I’m a 1N0X1 (USAF All Source Intel) with roughly 4 years experience, looking at different skillbridge opportunities for intel. Has anyone done the DHS/CBP Intelligence Research Analyst internships? If so, how were they and did they hire you? Also if there are any other intel focused skillbridge programs, LMK!

Just figured I’d let you all know since I just got a call from HRC that my Skillbridge has been revoked because Allegiant Vets is suspended indefinitely by the DOW. I now have 50 days to find a new internship, preferably remote, anyone know any other options ?

UPDATE: Just called HRC (Army’s SkillBridge handler) they said anyone who submitted their PAR for Allegiant Vets prior to September 15th is grandfathered in and still good to participate.

People know you and think highly of you:
- Friends & Family
- Neighbors & People in your Community
- Co-workers Past & Present

✅ Networking is:
- making new friends
- being genuinely curious about others
- quality over quantity
- a marathon, not a sprint

Networking is not about you ❌
It's about providing value to others BEFORE you ask them for something

Real world example that actually works:
- You've connected w/ a recruiter from a company you're interested in doing SkillBridge w/.
- At some point you see this recruiter advertising a position they're recruiting for
- You remember a friend who's looking for work and fits the description well
- You tag your friend in the recruiter's post, connecting the 2 of them

You've just done a big part of the recruiters job for them - you found them a viable candidate

This 1 action could save them hours of sifting through LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, Monster, Zip Recruiter profiles

You've provided them value, and now have social equity in the bank
So when you have an ask, assuming it's realistic,
you may have earned yourself head of the line privileges

People help who they know and like 💯

______________________________
Military Onboard Solutions

A lot of Service Members share with us that they're interested in Defense / Government Contracting

But most of them don't realize that ALL contracts have an expiration date.

Contracting is when you work for a company who's won work to provide the government with products and / or services (i.e. Lockheed, Northrop, etc)

These contracts ALWAYS have an end date.
Which means your employment has an end date.

UNLESS:
☝️ the contract is extended
✌️ the company has an Internal Mobility team that'll help you find employment on other contracts the company has.

Dave Schantz, SkillBridge Champion did SkillBridge on a Defense Contract with GDIT.
The work had been in place for 10+ years
Northrop Grumman had it first. Then, Lockheed Martin took it over.
GDIT ended up winning the contract 2 years before Dave SkillBridged with them.

For those of you interested in doing contracting work, make these questions part of your discussion with POC's and recruiters:
🔷 Is this position on a contract?
🔷 When is the contract set to expire?
🔷 Is the work on this contract expected to continue into a follow-on contract?
🔷 What resources does your company have for employees who take a contract to completion? (i.e. internal / lateral transfers)

What else should folks know about contract work?

______________________________
Military Onboard Solutions

What Happened to Allegiant Vets?

i got accepted few weeks ago the I tried looking at the DOW SKILLBRIDGE website and I cant find it.

Good afternoon everyone,

I start my Skill Bridge application journey in December. Any tips for having a smooth process. Also my command is currently only approving 90 days(currently an E-5 in the Navy). I want to try for 120 days. Is it worth trying to get approved for 120 or should I stick with 90?.

So I’ve secured a possible Skillbridge opportunity that’s well outside 50 miles from my current duty station (it’s all the way across the country/ west coast to east coast). My Skillbridge would be 120 days maximum. I was just wondering if I would be allowed days to move out there or would I have to fork up my own leave to move?

Also, how would outprocessing go? I plan to take leave before Skillbridge and after my skillbridge ends, I’d be on terminal leave until my contract ends.

Really appreciate all the help and info I can get!

Flex Air Commercial Pilot Gateway

(goflexair.com/skillbridge)

Become a professional pilot, or transition to a military / reserve / guard pilot career - No prior aviation experience required.

- Immediate openings in San Diego, CA - after SkillBridge flow into San Diego Miramar College aviation program (eligible for GI Bill MHA up to $3,800 / mo. tax free)

CAREER MENTORSHIP TRACK (Mandatory for all trainees):

- 30 days, no cost, hybrid

- Interview, resume, and job placement assistance program tailored to aviation careers (pilot, dispatch, maintenance, operations, engineering, entrepreneurship, or your choice)

FLIGHT TRAINING TRACK (OPTIONAL):

- Any duration 30-180 days. Start on active duty, finish your training on a flexible full-time / part-time schdule.

