Leader
Leader
Description
The Marine Corps has a long, rich heritage of developing leaders to assume progressively greater responsibilities in the Marine Corps and in society. Marine Corps leadership development focuses on character, competence and the internalization of our Core Values. Marine Corps leaders are developed through tough, realistic training, experience, and by the personal example of leaders who embody what it means to be a Marine.
Lejeune Leadership Institute - Marine Corps Leadership Development
The most important responsibility in our Corps is leading Marines. If we expect Marines to lead and if we expect Marines to follow, we must provide the education of the heart and of the mind to win on the battlefield and in the barracks, in war and in peace. Traditionally, that education has taken many forms, often handed down from Marine to Marine, by word of mouth and by example…
The indispensable condition of Marine Corps leadership is action and attitude, not words. As one Marine leader said, "Don't tell me how good you are. Show me!"
MCWP 6-11, Leading Marines

National Certifications
You selected Early Career—this applies to Marines in paygrades E1-E3. To help you focus on the credentials most appropriate for early in your career, the National Certifications list below has been filtered to only show COOL-funded certifications that are related to Most or Some of the skills and training gained in your MOS. You can customize your search by clicking Select Filters at the top left of the credentials table or by using the keyword search at the top right of the table.
Obtaining credentials related to your MOS helps improve your professionalism and help prepare you for civilian employment when you do transition out.
Once you have found a credential you want to pursue and are eligible for, you can apply for a voucher for COOL funding to pay for the exam. Make sure to check to see that you meet the eligibility requirements for a voucher before you apply.
You selected Mid-Career—this applies to Marines in paygrades E4-E5. To help you focus on credentials most applicable to this phase in your career, the certification list has been filtered to only show COOL-funded certifications that are related to Most or Some of the skills and training gained in your MOS. You can customize your search by clicking Select Filters at the top left of the credentials table or by using the keyword search at the top right of the table.
Obtaining credentials related to your MOS helps improve your professionalism and helps prepare you for civilian employment when you do transition out.
Once you have found a credential you want to pursue and are eligible for, you can apply for a voucher for COOL funding to pay for the exam. Make sure to check to see that you meet the eligibility requirements for a voucher before you apply. The Marine Corps will not pay for exams if you have less than six months of service left so you'll want to plan accordingly.
You selected Late Career-- this applies to Marines in paygrades E6-E9. To help you focus on credentials most applicable to this phase in your career, the certification list has been filtered to only show COOL-funded certifications that are related to Most or Some of the skills and training gained in your MOS. You can customize your search by clicking Select Filters at the top left of the credentials table or by using the keyword search at the top right of the table.
Obtaining credentials related to your MOS helps improve your professionalism and help prepare you for civilian employment when you do transition out.
Once you have found a credential you want to pursue and are eligible for, you can apply for a voucher for COOL funding to pay for the exam. Make sure to check to see that you meet the eligibility requirements for a voucher before you apply. The Marine Corps will not pay for exams if you have less than six months of service left so you'll want to plan accordingly.
You chose Transitioning-- this applies to Marines who are not reenlisting and are planning their next steps. To help you focus on the most applicable credentials, the certification list has been filtered to only show in-demand credentials that are GI Bill approved. You can customize your search by clicking Select Filters at the top left of the credentials table or by using the keyword search at the top right of the table.
Obtaining a credential can help prepare you for civilian employment, and can demonstrate knowledge and skills in a way civilian employers understand. The Marine Corps will not pay for exams if you have less than six months of service left so you'll want to plan accordingly. If you are already within that six-month timeframe, you can still choose to pursue the credential yourself or explore other funding options to pay for credentials.
As a transitioning Marine, you may also want to visit the Marine Corps' Transition Readiness Program for other guidance regarding reentering the civilian workforce.
You chose Promotion-Seeking-- this applies to Marines who plan to stay in the Corps and who are actively working on advancement. To help you focus on the most applicable credentials, the certification list has been filtered to only show COOL-funded certifications that are related to Most or Some of the skills and training gained in your MOS. You can customize your search by clicking Select Filters at the top left of the credentials table or by using the keyword search at the top right of the table.
