7117 Career Guide
7117: Deck and Navigation Officer
Career transition guide for Navy Deck and Navigation Officer (7117)
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Real industry tech roles your 7117 background maps to — picked from BLS-anchored occupations using your training, cognitive skills, and systems experience.
Data Analyst
Data
Your experience in navigation and piloting, coupled with system modeling skills, provides a strong foundation for analyzing complex datasets. Your familiarity with systems like the Integrated Bridge System (IBS) and Voyage Management System (VMS) translates to an aptitude for understanding and interpreting data from various sources. As a data analyst, you'll use tools like SQL, Python (pandas), and Tableau to extract insights and support decision-making.
Typical stack:
Computer Systems Analyst
Customer / Field
As a Deck and Navigation Officer, you planned, supervised, and directed the activities of deck and navigation personnel. You also assisted in organizing, scheduling, and supervising seamanship and navigation exercises and drills. Your expertise with Integrated Bridge Systems (IBS) and Voyage Management Systems (VMS) are an excellent foundation. To become a Computer Systems Analyst, focus on learning database management, data modeling, and systems integration.
Typical stack:
Technical Program Manager
Product
Your experience in planning, supervising, and directing activities, along with your leadership skills honed through naval leadership training, provide a solid foundation for technical program management. Your ability to coordinate personnel, manage resources, and maintain situational awareness translates well to overseeing complex technical projects. Learn Agile methodologies and project management tools like Jira and Confluence to excel in this role.
Typical stack:
Skills You Already Have
Concrete bridges from 7117 experience to tech-industry practice.
- Situational Awareness→ Quick assessment of complex situations and risk identification.
- Rapid Prioritization→ Efficiently triaging urgent matters and resource allocation.
- Team Synchronization→ Fostering collaboration and effective communication across teams.
- System Modeling→ Analyzing complex systems and predicting outcomes based on variables.
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 7117 veterans, with average salary and market demand data.
Ship Captain
Marine Surveyor
Skills to develop:
Port Operations Manager
Skills to develop:
Maritime Academy Instructor
Skills to develop:
Naval Architect
Skills to develop:
Salary estimates from VWC career data
Hidden Strengths
Cognitive skills your 7117 training built — and where they transfer.
Situational Awareness
As a Navigation Officer, you constantly maintained a 360-degree understanding of your ship's position, potential hazards, and the surrounding environment, adapting plans on the fly.
This translates to an innate ability to quickly assess complex situations, identify potential risks, and make informed decisions under pressure in dynamic environments.
Rapid Prioritization
In emergencies or during critical maneuvers, you were responsible for quickly assessing competing demands and prioritizing actions to ensure the safety of the ship and crew.
This means you excel at triaging urgent matters, allocating resources efficiently, and maintaining composure when facing multiple high-pressure tasks simultaneously.
Team Synchronization
You coordinated the activities of deck and navigation personnel, ensuring seamless execution of complex maneuvers and navigational tasks.
This demonstrates your capability to foster collaboration, communicate effectively, and synchronize efforts across diverse teams to achieve common goals.
System Modeling
You developed a deep understanding of the ship's operational systems and how they interacted, enabling you to anticipate potential problems and optimize performance.
This skill reflects your ability to analyze and understand complex systems, identify key variables, and predict outcomes based on different inputs or scenarios.
Non-Obvious Career Matches
Logistics Manager
SOC 11-3071.00You've been orchestrating complex operations involving personnel, equipment, and precise timing in a constantly changing environment. This makes you exceptionally well-suited to manage the flow of goods, resources, and information in a fast-paced logistics setting. Your ability to anticipate potential disruptions and adapt plans swiftly will be a major asset.
Emergency Management Director
SOC 11-9161.00You've been trained to calmly assess crises, develop response plans, and coordinate teams in high-stakes environments. You can leverage your experience in navigation to understand the movement of people and resources during emergency evacuations, as well as your experience in operating under pressure to ensure the safety of others during times of crisis. This translates perfectly to emergency management, where clear thinking and decisive action are paramount.
Air Traffic Controller
SOC 53-2021.00You've been maintaining situational awareness, prioritizing tasks, and making quick decisions in a dynamic, high-pressure environment. Your proven ability to remain calm under pressure, maintain focus, and coordinate with other team members will make you a highly effective air traffic controller.
Training & Education Equivalencies
Surface Warfare Officer School (SWOS), Newport, RI
Topics Covered
- •Navigation and Piloting
- •Shiphandling and Maneuvering
- •Watchstanding Procedures
- •Maritime Law
- •Damage Control
- •Seamanship
- •Naval Leadership
Certification Pathways
Partial Coverage
Requires additional knowledge in land surveying principles, data collection and processing techniques, and legal aspects of boundary surveying. Study specific CST exam topics.
Needs formal training in project management methodologies (PMBOK), risk management, and stakeholder communication. Requires documented project management experience.
Recommended Next Certifications
Technical Systems Translation
Military systems you've used and their civilian equivalents for your resume.
| Military System | Civilian Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Integrated Bridge System (IBS) | Integrated marine navigation systems (e.g., Transas, Kongsberg) |
| Voyage Management System (VMS) | Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) software (e.g., NaviSailor, Rose Point ECS) |
| Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) | Commercial maritime communication systems (e.g., satellite communication systems from companies like Inmarsat and Iridium) |
| AN/SPS-73 Surface Search Radar | Commercial marine radar systems (e.g., Furuno, Raymarine) |
| Precise Lightweight GPS Receiver (PLGR) | High-precision GPS receivers and navigation apps for maritime use |
| Stabilized Automatic Direction Finder (ADF) | Radio direction finders used in commercial shipping and aviation for navigation and search/rescue |
| NAVSSI - Navigation Sensor System Interface | NMEA data multiplexers and distribution systems used in recreational and commercial marine applications |
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