Quick q for you CTI's (former or current). Was wondering what job placement was like after serving as CTI? Furthermore, what would be an equivalent to a CTI in the civilian sector... and whats that pay like?
do a search on these boards..you will find that there isn't much in the outside world for CTIs. the CLEARANCE is what gets you a job, not the language training.
Mrsjvb is correct...there is no civilian equivalent job to being a CTI; remember CTIs are NOT analogous to translators/interpreters in the civilian world. The closest job in the military would be the army interrogator MOS, and even that is not a direct match....and it is not a job set the Navy has or uses.
Baring extraordinary talent, experience, and opportunity, most CTIs never gain the level of fluency in their languages to allow them to work as a translator in the civilian sector...as one of my old NCOs used to say, "remember that there are ALWAYS immigrants and second generation folks who grew up speaking a second language around the house who will speak more fluently than you ever will AND will be willing to work for less money."
I have hired or helped find jobs for a number of former CTIs; it is the clearance that gets them the job, and the vast majority of former CTIs never use their language professionally again once they leave the military. Most of the demand in the intelligence field is for 1) Native proficiency Linguists (which most CTIs are not) or 2) for all-source or imagery analysts (which is the IS rate, not the CTI rate).
A typical one-term former CTI with no college degree could probably expect to start as a contract intelligence analyst at roughly $50-60k, depending on the location, and how much analytical experience they have. You can make much more IF you were an arabic linguist (with exceptionally high proficiency) and are willing to go to Iraq and work 180+ hours per week. If you were an Asian linguist or are not interested in going to Iraq, but still want to keep using your language.....your job prospects are very, very limited, and jobs for your language may not even exist. If they do exist, you will probably be very, very limited as to potential work locations (Baltimore or DC).
Without a clearance, a former CTI really has nothing marketable other than their military experience...unless they can combine their language with additional outside education..IE going back to school and getting a degree in international business, for example.
Be a CTI for the experience of learning a foreign language and learning about another culture...just don't count on your language ability being your ticket to future employment.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: XSquidling,
Federal employment is available for good Navy linguists, including: State, DIA, NSA, ONI. Most former CTIs I know have made excellent careers outside of the service.
But, their strength lies in their analytical skill. People who have the experience and intrinsic ability to analyze issues and resolve them are not easily available in this world. Those who do, such as good former Direct Support linguists, have an enormous and exploitable advantage.
As for me, I tired of running after clearance jobs. Companies were eager to hire because of the clearance, but their eagerness fell of measurably as my tenure inched ever so closely toward the magical update window. So, I left that (and Washington DC) behind and now work in technical writing. Still use my systems analysis experience daily, too.
