The poor economy is driving many college graduates to enlist in the military. With bachelor and master degrees in hand, many grads are lucky to find a job. Those that do, find most entry-level jobs boring or unrewarding. Many just don't like the idea of spending 10 hours a day stuck in a cubicle, staring at photos of Mau or Europe while friends who joined the service send them postcards from there.
According to pentagon statistics, the number of new recruits who hold a bachelor's degree rose by 17 percent from 2008, representing 5.2 percent of the total 2009 military recruitment.
Most college grads qualify to enter Officer Candidate School or similar gateways into the officer ranks. As an officer, they learn valuable leadership skills and undergo training in a wide range of specialties, which they can apply to civilian careers when they leave the service.
Pay rates and benefits for officers are also more attractive than those offered to enlisted ranks. And officers generally avoid much of the "gruntwork" doled out to enlisted personnel. Officers who remain in the military enjoy ever-increasing perks and pay, with lots of free travel and far better benefits than most civilian employers can offer. That includes full medical, dental, vision and an ever-escalating pension upon retirement (after just 20 years of service).
As a former NCO, I can tell you that the officers I worked with had lots of freedom and benefits. They traveled the world often, with duty stations in Hawaii and Germany.
Check out the career opportunities for
National Guard Officers.
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http://www.armedservicesjobsblog.com/Alex A. Kecskes has written hundreds of published articles on health/fitness, "green" issues, TV/film entertainment, restaurant reviews and many other topics. As a former Andy/Belding/One Show ad agency copywriter, he also writes web content, ads, brochures, sales letters, mailers and scripts for national B2B and B2C clients.
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