They are highly sought after, but understand the demand usually comes from companies that are connected to your career field. QUOTE]
Actually- PIMA should have stopped with "They are highly sought after" as I disagree with most of her qualifiers, and I will tell you that most former military officers DO NOT wind up on the military contractor dole (and don't need to either). What's true for retired O5's who wish to start at a level commensurate with their 45 year old lifestyle, and who have a particular knowledge of military acquisition or program management is not true for O3s leaving after their initial service obligation is finished.
Fortune Magazine about a year and a half ago actually did a feature article on how highly sought after service academy grads were in various fields.
Even in a sluggish economy- Military Junior officers in general and Service Academy graduates in particular have a very strong record in the civilian workplace , in particular in fields that require management, problem solving and decision making skills. It is so much a fact that it really impacts junior officer retention for the services. If you wind up as a pilot in the AF or the Navy- that doesn't mean that you are restricted to being a flying bus driver for the airlines when you get out- unless you want to be. You have a lot of highly marketable skills as do junior Infantry Officers, Logistics officers etc... Why and where are they sought after? Well: In manufacturing , logistics, retail- virtually every officer has had experience managing organizations, people, equipment and budgets to objectives and some operational planning thrown in. In the financial industry- while you haven't had much experience with things related to that industry- you have been in positions that required really fast analysis and decision making skills. In all fields you will be recognized for being highly disciplined, able to prioritize and willing to put in the time that it takes to get a project done successfully.
Having said that - you can of course further distinguish yourself while on active duty by pursuing an advanced degree on Uncle Sammy's dime and time (although not so easy to do as a O1-O3 as your duties typically won't be desk bound). An MBA from a top tier program, or and advanced engineering degree would really be icing on the cake. Go to Harvard, Penn or Chicago and look around the B school and you will notice a fairly high number of former JOs and service academy grads and they are going to be pulling in a wad o cash upon graduation.
Finally- make sure that you know how to write a resume that translates military activities and accomplishments into civil speak.
Your marketability actually will decrease as you get older- if you make the decision to seek your fortunes outside the military at the 12 year mark- you are less of a catch than at the 5 mark. Bottom line though- if you get in and spend your time and then decide as a junior officer that a mil career is really not for you, (unless you are a real dirtbag being launched into the civilian world against your will) you will be a pretty highly sought after commodity on the job market even with the pretty lousy economic conditions out there today..
