Grant Gibson, a Marine Corps veteran and MyComputerCareer instructor, opened Mission Transition: Real Stories of Veterans Breaking Into IT with a promise: “We’re not going to do the corporate webinar thing today.” What followed was an hour of brutally honest conversation between four veterans about what it actually takes to transition from military service to IT careers.
The MyComputerCareer webinar featured three panelists. Rick spent 11 years in the Army. Miguel served for 7 years in the Army. Joshua completed three combat deployments with the Marine Corps. All three graduated from the Cyber Warrior Program within the past year. They didn’t hold back.
When You Had To, Not When You Wanted To
Miguel was working at Wells Fargo when COVID hit. The job was fine. The paycheck was steady. But when the company started layoffs, he knew he needed something with more stability and growth potential. “I wasn’t satisfied entirely,” he admitted. “This wasn’t something I wanted to do the rest of my life.”
Rick’s reality check came differently. He was pulling 30,000 steps a day in a steel factory with a torn ACL. “Working another very physical career wasn’t sustainable,” he said. The moment everything clicked? Standing in his new house, covered in factory grease, figuring out how to access his security cameras using MAC addresses. “I realized what I’m supposed to be doing right in that moment.”
Joshua left his job entirely to focus on training. It was sink or swim.
Failure Happens. Get Over It.
Rick failed his Security+ exam the first time despite studying relentlessly. His reaction surprised the audience: “Failing the first attempt was actually such a fun moment for me.” Why? Because it proved the certification was worth having. “Every barrier that feels too high to jump over just culls some percentage of the people I’m racing against for these jobs.”
Joshua passed his A+ exam but failed the course itself because he wasn’t paying attention to the rules. Then he got sick during Network+ and didn’t pass that either. “It was my first (indication) to realize this isn’t going to be an easy process.”
The panel’s advice: expect to fail something, somewhere. The difference between people who succeed and people who don’t comes down to what they do after failure.
The 480-Hour Reality
The Cyber Warrior Program runs 12-24 weeks with 480 hours of total instruction time. Miguel put it plainly: “I was pulling late nights and working on weekends just to catch up.” Rick spent 1-2 hours online before class and 3-4 hours after class every day during Security+ prep.
Joshua emphasized that showing up to class alone won’t cut it. The students who succeeded? They formed study groups. Rick, Miguel, and several classmates set up their own Discord server and GitHub for collaborative learning. “Making friends is a lot better to study together,” Miguel said.
What did that mean for their personal lives? Sacrifices. Hobbies disappeared. Time with partners and kids got squeezed. “You got to find that additional time to study,” Miguel explained.
From Graduation to Employment
Joshua landed a job offer two weeks before graduation. Rick chose between two job offers that both started the day after graduation. Miguel took about 2-3 months of active searching.
Their advice for faster results: don’t hit the quick apply button on LinkedIn. Rick’s philosophy: “Four applications that you spend all day personalizing is worth more than 50 quick applies.” Joshua kept three different resumes in rotation, each tailored to specific job types.
The career services team played a major role. “They were priceless,” Joshua said, specifically shouting out his advisor Maricela. The team helped with resume building, mock interviews, and ongoing support after graduation.
Being a Veteran Helps. Mostly.
The panel unanimously agreed that military service opens doors in IT. Employers expect discipline, responsibility, and punctuality. Some states offer tax benefits for hiring veterans. Security clearances provide massive advantages.
The one habit they had to break? Trying to solve every problem the same way. “Not every problem can be solved with a hammer,” Joshua explained. The IT field demands creativity and flexibility that military regulations don’t always teach.
One Year Later
Rick graduated almost exactly one year before the webinar. Today he’s a systems administrator at a cybersecurity company and about to finish his college degree. “A year ago, getting a job in IT seemed just as impossible to me as it might to you right now,” he told the audience.
Would they do it again? Miguel didn’t hesitate: “Yes, I would definitely do it again. This job allows me to have that luxury of not having to do hard labor work.” Rick took it further: “Not only would I do it again, I am doing it again. Tech is a fast-moving field and the learning process never stops.”
The Bottom Line
Grant wrapped up with the truth these three veterans demonstrated throughout the conversation: “There’s a direct correlation between work ethic and success. If you sit down and put in the work, you’re going to get there.”
No corporate polish. No sunshine and rainbows. Just veterans telling other veterans what actually happens when you commit to changing your life.
Want to start your own IT journey? Download our free ebook Breaking Down IT Basics to better understand common IT terms and concepts. Ready to learn more about the Cyber Warrior Program? Request information to start the conversation.
Watch the full webinar on YouTube