Certified Veteran Career Strategist (CVCS)

Help Veterans Transition to New Careers with a Veteran Career Strategist Certification

Certified Veteran Career Strategist

Make a meaningful impact while accessing an underserved market with the veteran career strategist certification from PARWCC. The Certified Veteran Career Strategist (CVCS) program – the first of its kind in the nation – equips you to guide the country’s 2.5 million veterans through their greatest transition challenge: bridging the cultural gap between military service and civilian careers.

This comprehensive certification prepares you to help veterans translate their valuable military experience into compelling civilian narratives that resonate with employers. Whether you’re a career coach, résumé writer, or HR professional, the CVCS credential positions you to serve both veterans and their 5 million family members with specialized expertise that transforms military service into civilian success.

Veteran Career Strategist Certification Highlights

Specialized Training for Veterans: Learn strategies to help veterans successfully transition to civilian careers.
Industry-Recognized Credential: Gain a certification that highlights your expertise in supporting veterans in their career journey.
Tailored Career Coaching: Master the unique challenges veterans face in the job market and provide customized support.
Tailored Career Coaching: Master the unique challenges veterans face in the job market and provide customized support.
Flexible Learning: Complete your certification online, making it convenient to learn at your own pace.
Experienced Instructors: Learn from professionals with firsthand experience in veteran career coaching.
Career Advancement: Expand your services to veterans and increase your client base, while growing your coaching practice.
Ongoing Mentorship and Networking: Join a community of certified veteran career strategists for ongoing support and networking.

Transform the careers of veterans—start your Veteran Career Strategist Certification now!

Certified Veteran Career Strategist

Member Cost: ^$795
Non-Member Cost: ^$970

Successful CVCS Candidates Receive:
8 CEUs
Comprehensive training to bridge the cultural gap between military and civilian work environments.
Techniques to help veterans leverage their military experience in civilian job applications.
Insight into creating impactful veteran résumés and LinkedIn profiles that capture employers’ attention.
Use of “CVCS” credential after your name and a CVCS Certificate for display in your office.
Announcement of your earned credential in the PARWCC Spotlight magazine.

Guide to Achieving Your Veteran Career Strategist Certificate

Becoming a Certified Veteran Career Strategist Professional

Master military-to-civilian career transitions with the CVCS program. Through ten focused modules led by industry-leading career expert Don Orlando, this veteran career strategist certificate program teaches you to guide veterans beyond basic skills translation to create compelling career narratives.

You’ll learn to help veterans build powerful personal brands, leverage professional networks, and navigate civilian workplace culture. With 8 CEUs and practical tools for résumé writing, LinkedIn optimization, and interview preparation, CVCS gives you everything you need to showcase veterans’ leadership and experience to civilian employers.

Why CPRW Certification?

The CVCS certification opens doors to an underserved market of 7.5 million potential clients while enabling you to make a profound difference in veterans’ lives. This respected credential positions you to serve both veterans and their family members during critical career transitions. CVCS-certified professionals understand the unique challenges veterans face and can effectively bridge the cultural gap between military and civilian workplaces.

Beyond the business opportunity, you’ll gain specialized expertise in helping veterans translate their leadership experience, technical skills, and accomplishments into language that resonates with civilian employers. Your CVCS credential demonstrates your commitment to serving those who have served our country.

What To Expect

The path to CVCS certification combines expert-led instruction with practical application. You’ll progress through ten comprehensive modules covering everything from cultural transition strategies to personal branding for veterans. Led by Colonel (Ret.) Don Orlando, a veteran career expert with over 27 years of military experience, the program delivers cutting-edge techniques for guiding veterans to civilian career success.

Your learning includes case studies, practical assignments, and tools you can immediately use with clients. Most participants complete the certification in 8-12 weeks, though you have up to one year to finish at your own pace. Throughout the program, you’ll have access to your instructor for guidance and support.

Eligibility Requirements

The CVCS certification welcomes career professionals committed to serving the veteran community. Ideal candidates include career coaches, résumé writers, HR professionals, military transition specialists, and workforce development experts. While military experience isn’t required, successful candidates bring strong career development skills and a dedication to understanding military culture.

Active PARWCC membership is required to enroll and maintain your certification, ensuring you stay connected to industry best practices and professional development opportunities. The program is particularly valuable for professionals working in veteran service organizations, career centers, or private practice focusing on military transitions.

