1110 Career Guide
1110: Surface Warfare Officer
Career transition guide for Navy Surface Warfare Officer (1110)
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Real industry tech roles your 1110 background maps to — picked from BLS-anchored occupations using your training, cognitive skills, and systems experience.
Technical Program Manager
Product
Your experience in shipboard management, resource allocation, and leading teams translates directly to technical program management. Your experience with systems like the Aegis Combat System and Navy ERP demonstrates familiarity with complex systems. You are also experienced in budget management and contract administration.
Typical stack:
DevOps Engineer
DevOps / Platform
Surface Warfare Officers are exposed to various systems (NTDS, GCCS-M) requiring constant uptime and updates. Your damage control training combined with shipboard engineering experience gives you a foundation for understanding system reliability and infrastructure management, which are key aspects of DevOps. Experience with satellite communication systems (AN/WSC-3(V)) also builds a base in networking.
Typical stack:
Security Engineer
Security
Experience with Naval Weapons Systems and Anti-Surface Warfare Tactics provides a solid foundation in understanding potential threats and vulnerabilities. Situational awareness and rapid prioritization skills are directly applicable to security incident response. Familiarity with military-grade communication systems can be leveraged into understanding network security principles.
Typical stack:
Computer Systems Analyst
Customer / Field
Your experience managing complex shipboard systems, coupled with your aptitude for identifying requirements and optimizing resource allocation, makes you a solid candidate for a Computer Systems Analyst role. Your resource optimization skills in budgeting for equipment translate to civilian business practices. Experience with Navy ERP is directly applicable.
Typical stack:
Skills You Already Have
Concrete bridges from 1110 experience to tech-industry practice.
- Leadership and Team Management→ Team leadership, project management, Agile methodologies
- Situational Awareness and Rapid Prioritization→ Incident response, risk management, real-time decision making
- Resource Optimization→ Budget management, cost analysis, efficiency improvements
- Experience with Naval Tactical Data System (NTDS)→ Data processing and display, command and control systems
- Experience with Navy Enterprise Resource Planning (Navy ERP)→ ERP systems (SAP, Oracle), financial and supply chain management
Skills to Learn
The concrete gap to bridge — specific to the roles above, not generic.
How VWC fits
Vets Who Code accelerates the parts we teach — software engineering fundamentals, web development, AI tooling. For everything else above, the path is doable independently with the resources we link to.
See VWC ProgramsCivilian Career Pathways
Top civilian roles for 1110 veterans, with average salary and market demand data.
Project Manager
Skills to develop:
Logistics Manager
Skills to develop:
Facilities Manager
Skills to develop:
Management Consultant
Skills to develop:
Emergency Management Director
Skills to develop:
Salary estimates from VWC career data
Hidden Strengths
Cognitive skills your 1110 training built — and where they transfer.
Situational Awareness
Surface Warfare Officers constantly monitor and interpret complex environmental factors, including ship position, weather, potential threats, and team readiness, to make informed decisions in dynamic situations.
The ability to perceive and understand the surrounding environment, anticipate potential problems, and make proactive decisions based on evolving information is highly valuable in fast-paced and high-stakes civilian environments.
Rapid Prioritization
In emergency situations such as damage control or combat scenarios, Surface Warfare Officers must quickly assess the situation, prioritize tasks, and delegate responsibilities to maintain operational effectiveness.
The capacity to swiftly evaluate competing priorities, make critical decisions under pressure, and allocate resources effectively is essential for managing crises and driving efficiency in civilian organizations.
Resource Optimization
Surface Warfare Officers are responsible for managing shipboard resources, including personnel, supplies, and equipment, to maximize operational readiness and mission success within budgetary constraints.
The ability to allocate and manage resources efficiently, identify cost-saving opportunities, and improve operational performance is highly sought after in civilian business and project management roles.
Team Synchronization
Leading shipboard teams requires Surface Warfare Officers to coordinate diverse specialties and skillsets, ensuring that everyone works together seamlessly toward common objectives.
The aptitude to build cohesive teams, foster collaboration, and synchronize individual efforts to achieve shared goals is invaluable in civilian leadership and project management positions.
Non-Obvious Career Matches
Emergency Management Director
SOC 11-9161.00You've been trained to maintain situational awareness in high-stress environments, rapidly prioritize tasks during crises, and effectively coordinate diverse teams to mitigate risks. Your experience managing shipboard emergencies directly translates to developing and implementing emergency response plans for communities or organizations.
Logistics Manager
SOC 11-3071.00You've honed your resource optimization skills by managing complex shipboard logistics, including personnel, supplies, and equipment. Your ability to streamline processes, reduce costs, and ensure efficient delivery of goods and services will make you a highly effective logistics manager in a variety of industries.
Hospital Administrator
SOC 11-9111.00You've gained invaluable experience in maintaining operational readiness and managing complex environments, comparable to overseeing a hospital's diverse functions. Your skills in rapid prioritization, resource management, and team synchronization are highly relevant to ensuring efficient and effective healthcare delivery.
Training & Education Equivalencies
Surface Warfare Officer School (SWOS), Newport, RI
Topics Covered
- •Shipboard Engineering
- •Navigation and Seamanship
- •Naval Weapons Systems
- •Damage Control
- •Leadership and Team Management
- •Maritime Law
- •Anti-Surface Warfare Tactics
Certification Pathways
Partial Coverage
Formal project management methodologies, detailed project lifecycle knowledge, and specific PMI terminology.
Specific OSHA regulations, industry-specific safety standards, and record-keeping requirements.
In-depth knowledge of management principles, human resource management practices, and financial management concepts.
Recommended Next Certifications
Technical Systems Translation
Military systems you've used and their civilian equivalents for your resume.
| Military System | Civilian Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Aegis Combat System | Integrated defense systems with radar, missile control, and threat assessment capabilities. |
| Naval Tactical Data System (NTDS) | Real-time data processing and display systems for command and control. |
| Global Command and Control System - Maritime (GCCS-M) | Maritime domain awareness and command & control software. |
| Shipboard Air Traffic Radar Control Systems (SPN-43, SPN-46) | Commercial air traffic control radar and systems. |
| AN/WSC-3(V) Satellite Communications Set (Whiskey-3) | Military-grade satellite communication terminals (SATCOM). |
| Defense Travel System (DTS) | Commercial travel booking and expense management software (e.g., Concur, Expensify). |
| Navy Enterprise Resource Planning (Navy ERP) | SAP ERP for financials, supply chain management, and HR. |
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