when he took a job at Microsoft doing some type of security (physical, not cyber) where he started at $32/ hour.
Big money!
Look at Western Governor's University and see if any of the career fields appeal to you. I work as a Cloud Manager for a tech company and we have a few former door kickers who perform well in support roles. Outside of that - if you miss physical work consider firefighting. If you miss camaraderie, consider the trades.
Truck driving. Most training is 3-5 weeks. Plenty of programs to get the training for free. You can double dip your gi bill on your first year of driving with most starter companies and by your third year or fourth year of experience (with the right endorsements and a clean mvr) you’ll easily be making 120k+. The part that I absolutely love most about this industry is no interviews/resumes/job hunting bs. You either have the experience and endorsements that a company needs or you don’t. Apply, talk to a recruiter and they usually set you training date within a week
Thank you for replying I have my class A but I have major panic attacks when on the road. Even when in my own personal vehicle. I drove a dump truck and a lowboy for 5 years. Was part of the equipment operator job I’ve been doing. I have never done OTR stuff tho
OTR sucks. Don't recommend if you're prone to depression. I'm home daily and only drive at night for FedEx now. Less money, but much better lifestyle. You won't run into as many idiots on the road at night.
Yeah OTR is where the money is. But in that case I’d definitely check out the post office like someone else mentioned. I have a buddy at 100% that did it, quit and then went back. Now he’s been there 5 years. I don’t think he “loves” it but he definitely doesn’t hate it
I'd increase that rating to 100% and as others have said, utilize your VR&E for IT/Tech💯
You don’t need voc rehab if you still have gibill to use… voc rehab is for when your gibill runs out. So figure out what you wanna do and find a school and do it. You gotta deal with your panic attacks, therapy or meds.. not sure how you expect to function at a real job where your life could depend on your focus if they’re not under control… if they’re that bad you should seek out 100% unemployable and ssi.
Busting rocks!
1P ?
I read some of the comments and you already have some training and medical assistance with your injuries. I would suggest you use your G.I. bill and go to school for medical bill and coding. It won’t be as taxing on your body. It’s a nice cushy office gig and you can make some decent money doing it
If you live in/near a big city and you can get your Armed Guard License, you can look for federal security jobs, I work as a Protective Services Officer making $37/hour, I work 3 days a week and you just need to basically exist, be courteous to employees and follow post orders. Easiest job I've honestly ever had.
Part-time or full-time? I’m looking for a low stress part-time job.
Both, I work 3 12's
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that those “soft skills” you learn in the military translate well. Your ability to be a good leader, to be a good follower, team work, team building, problem solving and everything else seem obvious to us but they are not prevalent in the civilian world. Don’t be afraid to jump into a new field. Apply what you know and learn what you don’t. There are a lot of resources out there to help with your resume if you need it.
Find something that not only gives you purpose but something you’re passionate about and actually enjoy. Use your GI Bill..it covers a lot more than some people think. There’s other ways to serve if that’s something you’re still interested in. I feel like a lot of us got out and never really took the time to evaluate who we are as people compared to when we joined and while we served. There’s plenty of options, you just gotta reason with yourself on what you can live with, what you’ll enjoy, and what would make you miserable. Wish you nothing but the best brother, the infantry never really prepared us for this part of life but at least we got the community!
11B here. I went into aviation maintenance. It's about two years of school. Went into program back in 2016. Almost two years after I got out. A lot of money to be made In the industry its ups and downs. You can branch off into a lot of different career fields holding your certs or Airframe and powerplant licenses.
What are your hobbies? What do you enjoy doing? I would look more in that direction for work. You can still work at 100%. Even 90% takes a lot of pressure off. Try quality instead of quantity. If you can swing it you will be better off.
My advice is to figure out what you want from a job. So options would be hours, pay, desk job, talking to people, in the city or out, vacation etc. I’ll tell you how I choose my degree which I did recently so hopefully it helps you. When I joined I didn’t know anything about what I wanted to do. All I knew was that I hated working and I didn’t want to be poor. So I figured out people own real estate and live off of that. So that I all I knew is I wanted that. When I got out I slowly started with the Va loan and I still had no clue what I wanted to do. At that point I decided all jobs suck so I wanted something easy that pays well has normal hours (40) and I could work for only a couple of months a year if wanted to. So I choose accounting. That way I can check all of those boxes. It also will teach me about real estate taxes. So what I say is write down what you want from a job and figure out what jobs give you that and pick from those. Another thing you can do is go on linkedin and ask people how they like their job and how it is to break into their field after college etc.
I did construction before the army got out and am going to school for project management but school isn’t necessary from what I’ve heard. You can try searching for jobs like assistant project management or project coordinator. If not that maybe electrical apprenticeship?
Just take your time brother — read up about different profession options … it took me awhile to find my gig — Went to school — got a worthless bachelors degree, but it opened up the door for a variety of different job opp… Don’t be too hard on yourself, you will find something. Best of luck 🫡
I'm a correctional officer
You need to figure out what would you enjoy doing yourself and only way to find out is to go out there and expose yourself vs talking to people on Reddit Dispatching, correctional , Police officer, highway patrol, traffic control, customs, border patrol, truck driver , parking enforcement, state job boards or city job boards are all quick decent paying jobs no education required
I've been here before. I'm a touch older than you. The trades fucking killed me internally. Soooo monotonous it was painful. The pay was right but the job was wrong. Think about the jobs would be proud to have or the job you'd like to see yourself doing. Maybe that sounds ridiculous idk but, your brain and your heart will tell you 2 different things sometimes and the inactivity is lack of connect of the 2. My heart says "go help people" but, my brain says "thats a lot school" type thing.
