Once associated primarily with traditional combat and national defense, the military has transformed over the past 30 years into one of the most high-tech enterprises in the United States. Today, a large number of battles are fought not on the ground, but from behind the remote comfort of computer screens.
Whether it’s through the use of drones or extensive, GPS-based mapping applications, many veterans emerge from their time with the military having worked with advanced computer systems in a way that many people never will throughout the entire course of their lives. That makes a computer science degree relatively easy for many veterans to pursue with great success.
Military Skills Translate Easily into Computer Science Applications
Today’s computer science student must be skilled not only in the ways of high-tech information systems and computer programs, but also in collaboration with others that possess the same skills. Most jobs available to graduates after they’ve finished the degree involve working with teams of systems analysts, programmers, and network administrators, to provide better results for healthcare companies, public sector agencies, and major corporations. Teamwork, of course, is an essential skill within the military and one that virtually every veteran brings with them to any civilian job.
Beyond that, the military’s computer systems give veterans a solid foundation of skills that they’ll need to use in the classroom. In fact, these skills will likely put military service veterans ahead of their peers when analyzing crucial problems and adapting to a wide array of common computer applications. That means it will likely be easier to complete the degree with flying colors, graduating with the honors and distinctions that set an applicant apart from the field when they apply for an entry-level position in this career.
Because military veterans bring extensive experience with them from a military standpoint, they also are usually qualified for management positions that will see them advance just a bit more quickly than their peers. That often means an opportunity for higher salaries, increased responsibilities, and a great deal more upward mobility. It’s just one of the many perks veterans can expect as a result of their committed service within the armed forces.
Excellent Job Opportunities Await Graduates in Computer Science
It’s hard to find an industry that’s growing faster than computer science. Over the past several years, opportunities have opened up in mobile deployment, systems analysis, and even national security. Threats from groups like Anonymous, and the threat posed by those who use computer systems to leak government secrets, has only increased the demand for highly qualified, well-trained individuals who can identify threats, maintain software and hardware systems, and work collaboratively for the benefit of both the public and private sector.
With the extensive computer skills already taught by the military, and veterans’ tendency to be excellent manages and collaborators, the field of computer science is a natural fit. Even better, many public sector jobs within state, federal, and local governments value military experience just as strongly as they do a degree in computer science or a related field.
The result is an applicant who stands out, with the right combination of practical high-tech experience, excellent management skills, and a four-year degree that allows them to tackle problems with excellent initiative. There is perhaps no set of skills more attractive to today’s high-tech employers.
