Free Career Development Resources for Veterans
As of November 1, 2020, National Veterans Intermediary (NVI) is called the Local Partner Network. Older content may reference our original name.
Finding a job is easy. Finding a career is hard.
A lot of the employment services for veterans have focused on the jobs side of the problem, likely as a practicality informed by the paradigm of massive troop drawdown. Today, veterans enjoy a lower unemployment rate than the general population, but underemployment (in terms of skills, hours, and salary) is common.
Securing a career requires networking, globally marketable skills, and guided self-reflection—not just a resume. The free resources highlighted here can help veteran jobseekers develop these capabilities.
LinkedIn Premium
The Resource:
One year of free LinkedIn Premium for U.S. military veterans through LinkedIn for Good.
Who is Eligible:
Former service members who do not currently have a premium account, and who have not used the offer before.
The Benefits:
- Get details on who’s viewed your profile. Instead of the occasional bone LinkedIn throws free members, premium members are able to see names of users who are checking out their profiles.
- Build your network by sending direct messages targeted to folks with whom you’d like to connect professionally. Premium users are granted a stipend of InMail messages, which you can send to LinkedIn users outside your network without needing an introduction.
- Since LinkedIn acquired e-learning resource Lynda.com, you get two subscriptions for the price of none. Use your free year of Lynda to take online courses on everything from coding to resume development to supply chain management.
How to Sign Up:
Visit LinkedIn’s veterans program page and verify your identity using ID.me.
Vetforce
The Resource:
Vetforce is Salesforce’s free veteran training and certification program.
Who is Eligible:
Veterans, service members, and military spouses.
The Benefits:
- Billed as a “job accelerator,” Vetforce offers self-paced Salesforce training that can prepare you for a career as a Salesforce Administrator, Salesforce Developer, or Business Analyst.
- With user permission, Salesforce shares graduates’ certification information with employers who want to hire veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses.
How to Sign Up:
Visit Vetforce’s signup page, fill out a quick webform to get started, then verify your identity with ID.me.
FourBlock
The Resource:
FourBlock’s 10-week career readiness program.
Who is Eligible:
Honorably discharged veterans and active or drilling service members who have served on active duty since Sept 11, 2001 and who are enrolled in (or have graduated from) a bachelor’s or graduate program.
The Benefits
FourBlock offers both an in person and an online program.
In-person
For FourBlock’s in-person offerings, veterans meet weekly (over a 10-week period) with fellow veterans, instructors, and employers. Cohorts are currently based in these cities:
- Atlanta, GA
- Austin, TX
- Bellingham, WA
- Boston, MA
- Bothell, WA
- Dallas, TX
- Denver, CO
- Los Angeles, CA
- New York City, NY
- Philadelphia, PA
- San Diego, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Tacoma, WA
- Washington, DC
- Bremerton, WA
- Chicago, IL
- Tampa, FL
- Walter Reed NMMC in Bethesda, MD
Online
Those who cannot attend in-person can sign up for a self-paced, rolling-admission online program developed in partnership with Columbia University. A stellar cast of instructors including Dr. Robin Stern, Simon Sinek, and Sebastian Junger present six lessons veterans can use to gain a new perspective on their transition to the civilian workforce.
Participants can sign up for individualized career counseling. Those in a metropolitan cohort meet with experts through the course; others can be referred to a FourBlock partner.
According to FourBlock’s 2016 alumni study, 78% of program graduates stay at their first civilian employers for at least 12 months, which is an above-average retention rate for transitioning veterans.
How to Sign Up:
Pick a program from FourBlock’s Resource Center, complete a brief webform, and verify your status with a DD-214 or active duty orders.
