In today’s era of expanded access to education, most Soldiers are not taking advantage of the resources that are available to them.
Many junior Soldiers will complete their initial or subsequent enlistment and move out into the civilian job market, but the facts are the same whether you are a first-termer or a 20-year retiree: you need at least a bachelor’s degree to be competitive for most jobs in today’s economy.
Some Soldiers will say, “My MOS training is enough to get a good job after I leave the Army.”
The facts may surprise you. Department of Education statistics show that the number of undergraduate degrees awarded in 2007 was 30 percent higher than 10 years prior.
They also show that job seekers with undergraduate degrees in the 25 largest states and 15 largest metropolitan areas have increased from 31 percent to 45 percent during the same period. “Today’s college degree is the new high school diploma,” said Stephen Pinto of Saint John’s University.
According to Bureau of Labor statistics, the number of employed high school graduates has decreased by 12 percent over the last 10 years. During the same period, the number of employed individuals with some college has increased over 10 percent.
The largest gain in employment over the past decade has been in the category of college graduate, to the tune of 25 percent. Those same reports also show that there is a trend toward college education among even skilled-trade workers.
I have heard the excuse that Soldiers feel they don’t have the time or support from the command to take college courses.
Taking college courses while on active duty can be challenging, but we are trained to be self-disciplined, motivated and seek self-improvement in our military careers.
Those same qualities are applicable to any goal we wish to pursue — especially education. There are many avenues available to pursue college credits, such as online courses, College Level Examination Program tests, or actual sit-down classes at an education center.
You can use any combination of these to satisfy the degree requirements for many schools.
Distance learning is an easy way to knock out college courses that are widely available and can be tailored to your schedule.
There are over 4,200 U.S. colleges and universities offering online courses applicable toward degree programs. These courses come in a wide variety of structures, some with a set start and end date within a “semester” and some that are self-paced.
Your completed course work is e-mailed to your instructor or uploaded to a Web site. All you need is a computer, an Internet connection, and the desire to start learning.
At some point in your life, you will leave the Army.
Whether it is after four or 24 years, you will need to secure employment that pays enough to support a family, make a car payment, buy a house, etc.
Without at least a college degree, you will be at a disadvantage in the civilian job market. As a former enlisted Soldier, I can tell you that it’s not always easy, but well worth the effort.
Thanks to the assistance I received at a few Army Education Centers along the way, I was able to earn a degree using all of the tools mentioned above.
The only thing standing between you and higher education is you.
Without at least a college degree, you will be at a disadvantage in the civilian job market. As a former enlisted Soldier, I can tell you that it’s not always easy, but well worth the effort.
