Typical veterans don’t exactly match the image of skinny jeans-wearing, chai-latte-sipping tech workers. Still, that doesn’t mean veterans aren’t well suited for tech jobs.

Today’s tech companies realize the benefits that college graduates with military backgrounds can bring to their organizations, from the ability to think on their toes to developing new and exciting innovations.

Many of these graduates receive their education from career colleges, often referred to as technical schools. These colleges specialize in offering hands-on technical training for specific career fields.

In the tech realm, career colleges offer degree programs and certifications in many aspects of the profession, from database administration and I.T. management to software and application development. If you’ve been contemplating a future in the technology field, then your military background could make you a more attractive candidate for hiring managers.

By following the right degree path through a career college, you could end up with a long-lasting (and high-paying) career in a field you are passionate about.

Four reasons tech courses appeal to vets and servicemembers
Here are four reasons why technical courses have a strong appeal among today’s servicemembers and veteran learners:

• Rapid change – Technology is changing so quickly, it can be hard to get up to speed on the computers, hand-held devices, apps and other programs popular today. That said, career schools can provide you with knowledge of the latest technology trends around the globe. Plus, with your military experience, you already have a strong ability to get up to speed quickly when thrown into new projects. You are not adverse to change or adapting to new concepts and situations.
• A variety of roles – During their time in the service, most vets and servicemembers fulfill a wide variety of roles in different places around the world. This provides them with the ability to learn on their feet – a skill that will help you in the hands-on courses offered at career schools. Today’s tech jobs will sometimes require you to serve in a variety of roles, from conceptualizing to managing projects and contributing technical skills. You’ll be able to enter the profession with the ability to serve in numerous tech roles.
• Focused on technology – When you attend a career college, the majority of your coursework will be focused on what you came to study: a technology-related career path. Four-year colleges and universities require students to complete core undergraduate courses that are not related to technology at all. Career schools are more focused and the training is more geared to your passion.
• Special clearances – The career development department within many career colleges can help you call out one the many special abilities you possess as a veteran. One that particularly catches the eye of hiring managers is special clearances. Many veterans already have security clearances necessary for tech companies that contract with the government on national security-related projects. While other graduates will have to apply and wait long periods of time for their clearances to come through, you can get right to work on highly important, time-sensitive projects.

Employers seeking you!
Many tech companies today are opening their doors and specifically recruiting employees who have military backgrounds. Hiring the men and women who have taken on challenges that many people could never imagine is a great move for companies and beneficial to communities. A career college can help you channel the skills you developed in the military into a rewarding profession where you are valued – and you can make a difference!