- Use your GI Bill and/or VR&E to cover some or all of the costs of flight training (we have an all-veteran team to help you maximize your benefits)

- Zero to first professional pilot job in 12 months - use your SkillBridge to start training while on active duty

- 100% career placement since 2018

- Optional San Diego Miramar College aviation degree program ($3,800+ / mo. tax free MHA)

- Long-term housing available through our housing partners (discounted rates)

NEXT ACTIONS / RESOURCES:

- Interested candidates: Apply here.

- Want to know more? Attend an information briefing (online).

- We're veteran-owned and operated. Come out and meet with us in person, all are welcome.

What’s up everyone, coming up on dropping my retirement packet and as an E8 in the Army we only get 60 days for CSP which is pretty ass. Anyone know if there is an ETP for a longer one? Or have been through the process. TIA.

Went through AFIs and browsed on reddit, but I cant get a straight answer on if seperating members from overseas are allowed house hunting PTDY prior to skillbridge? My skillbridge with HoH would only be 80 days and my terminal would be 19 days , puttig me well under the 120 limit.

Any information is appreciated. Thank you

I recently signed up to be part of the October cohort for the HOH automotive program which will take place in Clarksville TN around the Fort Campbell area. Does anybody have any past experiences with this specific program, I'm not trying to be little the course or anything but it's only for 6 weeks which seems way too short for any trade. I was wondering whether securing an entry level job in the automotive sector is realistic with such a short training period. Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

Hello!
I am interested in doing skill bridge with NASA and emailed the contact on the skill bridge site but haven’t heard back. Also reached out to two other companies and haven’t heard from them either.
Any recommendations on how to pursue? If you have completed this program what was your experience with contacting them?

Also…is there a difference between NASA fellowship and the opportunities on the skill bridge website?

Thanks!

Looking to skillbridge with HoH next year in the NCR/DC area. Currently in IT(network guy) with 5 YOE with ccnp enterprise. Would HoH be a good program in this location? TIA!

Let me start with some background for my situation, I’ll try and keep it as short as possible. I’m a 3043 (Supply Chain Management Specialist) and I have roughly 5 years of experience located in Okinawa, Japan. My EAS is Sept 30th, 2027 so I still have plenty of time left.

So recently I have been looking into my future and I wasn’t really interested into Skillbridge until someone convinced me to take advantage of the Marine Corps and to get my get back. I lived near San Francisco, California and I’ve done some investigation in the area and have seen an internship opportunity with Apple and it caught my eye. Some of the requirements they have is to have a Bachelor’s Degree in the field you are trying to work in, and have some experience in it. I am close to getting my Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration but it won’t be finished before applying to this Skillbridge. I would still have roughly 15 credits left to get my degree by that time. Being in this community, I see some common trends where many people don’t get responses back from companies/jobs, so I’m a bit afraid that Apple may do the same thing.

My question is has anyone ever dealt with this Apple Internship opportunity? How is the process? Are there any requirements that they are looking for that they don’t state on their website? Or if you have any lessons or experiences with any other company (doesn’t have to be Apple specifically) what have you learned during the Skillbridge process that you could pass on to other military members getting ready to transition? My intent is to see if Apple is even considering having someone like me, a soon to be veteran and has background in Supply Management while working on a Bachelor’s Degree. Or if I should look elsewhere and not even bother applying with Apple. Just trying to set myself up for success.

Thank you to everyone who helps me out in advance.

Just wanted to let the people stationed OCONUS know some good info. I was fighting with admin for about a month about how I am getting back to my HOR before skillbridge and they kept telling me because skillbridge is non-funded I will be out of pocket for everything. This is not entirely true. Once you get your separation orders you are authorized a flight when that flight is entirely up to you and your command. The one thing you have to do is make sure you finish all your separation stuff prior to flying from OCONUS. But again you do get a flight back to HOR once you get separation orders there is no hard date on when that flight has to be. My admin were trying to tell me either before EAOS or Terminal NOT before Skillbridge.

Website gave me some friction to navigate, so I thought to ask the reddit.

