Veterans don’t struggle in their post-military careers because they lack skills. They struggle because they can’t find a profession that actually respects what they’ve built — the discipline, the judgment, the security clearances, the agency-level access, the ability to walk into a room and command credibility.

Most companies don’t know what to do with that. Unless they sell to the government…

I’ll be honest with you — I went through this myself. After 20 years in the Air Force, I spent time searching for what was next. What I found was a market that valued everything I’d spent two decades building. And over time, it became the foundation for everything I’ve done since.

In the video accompanying this post, I walk through three specific career paths in government contracting where military experience isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s a genuine competitive advantage. This newsletter expands on those three paths and gives you a clear picture of what each one looks like in practice.

Who This Is For

Before we get into the paths, let me be clear about something: you do not need a background in contracting, acquisitions, or procurement for any of this to apply to you.

This applies to you whether you served 3 years or 30. Whether you were enlisted or commissioned. Whether you were a pilot, a security forces officer, a logistics tech, a combat controller, or a maintenance specialist. Whether you separated last year or got out 25 years ago. Whether you’re approaching retirement or already in transition — this is for you.

A note on civilian readers:
While military experience creates a particularly strong fit for these paths — clearances, agency access, credibility with defense buyers — these opportunities are not exclusive to veterans. Many of our GovClose students come from civilian backgrounds in business development, consulting, and small business ownership. The framework works. Military service simply accelerates it.

Over half of the 300+ professionals in the GovClose program are veterans. The results they’re getting across all three of these paths are real, and I’ll describe each one in enough detail that you can decide which fits where you are right now.

Path 1 — Public Sector Account Executive

This is the W-2 path. You work for a company as their inside person for federal sales. Your title might be Account Executive, Business Development Manager, or Federal Sales Director. You’re representing a company’s product, service, or technology to federal agencies — and you’re getting paid very well to do it.

Why would a company pay a premium for someone with military experience?

Because getting in front of the right people at a federal agency isn’t a Google search problem. It’s a relationships problem. It’s a clearance problem. It’s a culture problem. If you served in the Air Force, you know how Air Force bases work. You know the acronyms. You know who makes decisions and how those decisions get made. That kind of access and fluency is extraordinarily valuable — and nearly impossible to teach.

At one point after service I worked in an account executive role with a software company. I wasn’t a software or data platform expert. But, I understood the Air Force, and I understood the buying process. That combination was worth more to them than a polished salesperson who’d never been on a base.

On compensation: my starting package was $320K. I want to be direct with you — that’s not typical at entry level, but it sets a ceiling worth knowing about. I typically see entry-level salaries in the $120K–$130K range. For those with a decade or more of service, $200K+ is a reasonable target. These roles routinely include commission on top of base salary.

Look for these roles on LinkedIn using search terms like: Public Sector Account Executive, Federal Sales Manager, Defense Business Development. The titles vary, but the job is the same.

One other thing worth noting: it’s common for account executives to also maintain a personal consulting company on the side. Which brings me to my favorite of the three options.

Path 2 — Freelance Government Contracting Consultant

You build your own LLC, you work with multiple companies simultaneously, and you help them navigate the process of selling to the federal government. You’re not an employee. You’re a trusted advisor — and you’re compensated accordingly.

Most of our consultants operate in the $5,000–$10,000 per month per client range. A single consultant can comfortably manage three to five clients at once without bringing anyone else on. Do the math: that’s $15,000–$50,000 per month in recurring revenue, running from wherever you work best.

We have program graduates doing this from Europe, Southeast Asia, and across the U.S. I’ve personally run my consulting business from Puerto Rico, the Smoky Mountains, my home office in New England, and countless ski trips and cruises. In other words, as a freelance consultant in this space, you have enormous flexibility to work from wherever you want.

