Security Consultant
$110KHigh match
High demand
Skills to develop
- — Cybersecurity certifications (CISSP, CISM)
- — Project management skills
Live · Guide v1.01185 · Career GuideValidated · Lightcast Labor DataUpdated · Q2 20262026 Cohort Active
Home/Career Guides/1185
NAVY · 1185Career Guide · Operations · VWC.CG.1185.R.04
1185 · NAVY · OfficerSpecial Warfare Officer
Special Warfare Officer
Candidate.
Navy 1185 (Special Warfare Officer Candidate). 1,350 hours of formal training translate to 5 validated civilian career pathways with salary bands of $45K–$110K. Sourced from DoD training data and Lightcast labor signals.
Training hours1,350DoD pipeline
ACE creditACEUp to 20 semester hours recommended in military science, physical education, and leadership.
Tech roles4mapped to your code
Civilian pathways5validated
Cert coverage2/5direct + partial
/ 01 · Tech Roles
Roles your code maps to.
Industry tech roles your 1185 background maps to — picked from BLS-anchored occupations using your training, cognitive skills, and systems experience.
Sort · Match descending
/ 02 · Skill Bridge
The gap, named.
What 1185 training already gave you, and the specific gaps to close — not a generic checklist.
Already have06
- 01Rapid Prioritization under pressure→ Incident response and critical decision-making in system outages (SRE, Security Engineer)
- 02Team Synchronization and fostering collaboration in high-stakes environments→ Leading cross-functional engineering initiatives and driving alignment (Technical Program Manager)
- 03Exceptional Situational Awareness and anticipating challenges→ Proactive monitoring, risk identification, and anomaly detection in complex systems (SRE, Security, Robotics)
- 04Adversarial Thinking, threat assessment, and counter-strategy development→ Threat modeling, designing secure architectures, and identifying vulnerabilities (Security Engineer)
- 05Complex mission planning, execution, and adaptation (e.g., underwater demolition, parachute operations)→ Project management, technical roadmap execution, and navigating unforeseen technical challenges (Technical Program Manager)
- 06Operating specialized communications and navigation systems (MBITR, Raymarine)→ Understanding hardware-software interfaces and system integration for specialized devices (Robotics Engineer)
To learn06
The concrete gap to bridge — specific to the roles above, not a generic checklist.
+Software systems literacy (understanding architecture diagrams, reading code snippets)+Threat modeling frameworks and security best practices+Linux operating system fundamentals (deep dive) and scripting with Python or Go+C++ and Python programming for robotics, ROS/ROS 2 framework+Cloud platform basics (AWS, GCP, or Azure)+Networking and OS internals for security vulnerability analysis
How VWC fits
Vets Who Code is a free, full-time software engineering accelerator for veterans, active duty, and military spouses. We close the fundamentals — terminal, web platform, AI tooling, portfolio projects — so the rest of this list becomes specialization, not square one.
See VWC Programs →/ 03 · Civilian Pathways
Where your code lands.
Emergency Management Director
$85KGood match
Stable demand
Skills to develop
- — FEMA certifications
- — Grant writing
- — Local government knowledge
Corporate Security Manager
$95KGood match
Growing demand
Skills to develop
- — Business administration knowledge
- — Risk assessment methodologies
- — Security technology expertise
Wilderness First Responder/EMT
$45KModerate match
Stable demand
Skills to develop
- — EMT certification
- — Advanced medical training
- — Local licensing requirements
Private Investigator
$65KModerate match
Stable demand
Skills to develop
- — Legal knowledge
- — Investigation techniques
- — Surveillance technologies
/ 04 · Hidden Strengths
What the code built.
Cognitive skills your 1185 training built — and where they transfer in civilian work.
Rapid Prioritization
During training and eventual deployment, Special Warfare officers face constantly evolving, high-stakes situations. They must quickly assess threats, allocate resources, and adjust plans in real-time to maximize mission success while minimizing risk.
Transfers to
This ability to rapidly triage and make critical decisions under pressure translates directly into high-demand civilian roles. You can quickly evaluate complex scenarios, identify key priorities, and implement effective solutions in dynamic environments.
Team Synchronization
Special Warfare operations demand seamless coordination within small teams under extreme conditions. Officers learn to foster cohesion, anticipate teammates' needs, and operate as a unified force to achieve mission objectives.
