John NORDIN ⋅ Lake Forest, IL Independent Angel Investor ⋅ 37 years experience

Hi Tyson-

I'd like to echo a prior response in that both skillsets are worthy of emphasis. My career was in Information Technology and there were plenty of technically talented folks who could not play well with others.

Your OM background is sorely needed in many IT shops, provided they are self-aware they have a challenges in this area. Technical skills are "needed to play" in the field, "people skills" are needed to win.

Be happy to review your resume if you would like some feedback from a grizzled IT guy.

Thanks for your service to our country,
John

Jim Schreier ⋅ Milwaukee, WI 212 Leadership/Career Coaching ⋅ 50 years experience

I want to challenge the question as I think about your question. All of the work that I've done with projects involving hiring top-level talent and training 100's of managers and professionals in the development of better hiring programs, tells me the answer is simply: BOTH!

Talent (related to your technical skills) and Team Skills (individual, e.g. emotional intelligence, or Team Leadership are the second component. Whether I'm teaching managers how to hire better or evaluating resumes for a client, I'm looking to see both -- hopefully clearly offered with specific accomplishments!!

Galon Miller ⋅ Minneapolis, MN CICS, LLC ⋅ 45 years experience

Good morning Tyson,

A direct answer to your question is that there are far more open positions in IT then in management. The technical skills that you learn will also prepare you to become aware of the skills needed for any direct reports/subordinates you may have down the road.

https://www.hiringourheroes.org/5-reasons-need-apply-hiring-heroes-corporate-fellowship-program/

If you look into a Corporate Fellow position with the link above, you could explore a role in an industry “prior” to your Military termination date. This could be a 0 day transition plan, if the company you do a fellowship offers you a position at the end of your 3 months onsite. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn to learn more.

http://linkedin.com/in/galondeanmiller

Best to you,
Galon

Andrea Bryant ⋅ New York, NY American Corporate Partners ⋅ 5 years experience

Hello Tyson,

Thank you for your question, and thank you for your service!

I think that most of what should be emphasized in LinkedIn, or a resume, are the skills that you wish to pursue and perform in future employment. That may be a difficult question to answer at this point, and one that you may only be able to know after some exploration. I highly recommend visiting:

www.onetonline.org

There, you can explore some of the civilian careers that you may qualify for, or wish to work towards with certifications or further schooling. Once you determine a better idea of what career path, you will want to check job postings. Maybe you are not yet ready to apply, but job postings give a much better idea as to what potential employers are seeking, and thus how you ought to tailor your resume and LinkedIn profile.

Of course, I would also recommend applying for an ACP mentorship, this way you can work with a mentor in or close to your field of interest who has a much more in-depth idea of what your industry is looking for and how you can get there.

I wish you all the best in your courses, as I know IT in the Air Force versus in the private sector is quite a bit different. I'm sure that's a steep learning curve, but I'm glad to hear that you are already taking advantage of available opportunities to make yourself more marketable. All the best on your future!

Best,

Andrea