Although I’ve always specialized in strategy and business development, there are literally hundreds of areas related to government contracting where you can demand high revenue for consulting work. The following are just a sample of some of the areas our GovClose graduates are working in:

• Proposal writing for DoD solicitations

• CMMC compliance preparation for defense contractors

• VA-focused business development for SDVOSB companies

• Federal strategy and pipeline development for commercial firms entering the market

The government buys everything — software, construction, legal services, advertising, school supplies, janitorial services, IT infrastructure. Whatever industry a company is in, there’s a path to federal revenue. That’s your market.

The deeper opportunity here is what this business model unlocks over time. Because you’re working directly with CEOs and owners, you’re treated as a peer, not a vendor.

That dynamic creates things a job never will: equity deals, commission arrangements, executive roles inside client companies, joint ventures and teaming agreements. Several of my students have transitioned from consultant to partner at former client companies. I personally got hired full-time — at a company that later went public — by a consulting client who saw what I could do over six months.—note: I also ran my consulting business full time while I served in that role.

Can you scale this into a seven-figure agency? Yes. It’s been done. Is it for everyone? No. But for the right person, there is no ceiling.

Path 3 — Selling to the Government With Your Own Business

If you already have a company — a construction firm, a software business, a professional services practice, anything with commercial clients and past performance — this path is worth understanding. But I want to be direct about the sequence, because this is where veterans often get the order wrong.

You don’t start a government contracting business. You add government contracting to an established business. The federal procurement cycle is long. Winning a first contract, even for a highly qualified firm with strong past performance, typically takes 6 to 18 months. Without existing revenue to fund that runway, you’re in trouble before you start.

Compare that to consulting, where a qualified professional can land a client in a matter of weeks. Or to an AE role, where a strong candidate can be hired in 30 to 60 days. Government contracting as a business development channel is a powerful long-term strategy. It’s just not where you start.

If you have the business already, here’s the basic roadmap:

• Ensure your LLC is in place and in good standing

• Register at SAM.gov — this is the federal marketplace and it’s non-negotiable

• If you’re a service-disabled veteran, register as a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB)

• If you sell anything the VA buys, an SDVOSB certification can be transformative — the VA is required to prioritize companies like yours in the bidding process

This is one of the few certifications in federal contracting that genuinely moves the needle. If you are a disabled veteran and you have a viable business, look into this seriously.

Ready to Go Deeper?

If you want to explore any of these paths on your own, start with our YouTube channel. Over 700 videos covering everything from SAM.gov basics to advanced proposal strategy to real interviews with veterans who have executed all three of these paths. It’s all free.

If you’re ready for a structured path forward, GovClose is our one-year government contracting professional development program. We’ve trained over 300 professionals — more than half of them veterans — and the curriculum goes well beyond the contracting mechanics.

We teach you:

• The full government contracting process — from market research to contract award

• How to start and structure your consulting business

• How to find clients and close them — including outreach, positioning, and pricing strategy

• How to price your services correctly (most people undercharge significantly)

• How to grow — from solo practitioner to scaled agency if that’s your goal

The community is one of the things our members value most. Over 300 trained professionals, half of them veterans, who are actively working in this market. People who understand where you came from and where you’re trying to go.

This isn’t a course you take and forget. It’s a professional cohort. The relationships people build inside GovClose have led to teaming agreements, referral partnerships, and joint business opportunities — the kind of network that actually moves careers forward.

Apply to GovClose
If you’re serious about a career in government contracting — as an account executive, a freelance consultant, or a business owner going after federal contracts — go to govclose.com and schedule an interview with our admissions team.
This program is selective. We accept people who are ready to do the work. If that’s you, we want to talk.

And if this isn’t where you are right now — keep it in your back pocket for a fellow veteran who’s still searching. Government contracting changed my post-military life. It’s done the same for hundreds of people in this community. It might be exactly what someone you know has been waiting for.

— Rick Howard, Lt Col (Ret)

---

Ready to go pro?

The GovClose Professional Training Program is built for people ready to commit to learning a new skill set, implementing that skill set, and working with a community of professionals who are serious about winning in the federal market.

If you think you have what it takes, set up an enrollment interview with the GovClose advisory team.