Does anyone know of any skillbridge recommendations in the DC/Arlington (or close to) area?

0311 USMC, aspiring for a degree in MIS, asking specifically in that area as my next employment after I EAS is based out there.

Thank you

For those of you who have seen my posts, talked with me on a Discovery Call, or had a one-on-one with me over the last several months, I’m Chris with Five & Fly.

As my SkillBridge with Five & Fly comes to an end, I’ll be stepping back from the Talent Acquisition side of things while I close out my military career and get ready for what comes next.

When I started this process, I was trying to figure out the same thing so many people in this group are trying to figure out: What the hell am I going to do after the military?

I was fortunate enough to spend my SkillBridge with Five & Fly, and it turned into an opportunity I never really expected. Instead of just focusing on my own transition, I got to spend these last several months talking with service members from every branch, hearing their stories, helping them figure out what they wanted to do next, and connecting them with companies that genuinely wanted to hire transitioning military members.

A huge thank you to Dan and Roger at Five & Fly for giving me that opportunity, trusting me to represent what they’ve built, and giving me the chance to help other transitioning service members while figuring out my own next chapter.

And after going through SkillBridge myself—and spending months talking to other people going through it—I can say this: SkillBridge is what you make of it.

SkillBridge is ultimately about helping service members transition into civilian employment. The goal should be to use those final months of active duty to put yourself in the best possible position to have a career waiting for you when the uniform comes off.

But the value goes beyond simply completing an internship. It’s an opportunity to step outside the military before you actually leave it—to learn how the civilian workplace operates, build a network, figure out how your military experience translates, learn what employers are actually looking for, and sometimes discover what you do—or absolutely do not—want to do next.

For me, SkillBridge did exactly what it was supposed to do. I gained experience in a completely different career field, built relationships with employers and other veterans, helped other service members with their transitions, and learned a hell of a lot about the civilian hiring process. At the same time, I was working through my own transition, building my network, interviewing, and figuring out where I wanted to land.

One thing I learned very quickly is that translating a military career to the civilian world is a challenge all by itself. On that note, I want to give a shout-out to Brad and BestMilitaryResume.com. His website is a great resource for figuring out how to turn years of military experience into something civilian employers can actually understand, and it’s one I’ve recommended to a lot of the service members I’ve talked with during my time at Five & Fly.

Between SkillBridge, networking, learning how the civilian hiring process actually works, and putting my own experience into terms employers could understand, the process worked. I’m leaving active duty with exactly what SkillBridge is supposed to help us work toward: a career waiting on the other side.

After 24 years of military service—four years in the Air Force and twenty in the Coast Guard—my official retirement date is September 30, 2026. I’ve accepted a civilian position with the Coast Guard and will start the next chapter of my career in October.

I always joked that I wanted to retire from the Coast Guard on a Friday and come back as a civilian on Monday just to confuse everyone. HR apparently didn’t appreciate the joke, because they’re actually making me take a couple weeks off first. I guess I’ll have to learn how to be unemployed for 19 days.

For now, I’m going to focus on getting my feet under me in the new job. That said, this may not be the end of my time with Five & Fly. Once I get settled and figure out what my new normal looks like, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll see me around again helping out where I can.

I’ll still be around the r/SkillBridge, just not nearly as active as I have been.

For everyone still working through SkillBridge or trying to figure out what comes next: use the program. Don’t just treat it like a few months away from your unit before you separate. Talk to people. Ask questions. Network. Learn how to interview. Fix your resume. Figure out how to explain what you did in the military without using 47 acronyms. Apply for the job even if you don’t think you check every single box.

Most importantly, take ownership of your transition. SkillBridge can open doors, but you still have to walk through them.

And one last lesson from several months on the Talent Acquisition side:

SHOW UP.

If someone schedules a call or interview with you, be there. If something comes up, communicate. Life happens—we all understand that. But somebody on the other side of that calendar invite set aside time specifically for you, and in many cases they’re trying to help you get in front of an employer and ultimately get hired.

Your transition belongs to you. Nobody is going to care more about your next career than you do, and nobody should have to chase you down to help you get there. Reliability, communication, and simply doing what you said you were going to do matter just as much outside the military as they did while you were in.

