Returning military veterans to the corporate workforce after a career in the U.S. military can have a variety of challenges, and many veterans recognize this. While finding a full-time job is difficult for the people who fought for our country, there are several side jobs that could bring veterans the money they need to live a good life.
Read our article on the 5 Tips to Ease Your Transition from Military Deployment to Life Back Home
If you are planning to transition to the workforce and earn some cash, take a look at a few side jobs that don’t require special skills and allow flexibility in working hours.
1. Product Assembler
As a product assembler, you will be required to put together different kinds of products from the comfort of your own home. This job won’t pay you a lot of money but you will be able to work according to your schedule.
You might have to invest some money in the starter’s kit. You’ll receive the materials at your doorstep, along with detailed assembly instructions. You can also ask your family members or friends to help you.
2. Affiliate Marketing for Military Veterans
If you have a PC or laptop and a strong internet connection, you could become an affiliate marketer. For this, you will have to put in a lot of effort and first build a strong following on social networking platforms. Once you have a large number of followers, you could make substantial cash by promoting various products.
Affiliate marketer receives a commission for driving leads, traffic, or sales to a merchant. You don’t need your own website to do affiliate marketing but having a site can certainly help you promote products or services more effectively for a better commission.
3. Tutor
If you know things that someone would pay cash to learn, you could consider becoming a tutor. For instance, if you are good at mathematics or physics or did well on the SATs, you could start teaching high school students from the comfort of your own home.
You can tutor locally or sign up for online tutoring where you can conduct classes on Skype.
4. Travel Agent s for Military Veterans
If you have a lot of knowledge about different countries or think that you can find this information quickly, consider becoming a travel agent. Travel agents are required to plan out vacations, getaways, and business trips for clients.
Strong communication skills are important to succeed as a travel agent. Since a lot of people book their vacations and business trips online, it would be best to start an online travel agency instead of setting up a brick-and-mortar business.
5. Blogging & Podcasting
If you have a strong command over the English language and feel that you are creative, you could consider starting a blog and monetizing it. You can make a lot of money blogging thru affiliate marketing and ad revenue. If you are interested, this side job could really help you make substantial cash.
There are plenty of guides available on the internet on how to start a blog and make money from it, so you should be able to find out about everything you need to do to generate income through blogging or podcasting.
Another one of our highly recommended go to podcasts who is crushing it in the MMA world is Top Rated MMA by Erik Allen. Erik has been involved in many veteran ran brands like Grunt Style and Alpha Outpost.
Erik also runs the BeardedBiz page within Top Rated MMA, devoted to showcasing and spotlighting those businessman and women who are also crushing it in the business world.
6. Uber Driver
If you own a car, consider becoming an Uber driver. Some people feel embarrassed to drive for Uber, but there is nothing wrong in it. You could make a generous amount of money driving for Uber and choose your own working hours.
Moreover, you don’t need any special skills to work for a ride-sharing firm.
Uber will check your driving and criminal records, your insurance coverage, and your car before accepting your service. Once you are employed as an Uber driver, you will be able to make money by dropping passengers to their destinations.
7. Surveillance Officer
Many firms need protection against trespassing, vandalism, theft, and other illegal activities. They install cameras and other security devices to monitor their establishment for suspicious activity and employ surveillance officers to keep an eye on the camera feed.
If you can sit on a chair for several hours, constantly monitoring the recordings from the camera, you could consider working as a surveillance officer.
The minimum requirement for this job is a high-school degree. Military experience is a plus and you would be considered a strong candidate if you have served the country for several years.
8. Bodyguard Jobs for Military Veterans
Given your military training and experience, you would be a strong candidate for this job. You could offer your services to high-profile citizens who need protection from wrongdoers. These could be professional athletes, politicians, celebrities, entrepreneurs, etc.
You must be physically fit if you want to become someone’s bodyguard. Moreover, a high-school degree is a must. In some states, you will need a license to work as a bodyguard but it shouldn’t be too hard for you to obtain one.
Final Thoughts
With the rising cost of living, you might have to turn to additional work and raise extra income to support your family. While transitioning to the corporate workforce isn’t easy for a veteran, you would have a good chance of taking on any of the side jobs we have listed above. So, pick a job you like and give it a shot.
Things might feel a little difficult in the beginning but, once you get the hang of it, you would be able to make a generous amount of cash and live a comfortable life.
If you need more assistance in finding a side job, feel free to reach out to us. We will be more than happy to guide you.
