Bill Richards ⋅ New York, NY UBS ⋅ 40 years experience

A college degree is a must in order to advance. Stick to it.

Jeremiah McEnerney ⋅ Springfield, VA URS ⋅ 26 years experience

The expert answer is 'it depends'. 'Civilian' is about as broad a market as you can imagine. Think of 'commercial' vs 'government' market. In the government market, your military logistics experience can be very valuable for commercial industry seeking to support government clients. Logistics is also very broad. Think of contracting, purchasing, inventory management, warehousing, shipping, transportation or IT systems that support logistics operations.

Certifications can be very important, and in some cases more important than a degree...for instance, a PMP certification or ITIL certification, particularly in the IT field...any commercial certification that a government contract might require.

Having a bachelor's degree moves you into the professional jobs, so your pursuit of a bachelor's degree is good...keep looking for those certifications while you are doing it. good luck!

Dana Shields ⋅ Roswell, GA Aon ⋅ 20 years experience

I agree with Jeremiah McEnerney. I believe the term 'logistics' is too broad to say. It might be more helpful to get a more detailed description of your experience and interests. If you're talking about driving, then a degree is a waste of time. If, on the other hand, you're into databases and inventory, then you would be ill-advised to believe that even as much as 20 years of experience would substitute for a degree.

I originally got out of the AF in 1984 with an Associates degree thinking that I'd be able to land a job in avionics with a defense contractor. Six months later, I was delivering television sets to a bad neighborhood in Sarasota, FL. I wound up getting back in; however, 10 years later, I got out with solid intention of getting a degree in English. Wound up being the best single decision I ever made, especially as IT has moved to places like India and China where Americans simply cannot compete.

Judy Tomlinson ⋅ Dallas, TX Energy Future Holdings ⋅ 25 years experience

Experience may get you in the door but Education will ensure advancement potential. Many companies require a degree to move up. I have a good friend who has years of experience but has been told to get her degree so she can be promoted. Her boss wants to promote her but can't because of hiring policies. When you interview, let the Hiring Manager know you are willing to pursue additional educational opportunities. Most companies pay for college and continuing education courses (if they apply to your job duties) and Managers value employees who take the extra initiative.
Judy Tomlinson

Benjamin Ellison ⋅ Powell, OH ⋅ 2 years experience

Bryan,

I just wanted to chime in on the post. All of the above are great answers that should lead you in the right direction. You asked if experience or education is important. I would say that you need both. To be competitive in today’s market, companies are looking for the whole package. They need to know that you “know” how to learn through your education experience. Then they also need to know that you can apply what you learned via your work experience.
I will say that some companies do require some kind of degree, minimal of a BA to move up or even get hired. So if you are looking for a solid answer, I would say it is the choice of the person. I went the route of getting my BA followed by a job. Then I took advantage of the perks of the job (tuition assistance) to pay for my masters.

Joseph Yslas ⋅ Aurora, CO AECOM ⋅ 7 years experience

Bryan,

You have received some good advice from everyone and I just wanted to contribute. The answer to your question is actually both education and experience are equally important. In an ever competitive market with a flooded pool of potential new hires and fewer jobs, you need to set yourself apart from everyone else. Its those little things that can make the difference between you getting the job and not.

First of all, your experience has to be related to the job you want. When I was in the Marine Corps, my MOS was 5711 (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense). Now in my civilian job it looks impressive on paper, but in my current field of Electrical Engineering Design, it does nothing to for me on a professional basis, other than earn me brownie points with the manager and other hiring staff for just serving in the military.

I ended up biting the bullet so to speak when I got out. I knew I didn't want to have a civilian job in the same career field as my military one. I essentially wrote off the technical experience and training and started over at no experience, but still utilized the military work history on my resume to help set it apart from other resumes while job hunting.

Secondly, look at the career path and where you want to go in the long run. On average the difference between a High School Diploma/GED to an Associates is around a 17% annual salary increase. From an Associates to a Bachelors is around a 25% increase. As you can see, a degree is required to make more money, but are you after making more money or having a job you can call a career?

Currently I have an Associates degree and have always planned on going back to get my Bachelors degree, time permitting. While it is nice to make more money, it is not always everything. In the company I was at previously and where I am currently at, there are guys with just an Associates degree that are making significantly more money or equal to that of those with a Bachelors degree. How? Because of job experience and hard work. It also doesn't hurt to catch a break every now and again.

My personal opinion is that of those above. In today's market, you need both. In most technical jobs you need a degree just to be qualified for the position, but you also need relevant job experience to help set you apart from the other applicants. Once you have the job, your degree has served its immediate purpose. Now you can let your work experience take over and help propel your career.

I hope all of these answers provide you with valuable information and help you succeed in your career after the military.

Good luck with everything.

Joseph Yslas
Ret. Marine Corps

Kate Weiner ⋅ Wayzata, MN ⋅ 20 years experience

Hi Bryan,

I happen to know what great experience military logistics is. That experience will definitely set you apart from the rest of the field. You must have a college degree though. Some companies won't even legally be able to consider you without one. If you get that degree under your belt you will be a shoe-in for a position in logistics. I would personally put you to the top of the pile if I was hiring. You have to help the hiring managers though and meet the minimum requirements first.

Good luck! You are set up for sucess with that experience though. That is the hardest thing to get.

Thai Ngo ⋅ Schenectady, NY U.S. Army National Guard, First Lieutenant ⋅ 6 years served

Hi Bryan,

It depends on who is looking at your resume. It's all about who you know! All the experience and education doesn't necessary land you a job you want.

Bryan Kelly ⋅ Orlando, FL U.S. Army, Sergeant ⋅ 13 years served

Thank you all for your replies!!

John Stevens ⋅ Middletown, MD ⋅ 20 years experience

Bryan,

Richard is right on target. Both experience and education are important in today's job market. Although, HR experts feel today's college graduates don't have any real-world experience, much less job experience. Veterans have the advantage because our experiences are much more challenging than the civilian sector.

John.

Richard Buck ⋅ Patterson, NY EY ⋅ 25 years experience

The current market, since there is so many people looking, companies are looking for both. Some companies require a college degree.

Good luck
Semper Fi
_____________________
Richard Buck
(914) 391-3375 (mobile)
76warrior85@gmail.com
www.linkedin.com/in/ribuck/