My husband was 28 when he finally got his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, after spending the previous 10 years attending college part-time, being in the USMC reserves, and working part-time with his father (also an engineer). He hasn’t had any trouble finding employment, and in fact just left his current employer for a new one where he’s making $76K. He has emphasized what he learned from his military experience (e.g., working together as a team to complete projects) and whatever he did while working with his father to show that there’s more to him than there might be to a 21 year old straight out of school with the same degree, but with no other experience.

Keep in mind though that your experience pre-BA doesn’t set you up quite the same as someone who got his BA and then several years of related experience.

Also keep in mind (if your time in service was like mine) that the military trusts us with money and equipment at a much higher level than the “real world” seems to. Those who have never been in the service simply don’t understand the level of experience you got in those few years.

Remember that you may have to start at the entry level and you’ll feel like you wasted the military time and the college time; don’t panic, you’ll advance rapidly while your peers sit in place for a while.

This is the #1 issue I see with applicants who have gone military then college then civilian workforce — they all seem to want to start higher than most companies will start you at. If they will just ease into the company, they will advance at a rapid pace.

Don’t be too shocked but those guys you knew in the service who told you all about how people in the “real world” make so much more than military folks (you knew those guys) — they were wrong. It takes time to climb the ladder out here…

Kudos to you for being in the service and furthering your education. My brother-in-law received his BA in business and went to work for the city in administration only 3 months after graduation. He had a honorable discharge from the Navy. He continued his education getting his Masters. He has never had a problem with finding a job. Being 25 years of age will not hinder you, and employers could actually view this as advantage for you as you have been in the military, and that shows diligence, motivation, hard work, and stability.

I imagine that an employer would regard such an applicant as more than suitable, as he has fulfilled a voluntary commitment to serve his country, then returned to the US and prepared himself educationally to assume a specific job, which he most likely has had some experience with during his time in military service.

Men with a history of exemplary service are more likely to be looked upon favorably by potential employers than are men who have not been proven to be capable and dependable.

Do not confuse younger candidates with more reliable employees. Most employers appreciate experienced workers and prefer to place them in positions of responsibility. Be bold, but not aggressive, when presenting your credientials, and you will likely make a favorable impression on most personnel managers. GOOD LUCK!

That’s pretty typical cat behavior. The older cat sees the kitten as an intruder and hisses at him. Over time, the cat will become curious and come up to the kitten and sniff it. When that happens, it shows the cat is getting used to the kitten and is accepting it. You’ll still hear hissing but the tone has now changed. It’s a much softer sounding and more drawn out hiss you now hear. It’s the older cat establishing boundaries with the kitten. It will take about a week or two before she fully accepts the kitten.

Just be honest with them. Tell them that you wanted to serve your country, where you learned a good work ethic that you can use out in private industry, and that when you got out of the service that you knew what you wanted to do with your life.

When I hire, I look for experience and education. There are a lot out there with an education, but have no experience.

You would rank higher than “younger”. Good luck.

As some one who has life experience, work experience, leadership skills and dependability.

Quite favorably, I think!

a more mature prospect ….a win win situation