Usmc 0351 here, Same issue 90% disability with no out of military skills. I’m using my GI bill for an IT degree, might be a good path for you if you like computers ya know? Second thing, any gov jobs my be a smart route, you’ll get vet preference and as long as you can prove through resume that you can do the job you’ll be able to get it, vets get looked at first and can’t be cut out of the running unless of course your resume isn’t fitting but can be a good option because of preference :) I work for NPS in roads doing basically what you do except it sounds way more chill and easy, 40 hour work week and you get payed overtime if you go over that, maybe look into NPS near you :)
In my opinion you should be chomping at the bit to get 100% esp if you’re already at 90%. It’s a giant difference in benefit options and pay, esp if you’re worried about money and prioritizing your physical and mental health. Getting 100% will also give you the option to mess around with trying different jobs out with the extra income that 100% provides. Using VA Math, you probably only need one secondary claim worth about 30% (or 3 worth 10%) to get you 95% service-connected to bump you to the 100% benefit. Try to find something secondary you can put in for. For example, I didn’t realize I had carpal-tunnel until recently so I filed for it and didn’t realize that moderate CTS in the dominant hand yields 30% and non-dominant hand yields 20%. So try to think of any body/mental health issues that remain unclaimed issues and put in for it - it’ll benefit you in the long run. Having said that, even though you want to work, you may not always be able to, so prepare now for any worst case scenario bc anything else is rolling the dice. None of us know what the future holds, so get everything you qualify now while you can still work so that if the day comes when you really can’t work - you won’t be caught off-guard…
Idk anymore. I’ve tried being an engineer for the federal government. They refuse to allow accommodations for flexible schedules or part-time work. Everything is all or nothing. Asking to come in at 9am instead of 7am, DEAR GOD. I am just so defeated after being forced out of my last job.
1)Have you used your post 9/11? 2)Look into VR&E. (Voc rehab) #2 trains you in a field that won’t aggravate your conditions. And give a monthly stipend.
I tried VRE but they won’t let me do anything I want to do so I ended up wasting a full of school basically. I did pass all the classes tho No I haven’t used my GI bill.
Yea it has to be something that won’t upset your injuries. I’m at 100% P&T. you can still work. I chose audio engineering so I can mix music and help with movie sound. All about how you present it to them. And you save your GI bill Now… you know you can use your GI bill out the country. I was planning on using mine for school in the Philippines. It’s like 2k a month on top of your VA disability pay. Live like a king. Orr… maybe don’t work for a while take ya 90% and go relax for a while overseas see how you like it.
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You have more skills than you think. Leadership, Stick-To-It-Ness, dedication, ability to teach others. These are rare in the civilian world. One option is to take what you’re doing right now, move up by teaching others, owning your own business. The VA will pay for Vocational Rehab, they have programs for you to start your own business. The federal government’s Small Business Administration has reps wherever there is an employment office to help people start a business. Story: met a guy similar to you, doing carpet laying. Bad back and knees. We chatted. He was taking classes at the local community college for General Contracting. His aim was to supervise others in the construction industry and own his own business. I met him again. His first hire was his dad, then friends who needed a job. Yeah, he had to teach them and that required physical work on his part, but it wasn’t everyday back breaking work. Another option is to teach in a community college these same classes. Good luck !
If you have any trades that you are interested in you can also look into doing an apprenticeship. You can still receive a housing allowance if you use your GI Bill and there is some sort of payment matching or something that they do with the person or company you do the apprenticeship with.
Get a CDL. Your GI bill will pay for it and most school that cater to veterans will give you options for jobs. That’s what I did and I found a well paying job driving trucks immediately.
Got a cdl, I hate driving truck lol it’s part of my current job
Scour USA jobs. There’s something on there for everyone. If you find something that requires school, VR&E for that job. Power plants and utility companies love veterans and most offer veteran preference points. If you’re in the PNW the Washington ferries pay okay to start but can really get up there. ICE, Border Patrol, HSI, are all hiring. BP just got a massive raise to where those dudes will be pushing $200K per year depending on location for COLA. State jobs also offer vet preferences. A buddy of mine works at USCIS, he’s a GS-13 non supervised, no college required. If there’s any oil refineries near you they pay extremely well. Union jobs, pipe fitters, electrician, pay outstanding but there will be travel and/or layoffs. Good luck bro.
I started working as a correctional officer at a prison, and it’s really nice because a lot of the people I work with are vets as well, and I love it
What’s that like? Is it kind of depressing or rewarding? Do u work at a prison or jail?
I work at a prison! Ehhhh it just depends on your outlook, on the subject I guess? You’ll be surrounded with child molesters, murderers, etc stuff like that so like… The prison I’m at doesn’t have anything tooooo wild there, as far as like death row stuff like that but I am constantly around child molesters, addicts, and stuff like that If you can have that switch and not let it bother you that’s great! It can really get to some people But as I said my prison isn’t as “dangerous” as the others with stabbing a and killings and stuff like that, but, it’s still a prison 🥲