Recreation Director
$68KHigh match
Stable demand
Skills to develop
- — Budget Management
- — Fundraising
- — Program Development
Live · Guide v1.09913 · Career GuideValidated · Lightcast Labor DataUpdated · Q2 20262027 Cohort · Applications Open
USMC · 9913Career Guide · Operations · VWC.CG.9913.R.04
9913 · USMC · EnlistedSpecial Services
Special Services
Officer.
Marine Corps 9913 (Special Services Officer). 80 hours of formal training translate to 5 validated civilian career pathways with salary bands of $55K–$80K. Sourced from DoD training data and Lightcast labor signals.
Training hours80DoD pipeline
ACE creditACEUp to 2 semester hours recommended in Recreation Management (estimated)
Tech roles3mapped to your code
Civilian pathways5validated
Cert coverage2/5direct + partial
This career guide was generated using AI analysis of military job code data. Salary figures, certification coverage percentages, and career matches are estimates — verify with official sources before making career decisions.
/ 01 · Tech Roles
Roles your code maps to.
Industry tech roles your 9913 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 9913 training already gave you, and the specific gaps to close — not a generic checklist.
Already have15
- 01MWR Program Management→ Project management methodologies and software (e.g., Jira, Asana)
- 02Recreation Fund Management→ Budgeting and financial planning in a business context
- 03Special Events Planning and Execution→ Event coordination and logistics
- 04Resource Allocation→ Resource optimization in a business setting
- 05Liaison with Military and Civilian Communities→ Stakeholder management and communication
- 06Risk Management and Safety in Recreational Activities→ Risk assessment and mitigation strategies
- 07MCCS Enterprise System→ CRM and POS systems understanding
- 08Defense Travel System (DTS)→ Travel and expense management software
- 09SharePoint (Marine Corps Enterprise Network)→ Cloud-based collaboration platforms
- 10Government Purchase Card (GPC) Program→ Corporate credit card programs and expense tracking software
- 11Automated Business Service System (ABSS)→ Financial accounting software
- 12Recreational Management Information System (RMIS)→ Recreation management software systems
- 13Team Synchronization→ Project coordination
- 14Situational Awareness→ Stakeholder needs analysis
- 15Rapid Prioritization→ Resource allocation
To learn08
The concrete gap to bridge — specific to the roles above, not a generic checklist.
+Agile methodologies and Scrum framework+Project management software (e.g., Jira, Asana)+SQL for data querying and manipulation+Data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI)+Statistical analysis and data mining techniques+Business process modeling and analysis+IT infrastructure and systems architecture+Cybersecurity fundamentals
How VWC fits
Vets Who Code is a free, remote-first 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.
Event Planner
$62KGood match
Growing demand
Skills to develop
- — Event Management Software (e.g., Cvent)
- — Negotiation
- — Marketing
Community Outreach Coordinator
$55KGood match
High demand
Skills to develop
- — Grant Writing
- — Public Speaking
- — Community Organizing
Athletic Director
$75KModerate match
Stable demand
Skills to develop
- — Sports Management Principles
- — Coaching Certifications
- — Facility Management
Corporate Wellness Program Manager
$80KModerate match
Growing demand
Skills to develop
- — Wellness Program Design
- — Health Coaching Certification
- — Data Analysis
/ 04 · Hidden Strengths
What the code built.
Cognitive skills your 9913 training built — and where they transfer in civilian work.
Resource Optimization
As a Special Services Officer, you managed recreation funds and allocated resources across various programs to maximize participation and satisfaction within budgetary constraints.
Transfers to
This experience translates to efficiently managing budgets, allocating resources effectively, and making strategic decisions to achieve organizational goals in a civilian context.
Team Synchronization
You coordinated special services activities with various teams, ensuring smooth execution of events and programs for the command.
Transfers to
This demonstrates your ability to work collaboratively, coordinate efforts, and ensure seamless execution of projects, which is valuable in any team-oriented civilian role.
Situational Awareness
You advised the commander on special services programs, requiring a deep understanding of the needs and interests of the personnel and the command's overall objectives.
Transfers to
This translates to keen observation, the ability to understand and anticipate the needs of stakeholders, and the ability to align activities with broader organizational goals.
Rapid Prioritization
Faced with numerous recreation activities and limited resources, you consistently had to quickly assess the importance and impact of different programs to allocate time and funding effectively.
Transfers to
In a fast-paced civilian environment, your ability to quickly determine what matters most and allocate resources accordingly makes you highly effective at meeting deadlines and maximizing impact.
/ 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.
Event Marketing Manager
SOC 11-2011.00You've been planning and executing engaging events for service members; now you can leverage that experience to create memorable marketing events for brands. Your ability to manage budgets and coordinate logistics directly translates to this role.
Adjacent · MatchCommunity Relations Manager
SOC 11-2011.00You've been the face of morale and recreation for the command, building relationships and connecting with people. That experience positions you perfectly to foster positive community relationships for a corporation or non-profit.
Adjacent · MatchEmployee Engagement Specialist
SOC 11-3111.00You've spent your time improving the lives of service members through recreation and morale programs. This makes you ready to improve employee satisfaction and engagement in a company setting.
Adjacent · Match/ 06 · Training & Certs
What you trained on.
Academy
Marine Corps Special Services Officer Course
Marine Corps Base Quantico, VA80hHours
2wkWeeks
ACECredit
Up to 2 semester hours recommended in Recreation Management (estimated)
Topics · 6
- Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) Program Management
- Recreation Fund Management
- Special Events Planning and Execution
- Resource Allocation and Budgeting for MWR Programs
- Liaison with Military and Civilian Communities
- Risk Management and Safety in Recreational Activities
Partial coverage · 2
- Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP)60%
Requires knowledge of park and recreation management principles, program planning, and facility operations specific to civilian park and recreation settings. Study the NRPA's Certified Park and Recreation Professional Study Guide.
- Certified Meeting Professional (CMP)40%
CMP requires deep knowledge of event planning, budgeting, marketing, and logistics, particularly in a civilian conference/meeting context. Requires significant study of the CMP International Standards manual and practice exams.
Recommended next · 03
- SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP)Adjacent
- Project Management Professional (PMP)Adjacent
- Certified Hospitality Professional (CHP)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 |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS) Enterprise System | Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Point of Sale (POS) systems like Salesforce or retail management software | Networking |
| Defense Travel System (DTS) | Travel and expense management software like Concur or Expensify | Operations |
| SharePoint (Marine Corps Enterprise Network) | Cloud-based collaboration platforms like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace | Networking |
| Government Purchase Card (GPC) Program | Corporate credit card programs and expense tracking software | Operations |
| Automated Business Service System (ABSS) | Financial accounting software such as QuickBooks or Xero | Operations |
| Recreational Management Information System (RMIS) | Recreation management software systems like RecTrac or PerfectMind for managing facilities, events, and memberships | Operations |
Cohort 2027 · Intake Open
Ship 9913 into a software engineering career.
The pathways above are the destination. Vets Who Code is the route: a free, remote-first software engineering accelerator for active duty, veterans, and military spouses. 17 weeks at 20–30 hours a week, and a body of work that ships.