Obtaining credentials related to your rating helps improve your professionalism and help prepare you for civilian employment when you do transition out.
Once you have found a credential you want to pursue and are eligible for, you can apply for a voucher for COOL funding to pay for the exam. Make sure to check to see that you meet the eligibility requirements for a voucher before you apply. The Marine Corps will not pay for exams if you have less than six months of service left so you'll want to plan accordingly.
You chose Veteran-- veterans are any former Service member who has been discharged from active duty military service. To help you focus on the most applicable credentials, the certification list has been filtered to show in-demand credentials that are GI Bill approved. You can customize your search by clicking Select Filters at the top left of the credentials table or by using the keyword search at the top right of the table.
COOL does not pay for credentialing exams for veterans, but you may be able to get your credential funded through the GI Bill. Explore your funding options to see what funding may be available to you. Also, visit our page of Related Sites and expand the Resource Sites For Veterans section to see what other resources may be available to you
The following civilian credentials are related to Leader. These credentials may require additional education, training or experience. For more information about these credentials, click on the credential title below.
For more supervisory and managerial credentials, please refer to the LEADER summary page. For more credentials specific to your primary duties, please refer to your MOS page.Note: Please review that apply to the certifications listed below.
Marine Corps Credential Requirements
Note: Must have served as an Instructor to be eligible for the CompTIA CTT+ certification.
Compare | Credential | Agency | Related As | Attainability | COOL$ | GI Bill® | Accreditation | ID | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CompTIA Certified Technical Trainer (CTT+) Is Not In Demand | Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||||
CompTIA Project+
![]() |
Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||||
Quality Auditor Certification (CQA)
![]() |
American Society for Quality (ASQ) | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||||
Certified Quality Engineer (CQE)
![]() |
American Society for Quality (ASQ) | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|||
Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE)
![]() |
American Society for Quality (ASQ) | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||||
Certified Reliability Engineer (CRE)
![]() |
American Society for Quality (ASQ) | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||||
Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB) Is Not In Demand | American Society for Quality (ASQ) | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|||
Certified Manager (CM)
![]() |
Institute of Certified Professional Managers (ICPM) | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||||
Certified Management Consultant - Basic Is Not In Demand | Institute of Management Consultants (IMC) | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|||||
Project Management Professional (PMP)
![]() |
Project Management Institute (PMI) | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|||
Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
![]() |
Project Management Institute (PMI) | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||||
Program Management Professional (PgMP)
![]() |
Project Management Institute (PMI) | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||||
PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP) Is Not In Demand | Project Management Institute (PMI) | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||||
PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP) Is Not In Demand | Project Management Institute (PMI) | ![]() |
![]() |
||||||
Master Black Belt Certification (MBB)
![]() |
American Society for Quality (ASQ) | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|||||
Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (ICBB)
![]() |
International Association for Six Sigma Certification (IASSC) | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|||||
Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (ICGB)
![]() |
International Association for Six Sigma Certification (IASSC) | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|||||
Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) Is Not In Demand | International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) | ![]() |
![]() |
||||||
Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP) Is Not In Demand | Project Management Institute (PMI) | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|||||
PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)
![]() |
Project Management Institute (PMI) | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|||||
PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA) Is Not In Demand | Project Management Institute (PMI) | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|||||
Certified Management Consultant - Experienced Is Not In Demand | Institute of Management Consultants (IMC) | ![]() |
|||||||
Certified Management Consultant - Management Is Not In Demand | Institute of Management Consultants (IMC) | ![]() |
|||||||
Certified Change Management Professional (CCMP) Is Not In Demand | Association of Change Management Professionals (ACMP) | ![]() |
|||||||
Certified Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt (ICYB) Is Not In Demand | International Association for Six Sigma Certification (IASSC) | ![]() |
|||||||
Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS): Microsoft Office 2013 Is Not In Demand | Microsoft Corporation | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||||
Resilience-Building Leadership Professional (RBLP) Is Not In Demand | Resilience-Building Leader Program | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|||||
