The DoD SkillBridge Program

Empire Resume recently discovered the Department of Defense SkillBridge Program through one of our amazing military clients. Today we’ll share the ins and outs of this amazing employment framework so you can decide whether this is something you’d like to pursue.

If you’re inching your way closer to transitioning from military to civilian life and worried your military skills aren’t enough for the civilian work atmosphere, you can get relevant work experience for the civilian world, starting today. Here’s how!

What is the DoD SkillBridge Program?

The DoD SkillBridge Program, also known simply as SkillBridge, is a way for you to give your military to civilian resume a boost by gaining civilian work experience through specific industry training, internships, or apprenticeships during the last 180 days of military service prior to discharge.

The 180-day timeline is governed by DoD Instruction 1322.29 – Job Training, Employment Skills Training, Apprenticeships, and Internships (JTEST-AI).

The SkillBridge Program connects transitioning, or retiring active-duty, Guard and Reserve members, military officers and enlisted, with major companies who partner with the program to offer real-world job experiences. These work experiences are designed to facilitate a smooth transition to a civilian career upon separation from military service.

After all, there are several differences between military and civilian life, and the world of work is one of them.

SkillBridge and the Transition Assistance Program (TAP)

It’s a good thing the military transition assistance program (TAP) changed its 180-day transitioning timeline. As of October 1, 2019, TAP now begins no later than 1 year or 365 days prior to beginning the transition process.

This means you should have already completed TAP so you can focus your attention on your job through SkillBridge. In fact, according to the SkillBridge FAQ page, Service members are strongly encouraged to complete as much of TAP as possible before starting the SkillBridge Program.

Imagine trying to get an internship without knowing all your post-Service options. Or, just envision what it’s like to juggle pre-separation counseling while worrying about performing well at your job duties.

DoD SkillBridge Program Requirements

Although the SkillBridge Program is completely voluntary, as you know, there are always some participation requirements with any government program.

The participation eligibility requirements include:

• Must have completed at least 180 continuous days on active duty;
• Must gain approval from unit commander in pay grade of O-4 for above;
• Based upon mission requirements;
• May be terminated based on mission requirements;
• No conflict of interest;
• Training must be offered at no or minimal cost to Service members; and
• Not eligible to receive wages, stipends or any form of financial compensation.

Now that you’re up to speed on the participation requirements, I’m sure you’re wondering where you can sign up for the program. So, let’s talk about the locations for DoD SkillBridge. 

SkillBridge Locations

Visit SkillBridge Locations and you’ll discover that this program is offered at military installations across the United States.

Some installations have multiple programs for different service branches, while others may have a single program.

The Skillbridge website provides an interactive map so you can find the location nearest you.

SkillBridge Program Company Partners

As mentioned earlier, major companies’ partner with the SkillBridge Program to provide employment opportunities for you.

Based on our research, there are hundreds of industry partners to include Amazon, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman.

Many of these companies dedicate a separate webpage for the positions they offer through DoD SkillBridge.

For instance, check out the Northrop Grumman Military Internship Program. You’ll see a wide range of jobs such as technician and systems engineer.

And just recently in September 2020, The Leaflet, a large home gutter protection company, announced their partnership with DoD SkillBridge.

To find out the other many partners of SkillBridge, just head on over to the Authorized SkillBridge Organizations. There, you can easily search for your favorite company to see if it’s listed.

Begin Your Career Future through DoD SkillBridge

Enrolling in DoD SkillBridge enhances your marketability as a prime candidate in the corporate workforce. The good news about the program is there is a high probability of employment with the employer/partner company once the training is complete.

If so, just consider the number career connections you will make in the corporate world right out of the military. Most of the connections you make through this program will be around for your professional career for a lifetime.

When you’re ready to make a career change post military transition, guess what? Those connections are your future references. Those people are also your veteran LinkedIn contacts.

Through this program, a person can easily go from intern to hire, such as what happened this year at Bradley-Morris, a military recruiting firm.

This well-known military headhunter announced earlier this year that the DoD Skillbridge is a win for them because it allowed them to discover their intern’s strengths and determine where his skills would be a fit in the organization.

DoD SkillBridge gives you the tools to set up your career future so it’s important to put your best foot forward because first impressions do matter. And, whether you believe it or not, it’s a small world. It’s quite possible to cross paths with those people later in your professional life.

Empire Resume Always Helps You Get the Job You Deserve

Our stance at Empire Resume is to help you get the job you deserve by assisting you with military to civilian resume writing, and many other career services, including keeping a living, breathing, military blog to offer you the most effective ways to help with your job search.

It is our hope that with this information about the DoD Skillbridge Program, you can be well on your way to doing so. Get all the details you need and more about this career-launching opportunity by reviewing the DoD SkillBridge Program brochure and then go apply for DoD SkillBridge.

When you’re ever in need of further career assistance, simply reach out to Empire Resume at info@empireresume.com or 801-690-4085 to find out more about how we can help you.

We invite you to come back to our military to civilian blog next week to see what we’ll discuss next when it comes to transitioning from military to civilian life.  

Dr. Phillip Gold is President/CEO of Empire Resume and has vast experience writing resumes for service-members transitioning from the military into civilian roles. He served as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force responsible for leading nuclear missile security. Phillip is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and holds a BA in Communications from The Ohio State University, an MS in Instructional Technology, an MBA in Finance, and a PhD in Finance.

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