Transfers to
Your expertise in building high-performing teams and fostering collaboration makes you an ideal candidate for leadership roles. You understand how to align individual efforts, leverage diverse skillsets, and create a synergistic environment to drive collective success.
Situational Awareness
Naval Special Warfare officers are trained to maintain heightened awareness of their surroundings, constantly assessing potential threats, opportunities, and environmental factors that could impact mission success. This involves gathering and processing information from multiple sources and anticipating potential changes.
Transfers to
Your exceptional situational awareness allows you to quickly grasp the nuances of any environment and anticipate potential challenges. This skill is invaluable in any role requiring strategic thinking, risk management, or proactive problem-solving.
Adversarial Thinking
The role requires anticipating enemy tactics and strategies. The officer learns to think like the enemy, identifying vulnerabilities and developing countermeasures to maintain the advantage.
Transfers to
Your experience in threat assessment and counter-strategy makes you well-suited for roles requiring a proactive and analytical mindset. You excel at identifying potential risks, anticipating challenges, and developing effective mitigation strategies.
/ 05 · Non-Obvious Matches
Roles the recruiter won't suggest.
Adjacent civilian roles your training maps to that conventional military-to-civilian advice tends to miss.
Emergency Management Director
SOC 11-9161.00You've been trained to handle high-pressure situations, allocate resources effectively, and maintain situational awareness in dynamic environments. These are essential skills for coordinating disaster response and ensuring community safety.
Adjacent · MatchCorporate Security Manager
SOC 11-9199.08Your expertise in threat assessment, risk mitigation, and team leadership directly translates into protecting corporate assets and personnel. You're adept at developing security protocols, managing security teams, and responding effectively to security incidents.
Adjacent · MatchWilderness Guide and Outfitter
SOC 39-3092.00You've honed your skills in planning, navigation, risk management, and emergency response in challenging environments. Your experience and leadership ability will give clients confidence in their safety and enjoyment.
Adjacent · Match/ 06 · Training & Certs
What you trained on.
Academy
Naval Special Warfare Training Pipeline (BUD/S
Parachute Jump School, SQT)1,350hHours
78wkWeeks
ACECredit
Up to 20 semester hours recommended in military science, physical education, and leadership.
Topics · 8
- Underwater demolition
- Combat diving
- Parachute operations (static line and freefall)
- Small unit tactics
- Close quarters combat
- Land warfare
- Maritime operations
- Survival, evasion, resistance, and escape (SERE)
Partial coverage · 2
- Wilderness First Responder (WFR)70%
While SEAL training includes extensive medical skills, WFR focuses specifically on wilderness medicine protocols, environmental considerations, and extended patient care in remote settings. Study patient assessment in austere environments, improvised splinting/bandaging, and long-term care strategies.
- Certified Personal Trainer (CPT)60%
SEAL training develops exceptional physical fitness. The CPT exam requires knowledge of exercise science principles, program design, and client communication/motivation. Focus on nutrition guidelines, biomechanics, and specific exercise adaptations for various populations.
Recommended next · 03
- Project Management Professional (PMP)Adjacent
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)Adjacent
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)Adjacent
/ 07 · Systems Translation
What you ran, in their words.
Military systems you operated and their civilian equivalents for your resume.
| Military System | Civilian Equivalent | Domain |
|---|---|---|
| Combat Rubber Raiding Craft (CRRC) | Zodiac inflatable boats, high-speed inflatable boats | Operations |
| AN/PVS-15 Night Vision Goggles (NVG) | High-end consumer or professional night vision optics | Operations |
| M4 Carbine with SOPMOD Block II accessories | AR-15 platform rifles with aftermarket accessories | Operations |
| AN/PRC-148 MBITR (Multi-band Inter/Intra Team Radio) | Motorola APX series P25 radios, satellite communicators | Operations |
| Maritime Navigation Systems (e.g., Raymarine) | Recreational and commercial marine GPS, chartplotters | Operations |
| HALO/HAHO Parachuting Systems | Professional skydiving equipment, BASE jumping gear | Operations |
/ Translator · Live
Translate 1185 into a resume that ships.
Pair this guide with the VWC AI-powered translator: drop in your service record, get back ATS-optimized civilian resume language tuned to the tech roles above.