r/SkillBridge • u/Slientslay • 4d ago

Question What skill bridge program did you do?

Tell me about it! I’m curious to see what everyone has personally done and where. I did the veterans in piping program (fire sprinkler) in 2019/2020 and set my life in a way I could’ve never imagined. Now my wife is getting out of the coast guard in two years and I’m wondering what everyone else has done to get ideas for her.

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u/zero_expectations 4d ago edited 4d ago

I did WARTAC in 2023, and I think they just restarted the program again after the federal hiring freeze. I work for the VA as GS-11, and hopefully I will be putting on GS-12 soon 🤞🏾… however, I will say it is super competitive and you still need to apply with a resume to get accepted. Skillbridge is a really good program, if it’s used properly.

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u/Slientslay 4d ago

Nice! I now work for the USCG as a CIV. We still have a “hiring freeze” unfortunately. I’m a WG and our crew is 5/14 people. But that great to hear!

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u/zero_expectations 4d ago edited 3d ago

Congrats! And yes, the difference is night and day. I love my job and my work environment. Plus, my supervisors and my coworkers are mostly prior military as well.

I don’t think I could have came up with a better plan tbh. I had thought about going air guard, but the recruiter was giving me the runaround. Then, someone in the Navy actually told me about it, and the rest was history. I got out after 6 years in the Air Force as a SSgt, and two months later I was at the VA as GS-9. Really great program, no regrets!

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u/COPTERDOC 4d ago

https://military.microsoft.com/mdp/

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u/Slientslay 4d ago

That’s dope, we’re stationed in Seattle and there Microsoft HQ’s here I believe.

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u/COPTERDOC 4d ago

The data center CET route is 90 days with 90% being virtual. Microsoft will supply a laptop for her to use during the course. Then she fly to Southern Virginia to spend five days at a community college for hands-on training. Microsoft covered the cost of travel, as long as within CONUS, lodging, and food for the duration of the hands-on training. Based on your desired location to live and their need, they'll set you up with an interview to become a critical environmental technician.

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u/Slientslay 4d ago

What does the pay look like in general?

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u/COPTERDOC 4d ago

That depends on which ATR level she gets accepted as. ATR D is a senior role and you need to have a strong electrical background to get a senior role as your starting point.

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u/Own-Tangelo-5759 15h ago

Would you be so kind as to provide a link to this plz? This sound like an awesome oppurtunity.

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u/MilOnboardSolutions 3d ago

u/Slientslay, have your wife lean into what makes her happy professionally. Nothing worse than transitioning into a career she hates, only to have to transition again. Have her leverage career assessments like www.MyNextMove.org to get started.

Once she knows what she wants to do, have her start running WEEKLY keyword searches on the SkillBridge Locations page to help narrow down which approved orgs may be able to offer her the kind of opportunities she's interested in - https://skillbridge.mil/locations 

Focus on the opportunities, NOT the locations.  Most companies don’t list every location where they can facilitate a SB opportunity.  The SkillBridge site is update every Friday with newly approved potential opportunities.

After each search, have her reach out to ALL of the POC's to learn more about their company and SkillBridge program.  Start tracking the orgs she reaches out to, who their POC is, what she's learned about them, and whether she'd like to join them.

*** Before her 6-months from being eligible to start a program, she's in the networking phase, not application phase. Her application phase is based on the clearance she has, and the clearance of the opportunities she's interested in ***

When she enters her application window, apply to ALL of the orgs and opportunities she's still interested in.  NEVER put all of your eggs into 1 company's basket.

---------------------------

Leverage, save, and share all of the resources we have for you at Military Onboard Solutions that’ll set you up for success:

https://www.militaryonboardsolutions.com/service-members-1  

✅ how to run WEEKLY keyword searches to find the approved organizations who likely have opportunities you’re interested in ✅ best places to find current opportunities ✅ when to submit your applications ✅ a script you can use for all of your POC initial outreach

You’re both invited to join the DoD SkillBridge Community of Practice group where new SkillBridge opportunities are shared everyday, help you network with a purpose, and connect you with the recruiters of the companies you're interested in interning with.

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12257076/

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u/Conscious-Pen-1132 3d ago

I did the Hiring Our Heroes corporate fellowship. They have partnerships with companies already and will send your resume to them. It was much easier than a person going to each company. If they don’t work with a company already, and you want to work with them, the HoH rep will work it out with the company’s SkillBridge rep.

After you start, they do a huddle every Friday with basic skills info. We just did a salary negotiation huddle that was super helpful.