UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Military service members spend years honing their crafts and mastering skills needed to perform their jobs at the highest levels, but figuring out the best way to explain those skills when transitioning from the military to the private and civilian sectors can be difficult.
That’s where Penn State World Campus career services can help, according to career counselor Lynn Atanasoff.
“We’re here to help build their skills and serve any career need they have — from selecting a major, figuring out what experiences they might want to have as students, and helping develop skills during the résumé writing and interview process,” she said.
The career services office offers on-demand career planning resources and personalized support that can help build confidence and translate skills earned through the military into the civilian job market. Military students can speak with a counselor, find career and internship resources, and connect and network with employers.
The ability to translate skills that were developed during a student’s military career and adapt them to a new work structure is what sometimes makes it difficult for service members to transition to the civilian world, according to Atanasoff.
“The same job in the military can be called something completely different in the civilian world, and the challenge is how does that translate during the résumé and interview process,” she said. “We work with students to help them articulate those transferable skills and help find them what’s relatable. Often there’s more than they realize.”
Atanasoff said the best thing a military student can do is reach out to career services.
“Make an appointment so we can meet with you,” she said. “That’s the first step to figuring out what you need, how we can help, and getting you connected with whatever it is to help you reach your goals.”
Visit the World Campus career services webpage to learn how to connect with a career counselor.