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35Z Career Guide

Army

35Z: Signals Intelligence/Electronic Warfare Senior Sergeant

Career transition guide for Army Signals Intelligence/Electronic Warfare Senior Sergeant (35Z)

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Civilian Career Pathways

Top civilian roles for 35Z veterans, with average salary and market demand data.

Intelligence Analyst

$85K
High matchHigh demand

Skills to develop:

Familiarity with civilian intelligence databasesData visualization tools (Tableau, Power BI)

Management Analyst

$90K
Good matchGrowing demand

Skills to develop:

MBA or relevant certificationConsulting experience

Compliance Officer

$75K
Moderate matchStable demand

Skills to develop:

Knowledge of industry-specific regulationsCompliance certification (e.g., Certified Compliance & Ethics Professional)

Project Manager

$95K
Good matchVery high demand

Skills to develop:

PMP CertificationAgile methodologies

Security Manager

$92K
High matchHigh demand

Skills to develop:

Security certifications (e.g., CISSP, CISM)Knowledge of corporate security policies and procedures

Salary estimates from VWC career data

Hidden Strengths

Cognitive skills your 35Z training built — and where they transfer.

Rapid Prioritization

As a principal enlisted assistant, you constantly juggle competing demands from commanders, staff, and subordinate personnel, requiring you to quickly assess urgency and importance to allocate your time and resources effectively.

This translates directly to project management and crisis management skills, where you need to quickly identify the most critical tasks and address them in order to maintain progress and mitigate risks.

Team Synchronization

Your role involves coordinating activities across different echelons and ensuring everyone is working towards a common goal. This requires strong communication, delegation, and monitoring skills to keep the team aligned and productive.

This ability to synchronize teams is crucial in any leadership role, especially in dynamic environments where collaboration is key to success. You know how to motivate people, delegate tasks, and ensure everyone is on the same page.

Procedural Compliance

You are responsible for ensuring adherence to command policies and regulations, and for identifying and correcting discrepancies. This requires a strong understanding of rules and procedures, and a commitment to maintaining standards.

This meticulous attention to detail and commitment to compliance are highly valued in fields like quality assurance, risk management, and regulatory affairs, where accuracy and adherence to standards are paramount.

Situational Awareness

By accompanying senior leaders on inspections and visits, you develop a keen understanding of the overall operational environment and the challenges faced by different units. This allows you to anticipate problems and proactively address them.

This heightened awareness of your surroundings and the ability to anticipate potential issues are invaluable in roles that require strategic thinking and proactive problem-solving, such as business development or market analysis.

After-Action Analysis

Your role in reviewing and evaluating SIGINT/EW deployment plans and doctrinal publications demonstrates your ability to critically assess past performance, identify areas for improvement, and implement changes to enhance future operations.

This skill is highly transferable to roles involving process improvement, data analysis, and strategic planning. You can objectively analyze data, identify patterns, and recommend actionable improvements to optimize performance.

Non-Obvious Career Matches

Compliance Officer

SOC 13-1041

You've been ensuring adherence to policies and regulations in a high-stakes environment. As a Compliance Officer, you'll use your expertise to develop and implement compliance programs, monitor activities, and investigate potential violations, ensuring the organization operates ethically and within legal boundaries.

Project Manager

SOC 11-9199

You've been managing complex operations involving multiple stakeholders. As a Project Manager, you'll leverage your organizational and leadership skills to plan, execute, and monitor projects, ensuring they are completed on time, within budget, and to the required standards.

Management Consultant

SOC 13-1111

You've been providing guidance and recommendations to senior leaders on a wide range of issues. As a Management Consultant, you'll use your analytical and problem-solving skills to help organizations improve their performance by identifying problems, developing solutions, and implementing changes.

Business Development Manager

SOC 11-2011

You've been developing and executing plans for SIGINT/EW operations. As a Business Development Manager, you'll use your strategic thinking and relationship-building skills to identify new business opportunities, develop partnerships, and drive revenue growth for the company.

Training & Education Equivalencies

35Z Transition Course, Fort Huachuca

80 training hours2 weeks3 semester hours in lower-division leadership and management

Topics Covered

  • SIGINT/EW Operations Management
  • Military Intelligence Training Program (MITP) Management
  • Resource Management
  • NCO Leadership and Counseling
  • Military Decision Making Process (MDMP) for Senior Leaders
  • Command Supply Discipline Program (CSDP)

Certification Pathways

Partial Coverage

SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP)60% covered

Requires study of civilian HR laws, employee relations, and talent acquisition best practices. Focus on the SHRM Body of Competency and Knowledge (BoCK).

Project Management Professional (PMP)40% covered

Requires study of project management methodologies (Agile, Waterfall), the PMBOK guide, and formal project management processes. Focus on stakeholder management and risk management.

Recommended Next Certifications

Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)CompTIA Security+Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)

Technical Systems Translation

Military systems you've used and their civilian equivalents for your resume.

Military SystemCivilian Equivalent
Distributed Common Ground System-Army (DCGS-A)Palantir, Analyst's Notebook
Prophet EnhancedSpectrum Analyzers, RF Monitoring Software
Tactical Electronic Warfare System (TEWS)Jamming systems, RF signal analysis tools
Electronic Warfare Planning and Management Tool (EWPMT)RF planning and spectrum management software
Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System (JWICS)Secure government or enterprise communications networks
Trojan SPIRIT IISatellite communication systems, VSAT
All Source Analysis System (ASAS)Data analytics platforms, threat intelligence platforms

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