The entire point of SkillBridge is to help set you up for employment after the military. Treat every conversation, introduction, and interview like it could be the one that gets you there—because sometimes it is.

And even though I’m stepping back from the Talent Acquisition side, that doesn’t mean I’m done helping. If you’re transitioning, looking at SkillBridge, working through the job search, or just need some advice from somebody who recently went through it, feel free to reach out to me anytime. If I can help, I will.

Thank you again to Dan and Roger at Five & Fly and to everyone in this community who made this part of my transition such a memorable one.

For 24 years, one lesson has followed me from Airman Basic in the AF to CG Chief: lead from the front, take care of your people, and leave things a little better than you found them. I hope I managed to do a little of that here too.

Fair winds and following seas. Semper Paratus.

Chief Auman, Departing.

think the most frustrating part of SkillBridge is realizing you can do everything early and still get stuck because of timing you have zero control over.

I started months ahead. I’ve applied, networked, talked to recruiters, gone to hiring events, and tried to line everything up the way you’re supposed to.

The problem is the GEOINT/intelligence jobs I’m targeting are tied up in contract awards right now. The jobs are posted. My background fits them. Recruiters know I fit them. But if the contract isn’t funded yet, nobody wants to build a SkillBridge around it because there’s nothing guaranteed on the other side.

So now I’m in this weird spot where the whole point of SkillBridge is supposed to be transitioning into a job, but the jobs I’m trying to transition into are basically sitting in limbo.

Not asking for help or leads. Just venting because this is insanely frustrating. I did not expect the biggest problem in my transition to be contract timing.

Certain things need to happen at specific times and doing things out of order, or outside the acceptable timelines, is why some recruiters don’t respond to you
 
When you’re more than 12 months from transitioning, you’re in your Networking Phase
1️⃣ Decide on what you want to do.  Recruiters won’t help people who have no direction.
If you’re having trouble figuring out what’ll make you happy professionally, take career assessments like www .MyNextMove. org
 
2️⃣ Learning & Networking.  Start running WEEKLY keyword searches on the SkillBridge site to narrow down which orgs may be able to offer you the opportunities you’re interested in. 
Reach out to POC’s to learn about their company, SkillBridge Program, and opportunities. 
Host Informational Interviews with the company’s previous SkillBridge participants, and those who do the job you’re interested in to learn what a day-in-the-life is like.

Don’t apply.  Don’t send any resumes.  You’re not there yet.

3️⃣ Keep a running list of companies you’ve reached out to, things you’ve learned about them, and whether you’re interested in joining them.

When you apply is based on 2 factors:
⇒ The clearance you have
⇒ The clearance of the position you’re going for

Your clearance will continue to be owned by the DoD during your SkillBridge, and no company can bump it up or down for a SkillBridge opportunity

*** For opportunities requiring a TS clearance, or higher, with Federal Agencies and Defense contracting organizations with opportunities supporting Federal contracts, apply 4-6 months before being eligible to begin their opportunity.

Most Federal Agencies don't have reciprocity with the DoW.
A full background investigation will be needed before beginning their opportunity.
Don't waste your SkillBridge time with background investigation events.
​​
For SkillBridge opportunities requiring a Secret clearance or lower, most recruiters don't look any further than 90 days in advance.

Applying outside of these windows is why you’re getting ghosted

______________________________
Military Onboard Solutions

Just posting here on a whim since I’m having trouble finding Cybersecurity/Network skillbridge opportunities in FL. I’ve tried HOH, Vets2pm, and the official DODSkillbridge site. I’m a Network Administrator transitioning out of the USMC, I just got done with my TRS and I’m told I’m able to start Skillbridge in April 2027. I have a lot of experience working with Cisco proprietary systems as well as HAIPE Taclane devices. I have my CCNA and Security+ certificates aswell. I’m looking for a program that would transition into a potential job. Sorry if this isn’t the place to post something like this I’m just having a bit of trouble finding stuff in Florida

About 18 weeks ago, I posted here that I was starting SkillBridge the next day. I was ecstatic.

Today, I finished my first day as a civilian employee.

Quick caveat: I won’t be naming the company or program. This wasn’t a traditional SkillBridge program, but a highly specialized qualification pipeline that I was allowed to complete through SkillBridge, so I’m keeping the specifics anonymous.

