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With Veterans Day approaching, it’s a good opportunity to pause and consider the many strengths and talents that veterans can bring to the table as higher education professionals and how they can translate their military experience into successful careers in academia.
Our complementary site, HigherEdMilitary, has been serving the military-affiliated higher education space since 2020. Here are some of the best articles for veterans to read as they seek higher education positions and for their peers on campus to keep in mind as they build inclusive cultures.
Military-Speak Is a Foreign Language to Hiring Managers
“I was an assistant S-4, special projects officer, OSO, and a longshoreman. I might have just said, I was a martian, klingon, nyasasaurus, and alien. Few civilians have even the faintest clue what military jobs such as these are: unit supply specialist, visual information equipment operator-maintainer, Seabee, or a command and control battle management operator.”
Exploring Careers in Higher Education After Military Service
“I love research, discussions, education, and writing. Initially, I didn’t consider a second career path in higher education. Still, I loved being part of the higher education community through interactions with my professors and peers in the doctorate program. Throughout my doctoral studies, I looked into higher education positions and how I could leverage my military experience and get hired as a professor or administrator in higher education.”
From the Military to Academia: Managing a Successful Job Search
“However, higher education and the military are actually very closely aligned[…] Understanding and leveraging the points of alignment between the two sectors is essential as the military-connected consider and then pursue employment in higher education.”
What’s Next After the Military? Working in Higher Education?
“Colleges and universities, of all sizes, are consistently seeking individuals with a background in leadership, team building, innovation, and the unique ability to motivate others. HigherEdJobs posts hundreds of new jobs in higher education every day. The need is there, the candidates sought will possess a varied background of talent, and you could very well fit into one or more the positions.”
An Old Idea Revisited: Military Veterans as Teachers and Administrators
“Over the past few decades, the military has put high priority on the education and advanced study of senior noncommissioned officers and officers themselves. While academic and intellectual attitudes toward the military tended to be negative following the Vietnam War, recent decades have witnessed a greater appreciation for the distinction between military and political decision-making, the advanced education of active-duty officers, and the important role played in civic affairs by retired military personnel. Graduates of West Point, the Air Force Academy, and the Naval Academy, among others, have become academic leaders and have served with distinction in civilian public and private colleges and universities.”
