Department of Defense Careers: Your Guide
Did you know that the Department of Defense is the largest government agency in the entire country? It currently employs almost 3 million service members and civilians, and it has people working in about 160 countries throughout the world.
If you would like to work in defense, there is a good chance that you can find at least a few Department of Defense careers that you might be interested in. You should learn more about some of these defense careers so that you can entertain the idea of trying to work for the Department of Defense.
Want to see some of the career paths that you can follow when you secure one of the many careers in defense? Today, we’re going to touch on some of the options that you’ll have as far as Department of Defense careers are concerned.
Check out a handful of the careers that will be available to you below.
Accountant
The national defense budget is nearly $750 billion these days. So you can bet your bottom dollar that one of the top Department of Defense careers is an accountant.
With all the money that the Department of Defense spends each year, it’s important for them to have a team full of accountants to help them keep track of it all. If you’re someone who is great with numbers, you might want to apply to help the Department of Defense out with regards to their spending.
Outside of working as an accountant, there are lots of other finance-related jobs offered by the Department of Defense. They include positions like:
- Budget analyst
- Payroll technician
- Cash clerk
Those who specialize in keeping close tabs on money are going to love each of these potentially lucrative Department of Defense careers.
Contract Specialist
You could make the argument that the entire Department of Defense is built on a huge network of contracts. They rely on these contracts both here in the U.S. and in other parts of the world.
If you believe that you’re the best when it comes to drawing up iron-clad contracts and putting them into place, then you might be a great fit as a contract specialist within the Department of Defense. You can help the agency put together contracts and work towards convincing others to sign them.
As a contract specialist, you could very well excel in the defense acquisition industry. It’s an industry that deals directly with lots of different defense programs that have been created over the years.
Environmental Protection Specialist
Are you someone who is very passionate about the environment? If you are, then you should know that there are some Department of Defense careers that are going to be an amazing fit for you.
An environmental protection specialist is a great example of this. It’ll be your job to come up with environmental protection programs throughout the country and, to some degree, the world, and it’ll also be your job to see to it that people follow the rules and regulations contained within these programs.
You’re literally going to be helping to make the planet a better place when you work as an environmental protection specialist.
IT Specialist
As you can probably guess, the Department of Defense has become very reliant on the use of computers, computer networks, and other technological advances over the years. Because of this, there is pretty much always a huge demand for IT specialists within the Department of Defense.
To be considered for an IT position by the Department of Defense, you’re going to need to know about things like:
- Networking
- Data storage
- Software applications
You’re also going to need to be an extremely trustworthy person since you might be asked to work with some sensitive information over time. If you think you’re a good candidate for an IT position, it can be one of the best Department of Defense careers around.
Foreign Language Teacher
As we alluded to earlier, there are quite a few Department of Defense employees who are stationed somewhere overseas at this time. In some cases, they’re forced to learn new languages so that they can do their jobs in other countries.
If you’re familiar with languages other than English, you can earn a spot as a foreign language teacher for the Department of Defense. The more obscure the language that you know, the better your chances of landing a job with the Department of Defense.
You might need to be open to the idea of moving to different places around the world while working as a foreign language teacher for the Department of Defense. But it’s an incredible opportunity for those who don’t mind traveling and learning about new cultures.
Registered Nurse
Are you a registered nurse who likes the idea of helping out your country? You might want to look into launching a Department of Defense career then.
There are many organizations under the Department of Defense umbrella, including the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and the United States Department of Health and Human Services, that are almost always on the hunt for registered nurses. You can get a job at one of the 1,600 veteran care facilities in this country or go and provide care overseas if you want.
Of all the Department of Defense careers listed here, this one might just be the most fulfilling of the bunch. It’s going to make you even prouder than you already are to be a nurse.
Which of These Department of Defense Careers Appeals the Most to You?
As you can see, there is definitely no shortage of options for those searching for Department of Defense careers. And this is just a small sample for those kicking around the idea of tackling careers in defense.
You should check out all of the other Department of Defense careers that are out there. You might find one that is perfect for you.
Would you like to get some more useful career advice? Find it by reading through the other articles that we’ve posted for you on our blog.