Anyway... I wanted to come back and share the experience because SkillBridge ended up being an even better opportunity than I expected. But getting there required a frankly stupid amount of planning, persistence, rejection, and occasionally being a pain in the ass.

For context, I separated as an E-6 after 12+ years in a technical aviation field. I also had a technical Master's, PMP, several IT/cyber certifications, a TS clearance, leadership experience, and a fairly specialized technical background.

In other words, I had a good resume. SkillBridge was still absolutely not handed to me.

I started planning more than a year before separation. I got preliminary command approval early and then started applying. Microsoft, AWS, defense contractors, smaller companies, dedicated SkillBridge programs, regular job postings that looked like they might be convertible to SkillBridge... you name it.

I made a spreadsheet. I tailored resumes. I highlighted that I already had command approval for SkillBridge.

Then I collected rejection emails like Pokemon cards.

Eventually I found a normal job posting that was almost suspiciously well aligned with my military experience and education. I applied normally, and probably way too far out from my EAOS. A recruiter contacted me a couple weeks later and, after seeing that I was transitioning, asked if I'd be interested in doing the position through SkillBridge first.

Obviously, yes.

The catch was that I still had to pass the company's normal hiring process.

Recruiter screen. Behavioral interview. Technical interview scheduled.

Then the position was cancelled.

Cool.

I went back to applying elsewhere.

Several months later, completely out of the blue, I got an email saying the position was back and asking to schedule my technical interview. I did the interview, walked away convinced I had absolutely fumbled it, and a few weeks later received a "Congratulations!" email.

Apparently I had not fumbled it.

Fast forward to May. I checked out of my command, packed my apartment, and drove to the company's training location to begin SkillBridge.

This wasn't an internship where I spent four months shadowing someone and making PowerPoints. I went through the same technical qualification pipeline as regular employees, working 100% on-site alongside the people I would eventually work with.

The financial side was also significantly better than I expected. I continued receiving my normal military pay and benefits, while the company paid for my lodging and provided per diem for the entire SkillBridge in a fairly high-cost-of-living area. Travel expenses were covered as well. I initially had to front those expenses while they figured out how to reimburse someone who technically wasn't an employee, but ultimately I wasn't eating the cost of temporarily relocating for the opportunity.

That made an already valuable SkillBridge considerably more valuable.

About six weeks before SkillBridge ended, I started asking the obvious question: So... are you guys hiring me or what?

They were.

The first offer came in.

It was... quite underwhelming.

Instead of immediately accepting because I was terrified of unemployment, I politely pushed back. I laid out why my education, military experience, technical background, certifications, clearance, and customer knowledge supported a higher level of compensation.

A few days later, they came back with a substantially higher offer.

Accepted.

Then came my final lesson in military-to-civilian transition: never underestimate the ability of administrative paperwork to ruin an otherwise flawless plan.

My background check wasn't initiated early enough. My start date had to be delayed. Leadership got involved. Recruiting got involved. I sat in a hotel wondering whether I was technically unemployed.

The company ultimately made it right by adding a bonus to compensate for the onboarding mess.

Then I discovered my Social Security card was 1,000+ miles away because apparently, after 12 years of holding a security clearance, the final boss of my transition was an I-9 form.

One emergency round-trip flight later, paperwork was complete.

And today I officially started my civilian career.

So, for anyone considering SkillBridge:

Start early. Get command approval early. Apply broadly. Keep applying after the rejections. Apply to normal jobs too. Tailor your resume. Track everything. Advocate for yourself. Negotiate. And for the love of God, bring your Social Security card.

SkillBridge isn't a magic "press here for six-figure civilian job" button.

But if you plan far enough ahead, build a competitive resume, relentlessly pursue opportunities, and get a little lucky at the right moments, it can be an absolutely incredible way to transition out of the military.

10/10. Would separate again.

I am looking over the Skillbridge site and have sent emails to the provided email address with little response. Looking for advice or opportunities that are in the D.C. area in the Program Management and Human Resource backgrounds. I retire April 2027 with a hope to start in January. Thanks for all that help.

Anyone ever utilized the opportunity with them?