Veteran Transition Tips: How to Get Tech Experience

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Hoping to break into one of the world’s fastest-growing sectors? While you’ve got a long list of transferrable skills from your time in the military, there’s a good chance you’ll need to explore new opportunities to learn – tech is always changing, so most people are in a similar boat (but you might have the advantage as a veteran). 

From DevOps to Machine Learning, here are some pointers on how to gain valuable tech experience in competitive tech sectors. 

Bootcamps

Maybe it’s time for a different kind of bootcamp. If you’re looking to build your network and develop commercial tech skills in a collaborative environment, a coding bootcamp could be the best way forward. Code Institute offer university-credited courses that are well worth checking out. 

What does it involve? In short, bootcamps teach you coding fundamentals and how to apply them in a real-world setting, i.e., application development. You’ll learn with other students in your cohort, often representing a diverse range of professional backgrounds and life experiences, as you work together on delivering a project. In the case of Code Institute, you might be able to get your hands on a full-stack diploma. 

Contribute to Open Source Projects

The hiring tides are changing. Plenty of employers value skills and experience over formal qualifications, and thanks to open-source projects, it’s easier to learn and showcase those skills like never before. Companies like Meta, Google, RedHat, and Stripe have a track record of hiring developers with open-source experience, so it’s worth adding some contributions to your repertoire. 

Open source software is publicly available, which means anyone can alter code, collaborate on projects, and develop their technical skills, and community style. Whether you’re learning coding for the first time or you’re hoping to bulk out your existing tech portfolio, you can find out more here: DigitalOcean

IT Support

If you’ve got a knack for IT and you’re new(ish) to tech, then going the helpdesk/support route can be a great way to get hands-on experience as you build your skill set. 

You can gain a strong understanding of troubleshooting fundamentals, and usually, exposure to a wide range of tech stacks. Your natural critical thinking, problem-solving, and world-class people skills will probably come in handy too. 

Gamification 

If you’re more of a hands-on learner, it might be worth exploring some gamified learning platforms to help build your technical skills. For example, Codecademy is one of the most popular options out there for beginners, and it’s free to use. Check it out here: https://www.codecademy.com/

Internships

There are some fantastic internship opportunities out there, many of which are designed specifically for veterans. TechVets is a popular community in the UK that can direct you to coding internships, and there are plenty of businesses that offer veteran tech programmes too – Barclays and WayUp for example. 

Ex-Military Careers

The team at Ex-military Careers can connect you with specialist recruiters if you ever need help fine-tuning your CV, upgrading your interview skills, or getting a head start on the recruitment market. Contact us today to find out more about our services: https://www.ex-militarycareers.com/info/contact.asp.