<p>Hello everyone, </p>
<p>I was wondering if the USMA graduates on this fourm could talk about what they did after the military. How helpful was West Point in getting a job? How did people react during job interview when they saw you graduated USMA? I am not going to West Point because I want to be rich, but every grad I know who has left the military is pretty well off. Is Is this true for everyone here? Just another thing I am looking forward too !</p>
<p>To quote my Dad (Successful NYC banker, RMC grad [Canada's Service Academy]): "When we get a stack of resume's for a job opening there are a few categories of people who we put to the top of the list. Most of the Ivy's plus Stamford, MIT, and a few others I can't remember, Service Academy grads, and Military officers." Now I dont know if I'm going to stay for an entire career in the Army myself, but my understanding is being an Academy grad opens up pretty much every door there is for you. Why? Because being from an Academy or the Military in general means you are a good leader with a strong academic background with a can do attitude.</p>
<p>The Joint Service Academy job fairs are an excellent vehicle for networking with organizations who are specifically looking for alumni from SA's. Many organizations/corporations recruit at these events. Each of the academies has a career services group that helps them to connect with potential employers. (I am extremely impressed with the USMMA support and knowledge.) The network automatically available with other grads is also an excellent source of job leads.</p>
<p>I know of one WP grad who was hired by a major corporation after completing his service. He was hired into a job reserved by the company for top-tier MBA graduates. He does not have an MBA. </p>
<p>If and when you decide to leave the Army, there will be many different paths you can pursue that will lead to satisfying civilian careers. And, yes, some will be very lucrative.</p>
<p>My dad (USAFA '80) taught at USAFA for nearly a decade after the Air Force paid for his Ph.D. After he retired, he continued teaching in a field that is in high-demand. His USAFA and other degrees are easily a notch above most other faculty, and he really loves his job, and I love it too because its where I get my moolah too. :)</p>
<p>As someone who works for a large and successful financial services company, I can also confirm that we look VERY favorably on both prior military service and, in particularly, graduates from any of the service academies. Why? It's simple: they are outstanding leaders, generally very well organized, highly goal oriented and, most importantly, very loyal to superiors. With respect to the service academy, you have already demonstrated strong character to make it through the selection process. And you have to be motivated just to make it through the application process. It's made for a highly successful combination in our organization. You all should be proud and excited by both the careers you will have in the military -- and, eventually, where you can end up should you decide to move into civillian life.</p>
<p>My company has a special program designed specifically to attract retired military officers---one of our SVP's is an Annapolis grad (former Marine officer).</p>