Take the recession off and go back to school?

Many transitioning military people are considering their options: 

1. Should I stay by my last duty station and look for work?
2. Should I move “back home” and start networking?
3. Maybe I should start sending out resumes in both cities and go where the jobs are?

An option to strongly consider is going back to school.  Particularly if you enlisted out of high school, now is the time to build on the skills you’ve mastered in the military, and consider a community college, junior college, technical school, or traditional university.

The Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) provides up to 36 months’ education benefits for former active duty personnel—$1,321/month for fulltime institutional training.

The New GI Bill is much better and is effective August 1, 2009.  There are quite a few sites out there explaining it but I like the American Legion’s site the best – check it out here.

Check out this list of community colleges nationally.

With unemployment rising and the benefits of going to school dramatically increasing, now might be the right time to seriously consider a 1 or 2 year degree, or perhaps a 4 year degree.  When you finish, the economy will certainly be in better shape – and you’ll be more prepared than ever to identify numerous opportunities with your new skills and education.

We are working to bring more educational opportunities to our military career fairs.  To register for free see our national schedule here.