Career Services for Veterans

Veterans get free, professional career help: one-on-one counseling and skills assessments, resume writing that translates military experience into civilian terms, interview coaching, and — for veterans with service-connected disabilities — paid training through VR&E. None of it costs you anything.

Career counseling and assessments

Not sure what comes after the uniform? Start with an assessment, not a job board. Free tools measure your interests, aptitudes, and values, then match them to civilian fields:

• My Next Move for Veterans — translates your military occupation into civilian careers with local job market data
• CareerScope — a free aptitude and interest assessment offered through the VA
• VA career counselors — help you turn assessment results into a concrete plan

Resume help that speaks civilian

The hardest part of a veteran resume is translation. “Platoon sergeant” means little to a hiring manager; “led a 40-person team, managed $2M in equipment” means a lot. Free resume services for veterans help you:

• Convert your MOS or rating into civilian job titles
• Quantify accomplishments with real numbers
• Format for the applicant tracking systems employers use
• Build federal resumes — a longer format with details USAJobs applications require

Interview coaching

Years of military culture teach you to credit the team, not yourself — which works against you in interviews. Free coaching covers behavioral questions and the STAR method, salary negotiation, answering questions about your service, and mock interviews with feedback so the real one is not your first rep.

The big three programs

VR&E (Veteran Readiness and Employment, Chapter 31)

For veterans whose service-connected disability makes work harder. VR&E can pay for education or retraining — tuition, fees, books, and a monthly living stipend — plus career counseling, job placement, workplace accommodations, and even self-employment support. Generally you need a disability rating of at least 10% and an employment barrier. Details and applications are at va.gov. Need your rating sorted out first? A free accredited representative can help — find one here.

TAP (Transition Assistance Program)

Required workshops for service members leaving active duty — career readiness, resume and interview preparation, financial planning, and VA benefits briefings. Start TAP at least 12 months before separation to get full value from it.

SkillBridge

Lets transitioning service members spend their final months of service training with a civilian employer — at full military pay. You build experience, a network, and often a job offer before your last day in uniform. Opportunities span technology, healthcare, skilled trades, and logistics.

Where to get help in person

• American Job Centers — every state has them, with priority of service for veterans and eligible spouses: workshops, computers, resume help, and local labor market data. Find yours through CareerOneStop.
• State veterans employment representatives — specialists at job centers who work directly with employers seeking veterans.
• Vet Centers — offer employment counseling alongside readjustment counseling, no VA enrollment needed. See our guide to finding VA facilities.

Thinking about your own business?

Veteran entrepreneurship programs offer business plan help, mentorship, and connections to funding, and veteran-owned business certification opens doors in federal contracting. VR&E can even support self-employment for qualifying veterans.

Once you know what you are aiming at, our job search guide covers where to look — and the employer programs guide explains the incentives that make companies want to hire you.

Common questions