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Free Field Manuals

Guides for every step of the route.

Original playbooks written by VCN coaches and operators. No lead-gen wall, no recycled listicles — just what we actually tell people on calls.

Mentorship Playbook

How to Leverage Mentors: A Veteran's Field Manual

How to find the right mentor, run a 30-minute call that actually moves the needle, and turn a warm intro into a job offer.

14 min · Updated 2026Read the guide

Transition Guide

Military to Civilian: The 18-Month Transition Blueprint

SkillBridge, TAP, MOS translation, benefits stacking, and the milestones that separate a smooth landing from a hard one.

18 min · Updated 2026Read the guide

Federal Resume

The Federal Resume Guide: Writing a Real 2-Page (and 5-Page) Federal Resume

USAJOBS, KSAs, GS grade targeting, veterans' preference, and the difference between a 2-page executive federal resume and a 5-page GS resume.

16 min · Updated 2026Read the guide

Civilian Resume & LinkedIn

The Civilian Resume + LinkedIn Playbook

One-page civilian resume, ATS-friendly formatting, LinkedIn that gets recruiter inbound, and how to interview once the phone starts ringing.

12 min · Updated 2026Read the guide

Military Spouse Careers

The Military Spouse Career Guide: Building a Career That Survives PCS

MSEP employers, remote-first industries, license portability, MyCAA, and the career strategies that hold up across every PCS.

13 min · Updated 2026Read the guide

Resource Vault

The Veteran & Spouse Resource Vault

Curated free upskilling, mental-health, financial, and hiring resources across the veteran and military-spouse ecosystem.

10 min · Updated 2026Read the guide

SkillBridge

DOD SkillBridge: The Complete Veteran's Guide

How SkillBridge actually works, who qualifies, how to apply, and how to turn a 180-day internship into a full-time civilian offer before you ETS.

16 min · Updated 2026Read the guide

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These guides are living documents. If there's a specific transition, role, or program you need a field manual for — email us or drop it in the community forum and we'll add it to the queue.

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