Citizenship

How Service Members Can Upskill for a Career in AI

Explore Analytics Careers

Build on your military experience to start a new career

According to a report from the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (AI), the United States is falling behind other nations in the AI technology race, even though the rapid advancement of AI strategy is critical to national security.

As a trusted partner for the most important national defense and security missions, Booz Allen is helping to close this gap. Our data scientists, machine learning engineers, and AI experts are harnessing the power of AI and analytics to transform society—and we’re looking for veterans and military spouses who want to use their mission expertise to empower our clients for AI adoption.

Imagine serving the country in a new way while also equipping yourself with the skills to thrive in an expanding field. We value the experience you bring from the military and know the path you can take to find a rewarding career in the civilian world. Start with advanced technical training, add quality on-the-job experience, and grow your skills with continuing education.

The most common things we look for when hiring for AI and analytics jobs are:

Knowledge of a programming language such as SQL, Python, or R
Experience working with data or a strong understanding of data visualization tools like Tableau or Power BI
A current security clearance or the ability to obtain a security clearance

Technical Training: Our Proven Training Partners

To help get you started, we’ve compiled a list of proven training partners that provide quality AI and analytics training to both service members preparing to leave the military and veterans.

Browse the list below to find a training provider that can equip you with the skills you’ll need to build on your military experience and start your career in AI and analytics.

Trusted Training Provider	Top Skills Gained	How to Sign Up	Key Notes for Service Members Preparing to Leave the Military
Google Data Analytics Certificate Program	SQL, Jupyter, Tableau, and R	Enroll today on Coursera	Complete this self-paced program at any time prior to or after your date of separation.
Booz Allen Tech Excellence Data Science Fundamentals	SQL, Tableau, and Python	Learn more at Booz Allen Careers	Get recruited into this in-house training program by telling your Booz Allen recruiter that you’re interested in participating.
NC State AI Academy Apprenticeship Program	Python, Data analysis and modeling foundations, logistics regression, natural language processing, deep learning, and more. Students will prepare to obtain certifications in Microsoft, Python, IBM, Google, or CAP upon completion.	Apply at AI Academy	This 12-month, intensive academic curriculum combines employer-sponsored on the job learning and training.

SkillBridge Program

Having hands-on experience in your civilian career field of choice is invaluable. We encourage service members to consider participating in a DOD SkillBridge program prior to their date of separation.

While there are hundreds of DOD SkillBridge organizations, we currently partner with two that match service members to employers that offer fellowships: Hiring Our Heroes and HireVetsNow. Apply directly to one of those programs to be placed with an employer.

Fellowships build valuable professional connections and can help you continue to upskill. At Booz Allen, we’ve created an analytics training track in Udemy to help our fellows gain a basic understanding of data science and Tableau.

Recommended SkillBridge Partner	How to Participate	Key Notes for Service Members Preparing to Leave the Military
Hiring Our Heroes Fellowship Program	Apply at Hiring Our Heroes	Hiring Our Heroes has three cohort opportunities per year.
Hire Vets Now Fellowship Program	Apply at HireVets Now	Hire Vets Now offers fellowship opportunities on a rolling basis.

Veterans Who Upskilled into Analytics Roles at Booz Allen

Brian Leatherman: Data Scientist

While serving as a munitions specialist in the Air Force, Brian learned how to use operational data to improve everyday processes. This led him to pursue an undergraduate degree in management information systems, but he received most of his technical analytics training in R, Python, and Tableau from free or low-cost online training programs offered through LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, and Udemy. This training helped him land a job as a data scientist supporting Booz Allen's defense work.

At Booz Allen, Brian has continued to grow his technical skills and is pursuing a master’s degree in business analytics.

Brian Leatherman, Booz Allen Data Scientist

“Don’t underestimate the value of open-source learning. There are so many free resources that can teach you different programming languages and open many doors.”

- Brian Leatherman's advice to service members

Brian’s path

Bachelor’s degree + free or low-cost online programs + ongoing skills growth through a master’s degree program

Brittani Sarsok: Data Engineer

As a signals intelligence analyst in the Texas Army National Guard, Brittani became fascinated with identifying patterns in data. While preparing to enter the civilian workforce, she knew she wanted to use this newfound interest to continue supporting the intelligence community. So she earned a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems, a course of study that introduced her to basic programming languages like SQL, Python, and Java.

Since joining Booz Allen, Brittani has continued upskilling with programs in cloud infrastructure, fundamentals accelerated data science, and more.

Brittani Sarsok, Booz Allen Data Engineer

“Military members are often unaware of available training resources, like ARMY COOL or NSA Courses, so do your research to find out which resource works best for you.”

- Brittani Sarsok's advice to service members

Brittani’s path

Learning basic programming languages through bachelor’s degree program + ongoing cloud and data science fundamentals courses