Resilience-Building Leadership Professional Coach (RBLP-C) Is Not In Demand | Resilience-Building Leader Program | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|||||
Resilience-Building Leadership Professional Trainer (RBLP-T) Is Not In Demand | Resilience-Building Leader Program | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|||||
Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS): Associate (Office 365 and Office 2019) Is Not In Demand | Microsoft Corporation | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|||||
Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS): Excel Associate (Excel and Excel 2019) Is Not In Demand | Microsoft Corporation | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|||||
Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS): Microsoft Excel 2016 Is Not In Demand | Microsoft Corporation | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||||
Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS): Microsoft Excel 2016 Expert Is Not In Demand | Microsoft Corporation | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||||
Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS): Microsoft Excel Expert (Excel and Excel 2019) Is Not In Demand | Microsoft Corporation | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|||||
Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS): Microsoft Access 2016 Is Not In Demand | Microsoft Corporation | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||||
Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS): Microsoft Outlook 2016 Is Not In Demand | Microsoft Corporation | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||||
Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS): Microsoft PowerPoint 2016 Is Not In Demand | Microsoft Corporation | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||||
Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS): Microsoft Word 2016 Is Not In Demand | Microsoft Corporation | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||||
Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS): Microsoft Word 2016 Expert Is Not In Demand | Microsoft Corporation | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||||
Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS): Microsoft Word Associate (Word and Word 2019) Is Not In Demand | Microsoft Corporation | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|||||
Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS): Microsoft Word Expert (Word and Word 2019) Is Not In Demand | Microsoft Corporation | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|||||
Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS): PowerPoint Associate (PowerPoint and PowerPoint 2019) Is Not In Demand | Microsoft Corporation | ![]() |
![]() |
||||||
Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS): Outlook Associate (Outlook and Outlook 2019) Is Not In Demand | Microsoft Corporation | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|||||
Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS): Microsoft Access Expert (Access and Access 2019) Is Not In Demand | Microsoft Corporation | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
State Licenses
Some states have specific licensing requirements for the following related civilian occupations. These state licenses may require additional education, training or experience. Click on the occupation below to get more information on state requirements from the U.S. Department of Labor. For more occupations specific to your primary duties, please refer to your MOS page.
Apprenticeship
The United Services Military Apprenticeship Program (USMAP) is a formal military training program that provides active duty and Full Time Support (FTS) Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Service members the opportunity to improve their job skills and to complete their civilian apprenticeship requirements while they are on active duty. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) provides the nationally recognized "Certificate of Completion" upon program completion.
USMAP enhances your job skills and shows your motivation for more challenging military assignments. Having a DOL Certificate of Completion is an advantage in getting better civilian jobs since employers know the value of apprenticeships.
The following USMAP apprenticeship trades are related to Leader:
Completing an apprenticeship is a process with four major steps. Proceed to Step 1 on the USMAP website to select an apprenticeship trade that is related to your military occupation.
Related Civilian Occupations
The following civilian occupations are similar to the duties performed by Leader. These occupations may require additional education, training or experience. For more information about these occupations, click on the civilian occupation below. For more occupations specific to your primary duties, please refer to your MOS page. To search for related civilian job opportunities, go to the Veteran’s Employment Center.
Civilian Job | Duties Matched | Bright Outlook | Registered Apprenticeship | Local Salary Info | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Administrative Services Managers |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||
Chief Executives |
![]() |
![]() |
|||
Compliance Managers |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||
General and Operations Managers |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|
Industrial Production Managers |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||
Management Analysts |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|
Quality Control Systems Managers |
![]() |
![]() |
|||
Regulatory Affairs Managers |
![]() |
![]() |
|||
Social and Community Service Managers |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Continuing Education
In addition to obtaining certifications in your field, advanced education is another way to enhance job performance.
For help in making informed choices on schools and education programs when using tuition assistance, see: