DON COOL Program

[cjc023]

I am finally done with my sea duty and now am a recruiter and during my schooling, I stumbled upon DON COOL aka Department of the Navy's Credentialing Opportunities Online. I've been using the search option to try and find anyone that may have used this program in order to get certificates paid by the Navy via either the G.I. Bill or Tuition Assistance. The certificates that are earned are broken down by rates and there are plenty of them for Nukes and some are accredited by ICAC (International Certification Accreditation Council).

My question is whether or not I should pursue these certificates or just go straight to school using my TA. I've been told by civilian workers in Fortune 500 jobs that they don't look at online university applicants so I'm kind of freaked out by that, even though they also say that military experience is something that can be a great bargaining chip. I just want to make myself more marketable for when I separate from the Navy and be able to get a job that I enjoy.

[GLW]

Certificates are good, are directly job related, require no wasted effort on "electives", and can be a good adjunct in tandem with one of the tech degrees so many ex-USNs seem to accumulate nowadays,...

Beware of "padded" minimum requirements from your sponsor where sponsors are required,...

Be sure your relevant USN experience for the cert is relevant,...

just because you stood firewatch while somebody performed eddy current, UT, et al, does not translate into being skilled to perform, although you may be "nuke" enough to pass a test,...

it sucks to have your ass handed to you on your first CIVLANT pre-employment interview,...

[cjc023]

Certificates are good, are directly job related, require no wasted effort on "electives", and can be a good adjunct in tandem with one of the tech degrees so many ex-USNs seem to accumulate nowadays,...

Beware of "padded" minimum requirements from your sponsor where sponsors are required,...

Be sure your relevant USN experience for the cert is relevant,...

just because you stood firewatch while somebody performed eddy current, UT, et al, does not translate into being skilled to perform, although you may be "nuke" enough to pass a test,...

it sucks to have your ass handed to you on your first CIVLANT pre-employment interview,...

So in your professional opinion, do you recommend these certificates over the tech degrees?

What are considered "padded" and who are these sponsors?

Yeah I was only going by the certificates that were on the EMN page so that I don't try and outdo my self so to speak. But definitely, do tell about your first CIVLANT experience.

[GLW]

So in your professional opinion, do you recommend these certificates over the tech degrees?

I prefer them, but that is just me, a sizeable contingent of HR types are indoctrinated to give the degree preference,...

What are considered "padded" and who are these sponsors?

I provided an exemplar of padded in my first post to this thread,...

Sponsors are (typically) individuals who must "certify" that the candidate meets the minimum requirements to become certified (sit for the exam, etc.), not all certifications require this,...

Yeah I was only going by the certificates that were on the EMN page so that I don't try and outdo my self so to speak. But definitely, do tell about your first CIVLANT experience.

I have no exemplar of a personal CIVLANT experience because I do not lie,...

I have seen the sad scenario played out where someone did lie,...

[cjc023]

Thanks for the quick reply. I think I'm going to go forth with my TA using Navy COOL.