Basically what the title says.
Once upon a time, I had a BA in a social science field that was getting me nothing but low-paid jobs, and I would have needed to go to grad school to ever have a real chance of landing a salaried position. I paid my own way through college and was not willing to take on additional debt for a graduate degree in an already very competitive (and low-paying) field. I wanted to go in a different direction.
I had worked part-time at a law firm during college, and I decided working in a support position (i.e. paralegal/legal assistant) was something I was very interested in. I applied for positions at every law firm in my general area and received nothing but rejection and one invitation to intern for free. No thanks, I had bills to pay.
The military had always been something I'd considered and I did a lot of research on the different branches and what they offered. Turns out the Army offers an enlisted position that was exactly what I was looking for--Paralegal Specialist, and since I had a degree I would enter the military as an E-4. The Army also guarantees that the specific job you select is written into your contract.
It's now a little over four years since I raised my right hand-- I now work for the Department of Justice. My military service counts towards my federal retirement and also put me in a higher leave bracket. The high-ranking connections I made in the Army JAG Corps combined with the job experience I received are what landed me this position. I have thousands of dollars in the bank that I saved because I didn't need to pay for housing, food, or health insurance while I served. I'll be able to use a VA-backed loan to buy a house when I choose to, and if I want to go back to school I can do so for free using the GI Bill.
I write all this because I read this sub regularly and there are so many posts by people who don't make a living wage, or majored in something unmarketable (like me) and don't know what the next step should be, or who have student loan debt, or are just kind of lost in life. And I think military service could benefit a lot of those people.
Of course this comes with a large caveat: the military comes with risks. You could deploy, you could be in combat, you could die, you could be involved in a freak training accident, etc. You could also get stuck in a terrible unit with toxic leadership. It's all luck of the draw really. I was incredibly fortunate in having a positive experience but I know many aren't so fortunate. It's the ultimate 'your experience may vary' scenario.
But at least for me it was a great way to kickstart my career in the direction I wanted to go and set myself up financially. I just wanted to share my experience in case it helps anyone who may be considering the service.
Submitted November 14, 2017 at 10:56AM by shesinconceivable17 http://ift.tt/2AJQxEO
