Tales from the Real World – Helping veterans transition into IT and Learn Azure
In this Tales from the Real World episode, Chris talks with Dr. Keith McNally — a Marine Corps veteran turned college professor — about the Microsoft Software and Systems Academy (MSSA), a programme that has helped hundreds of transitioning military members gain Azure cloud skills and find employment in the IT industry.
What’s covered
- The programme — how Microsoft and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University partnered to address 500,000 unfilled IT jobs in the US annually, running cohorts across 13–14 military bases from Virginia to Hawaii
- Who it serves — why military veterans face a unique and stressful transition cliff when leaving a highly structured environment for the civilian workforce
- Project-based learning (PBL) — how cohorts build real Azure solutions (including IoT Hub projects with robots and sensors) rather than studying in the abstract
- Teaching people to think — the hardest shift for many veterans: moving from following a manual to reasoning about what-if scenarios, making recommendations, and briefing management
- Soft skills — resume writing, LinkedIn networking, communicating technical knowledge, presenting to senior stakeholders; skills civilians take for granted
- Azure curriculum — Windows Server, Azure cloud foundations, and hands-on IoT/cloud projects that produce a tangible portfolio
- Learning lessons for everyone — the classroom as a safe space to fail, the importance of being open-minded, and why transitioning careers (military background or not) requires the same mindset shift
A deeply human episode about technology, learning, community, and making career change achievable for those who’ve served.
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