Resources For Exam Prep

Your CVCS journey includes all the resources needed for success. The program centers on a comprehensive workbook filled with practical exercises, templates, and methodologies to guide veteran career transitions. You’ll have access to extensive training materials that cover military-to-civilian culture bridging, career planning strategies, and personal branding techniques.

The program includes real-world case studies and examples that demonstrate successful veteran transitions. Most importantly, you’ll have direct access to Colonel Orlando’s expertise through the program’s included one-on-one consultation, ensuring you can apply your learning effectively with veteran clients.

Maintaining Your CPRW

Maintain your CVCS credential with an active PARWCC membership that connects you with our professional community. PARWCC membership keeps you current with evolving trends in veteran career transitions and military-to-civilian workplace dynamics. Your engagement with the CVCS community helps you provide the best possible support to veterans and their families throughout their career journeys.

Course Content

Session 1

Entering the Veteran Market with Confidence: Are We Abdicating Our Market to the Uninformed?

You will build trust, understand the myths that can dissuade veterans from pursuing civilian careers, and utilize overlooked resources to help guide veterans.

Session 2

Helping Veterans Find the Best Career Field: Narrowing Down Choices

You will go through the process of helping veterans find commanding answers to the three best questions that help them define their best career options. You will also learn how to market yourself to both the less experienced veteran and the career military leader.

Session 3

Leveraging How Jobs are Created

You will be able to help veterans gain control of their futures by educating them about the creation and fulfillment of job postings to help them win the best positions.

Session 4

Enlisting Mentors to Join Your Veteran’s Team: Using Mentors’ Insights to Power Your Clients’ Brands

You will gain an understanding of how veterans find, learn from, and build lasting relationships with mentors. Your clients will benefit from mentors throughout their lifetime!

Session 5

Building the Veteran’s Brand: The Foundations.

You will be able to guide veterans to transform active duty responsibilities into civilian value propositions.

Session 6

Building the Veteran’s Brand: Résumés

You will be able to build veteran resumes that command attention and land them interviews.

Session 7

Building the Veteran’s Brand: Experience and About Sections/The Headline and Key Words

Help veterans sidestep LinkedIn’s limitations to make their brands visible and show them how to create and use their profiles effectively.

Session 8

Making the Veterans’ LinkedIn Profiles Brand Magnifiers: An Illustrated Sample Post

You will learn how veterans can employ their profiles as brand magnifiers. You’ll provide guidance on how, when, and how often your veterans should post.

Session 9

Locking in the Second Interview: Sample Email.

Thanks to you, veterans will have a way to lock in a second interview using a tool that has never failed in over 25 years.

Session 10

Pulling it All Together: Next Steps

This summary pulls it all together and shows you the next steps you can take to enhance your practice while guiding veterans to rewarding careers.

BONUS – Your Free 1-1 Consultation. Don will set aside an hour of uninterrupted time at your convenience to listen to your needs and help you put your new-found wisdom to powerful use.

Meet Your Instructor – Don Orlando

Don brings a broad and deep background ideally suited to help you dominate the veteran market. During his 27 year career as an active duty Air Force officer, he helped colleagues win promotions and key assignments. Retiring in the top two percent of officers who joined the same year he did, Colonel Orlando is known for his ability to design, develop, and deliver the most complex training packages: skills he used again to build CVCS.

No wonder the Air Force sought him out to build their first course that guides transitioning senior military leaders into the civilian workplace. His program got rave reviews for years.

Don also calls upon 50,000 hours supporting rising, senior, and very senior civilian executives—the very people who hire veterans. He specializes in C-suite positions in almost every discipline.

Don has also taught Federal résumé writing to Federal employees.

Said another way: he speaks the language of those most likely to appreciate veterans in the workplace. The CVCS program helps educate hiring officials to see veterans as the great help they strive so hard to find.

Frequently Asked Questions About CVCS Certification

You likely have questions about the Certified Veteran Career Strategist program and how it can transform your ability to serve military veterans in their career transitions. Below we’ve answered the most common questions about this specialized certification. These FAQs cover the certification process, program benefits, and how the CVCS credential can enhance both your professional practice and the lives of veterans you’ll serve. If you have additional questions after reviewing this information, please contact us directly.

