TECH CAREERS
Veteran transition programs
Breakline has good general interview prep and resume tips, connections into companies for PgMs, TPMs, account executives (sales); and good overall support in the job search process. I don’t think they do a lot for SWEs. They won’t find you a super (>$300k) high paying job. They charge companies a fee. They claim that companies pay breakline participants just as much as non-breakliners but I don’t have data to support that.
Skillbridge is a program you need to fight for. It gives you the opportunity to work at a company for the last few months of your service. It is hugely advantageous. This gives you real world experience at a relevant company; time to focus on your job search; and the opportunity to build a network of advocates. Start talking to your unit about it as early as possible. Try to bring it up at least as early as one year out when you submit your “get-out-of-the-military” paperwork.
Hiring Our Heroes is one skillbridge program to work at large companies (Blackstone, the only one for Google). The companies vary over time.
You can often target roles in places you want to live, giving you a leg up on moving to the area. However, skillbridge will not provide any additional money to move or stay in a new area.