What is the CVCS certification, and who is it designed for?

The Certified Veteran Career Strategist (CVCS) certification is the first program of its kind designed specifically to prepare career professionals to guide veterans through the complex transition from military to civilian careers. This program is ideal for career coaches, résumé writers, HR professionals, workforce development specialists, military transition experts, and any professional committed to serving the veteran community.

What makes the CVCS program different from general career coaching certifications?

The CVCS program focuses specifically on bridging the cultural gap between military and civilian workplaces – a challenge that’s equally perplexing to veterans and civilian hiring managers. The program goes beyond basic “military translation” to teach you how to help veterans leverage their unique experiences, build compelling personal brands, and navigate the civilian workplace culture effectively.

Who teaches the CVCS program?

The program is led by Colonel (Ret.) Don Orlando, a highly experienced veteran career expert with over 27 years of military service. Don retired in the top two percent of officers who joined the same year and has spent 50,000+ hours supporting rising and senior executives – the very people who hire veterans. His experience includes building the Air Force’s first course for transitioning senior military leaders into civilian careers.

What will I learn in the CVCS program?

The program consists of ten comprehensive modules covering:

Understanding military culture and the veteran transition experience
Helping veterans identify optimal career fields
Navigating the civilian job creation and hiring process
Building powerful personal brands for veterans
Creating effective résumés and LinkedIn profiles for veterans
Interview preparation strategies for military transitions
Leveraging mentorship networks for veteran success
Practical tools for immediate application with clients

How long does it take to complete the CVCS certification?

Most participants complete the certification in 8-12 weeks, though you have up to one year from registration to finish at your own pace. The program is designed to be flexible to accommodate busy professional schedules.

What are the eligibility requirements for CVCS certification?

The program welcomes career professionals committed to serving the veteran community. While military experience isn’t required, candidates should have strong career development skills and a dedication to understanding military culture. Active PARWCC membership is required to enroll and maintain certification.

What is the investment for CVCS certification?

The CVCS certification costs $795 for PARWCC members and $970 for non-members (which includes the required PARWCC membership fee of $175).

What do successful CVCS candidates receive?

Upon certification, you’ll receive:

8 CEUs (Continuing Education Units)
Authorization to use the “CVCS” credential after your name
A CVCS Certificate for display in your office
The CVCS logo for use in printed and online materials
Announcement of your earned credential in the PARWCC Spotlight
Comprehensive training materials for ongoing reference
A one-on-one consultation with Don Orlando

How is the CVCS certification maintained?

To maintain your CVCS credential, you need to maintain an active PARWCC membership. This ensures you stay connected to the professional community and continue to access resources that support your work with veteran clients.

What kind of return on investment can I expect from CVCS certification?

The CVCS certification opens doors to an underserved market of 7.5 million potential clients (veterans and their family members). Beyond the business opportunity, CVCS-certified professionals report significant professional satisfaction from making a meaningful difference in the lives of those who have served our country. The practical tools and strategies you learn in the program can be immediately applied to enhance client outcomes and demonstrate your specialized expertise.

Why PARWCC? Voices from our Community

The CPRW Certification is the benchmark for being a recognized résumé writer.

Investing in the continuous training and education provided by PARWCC makes me a trusted advisor…My hobby turned into a 5-figure business in one year because I invested in my education and received the career coaching credential from PARWCC.

Debraca R.

Agape Career Counseling Group

PARWCC’s extensive library of resources, networking opportunities, and career services insights have significantly enhanced my ability to deliver exceptional services to my clients…and equipped me to help job seekers achieve their career goals with confidence and expertise.

Dustin B.

417 Resume Renovators

I was fortunate to be a part of the 1st cohort of the Certified Student Career Coach (CSCC), and Dr. Saunders’ expertise, homework exercises, and her breadth of resources enhanced my understanding of the material by providing practical hands-on exercises.

Towanda W.

Coach for New Life

I’ve gotten so much value out of being part of this community! I love the monthly networking calls and webinars included in the membership, and attending the in-person Thrive! conference was truly a highlight of the year for me.

Tali S.

Bold Career Talk

Certified Veteran Career Strategist (CVCS)

Help Veterans Transition to New Careers with a Veteran Career Strategist Certification