How JobRecon Works
Transparent, evidence-based career translation powered by AI and federal data sources
How Career Matching Works
JobRecon translates military occupations to civilian careers using a multi-step process:
1. Military Crosswalk Foundation
We start with 77,989 official crosswalk records from the Department of Defense Military Crosswalk (DMDC) and O*NET. These records map Military Occupational Codes (MOCs) from all service branches to Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes used in the civilian workforce.
2. AI Semantic Matching
Using Claude (Anthropic), we analyze 61,343 occupation embeddings to find careers that match not just by classification code, but by actual skills, knowledge, and work activities. Each recommendation includes:
- Confidence score (0-100%)
- Detailed reasoning explaining the match
- Skills alignment analysis
- Certification pathway recommendations
3. Career Clustering
Occupations are organized into 28 career clusters (e.g., Information Technology, Healthcare, Protective Services) to help you explore related fields beyond your exact military specialty.
4. Match Confidence Calculation
Our confidence scores reflect:
- Skills overlap between military and civilian roles
- Knowledge domain similarity
- Work activity alignment
- Education/training transferability
- Veteran success rates in that occupation (when available)
All recommendations are generated with strict context isolation - we never mix data across different military codes to prevent cross-contamination.
Data Sources
| Source | Records | Coverage | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| O*NET 30.1 | 1,016 occupations | Complete SOC taxonomy | Dec 2025 |
| BLS OEWS Wages | 189,000+ wage records | National + 400 metro areas | May 2024 |
| Census CBP | 49,166 records | 3,142 counties | 2022 data |
| DMDC Military Crosswalks | 77,989 records | All 5 branches | Current |
| AI Career Recommendations | 136,467 records | Claude-generated | Jan 2026 |
| SOC→OPM Federal Mapping | 441 mappings | Federal GS series | Current |
| USAJobs Postings | 7,100+ active | Live federal jobs | Daily refresh (6 AM UTC) |
| Adzuna Job Search API | Live private sector | US & UK markets | Real-time API calls |
| Semantic Embeddings | 61,343 records | All occupations | Dec 2025 |
| Career Similarity Graph | 130,164 pairs | Occupation relationships | Dec 2025 |
O*NET 30.1
Records: 1,016 occupations
Coverage: Complete SOC taxonomy
Updated: Dec 2025
BLS OEWS Wages
Records: 189,000+ wage records
Coverage: National + 400 metro areas
Updated: May 2024
Census CBP
Records: 49,166 records
Coverage: 3,142 counties
Updated: 2022 data
DMDC Military Crosswalks
Records: 77,989 records
Coverage: All 5 branches
Updated: Current
AI Career Recommendations
Records: 136,467 records
Coverage: Claude-generated
Updated: Jan 2026
SOC→OPM Federal Mapping
Records: 441 mappings
Coverage: Federal GS series
Updated: Current
USAJobs Postings
Records: 7,100+ active
Coverage: Live federal jobs
Updated: Daily refresh (6 AM UTC)
Adzuna Job Search API
Records: Live private sector
Coverage: US & UK markets
Updated: Real-time API calls
Semantic Embeddings
Records: 61,343 records
Coverage: All occupations
Updated: Dec 2025
Career Similarity Graph
Records: 130,164 pairs
Coverage: Occupation relationships
Updated: Dec 2025
AI Transparency
Career recommendations are generated by Claude (Anthropic's AI assistant) using:
Input Data:
- Complete O*NET occupation descriptions
- Skills, knowledge, and abilities profiles
- Work activities and context
- Education and training requirements
- Military occupation definitions and specialties
Generation Process:
- Each military code is processed independently to prevent cross-contamination
- AI analyzes semantic similarities beyond simple keyword matching
- Recommendations are ranked by confidence with detailed reasoning
- All outputs are reviewed for accuracy and relevance
What This Means for You:
- AI-generated content is clearly labeled throughout JobRecon
- Recommendations explain why a career matches, not just that it does
- Confidence scores help you prioritize which careers to explore first
- AI suggestions are guidance, not guarantees of placement
Limitations:
- AI may miss niche specializations or emerging roles
- Confidence scores are estimates, not certainties
- Always verify with career counselors and TAP advisors
- Regional job markets may differ from national data
Live Job Search Methodology
How We Find Live Job Openings
JobRecon searches two complementary job markets in real-time:
1. Federal Sector (USAJobs)
- Source: Official USAJOBS API (opm.gov)
- Coverage: All federal government job postings
- Update Frequency: Our database refreshes daily at 6 AM UTC with all active postings
- Real-time Search: When you search, we query our current database snapshot plus the live USAJobs API for the most recent postings
- Unique Features:
- Veteran hiring preference identification
- Military spouse hiring path
- Security clearance requirements
- GS grade and salary transparency
- Application deadlines
2. Private Sector (Adzuna)
- Source: Adzuna Job Search API (adzuna.com)
- Coverage: Aggregates from major job boards including Indeed, LinkedIn, Monster, CareerBuilder, and company career sites
- Update Frequency: Real-time API calls - you see jobs as soon as they're posted to partner sites
- Unique Features:
- Salary prediction for jobs without posted pay
- Top hiring companies by occupation
- Geographic salary distribution
- Job density analysis
How We Combine Them:
When you search for jobs, our job-search-orchestrator Edge Function:
- Translates your military code (MOC) to civilian occupation codes (SOC)
- Maps SOC codes to federal GS series (for USAJobs search)
- Generates search terms for private sector (for Adzuna search)
- Queries both APIs in parallel
- Returns unified results with consistent formatting
Why Two Sources?
- Federal jobs have veteran hiring preferences and stable benefits - critical for military transition
- Private sector often has more openings, faster hiring, and diverse opportunities
- Together they give you the complete picture of available opportunities
Data Freshness:
- Federal: Database updated daily, live API queried on search
- Private: Real-time - reflects current job board postings
- Stale postings removed automatically by source providers
Limitations:
- Private sector jobs may not explicitly state veteran preference (we can't filter like we do for federal)
- Salary data for private jobs may be predicted, not actual
- Not all companies post to job boards (some only hire through recruiters or referrals)
- Job density varies by location - rural areas will show fewer results
Sponsorship Model
Why JobRecon is 100% Free for Veterans
JobRecon is fully funded by employer sponsorships and training program partnerships. You'll never pay to access career translation tools, salary data, or job search features.
How We Make This Sustainable:
1. Sponsored Training Programs
Trade schools, apprenticeship programs, and certification providers sponsor placements to reach transitioning service members. These are clearly labeled as "Sponsored" throughout the app.
2. Employer Partnerships
Companies with veteran hiring initiatives sponsor job listings and recruitment campaigns. This helps them find qualified candidates while keeping the platform free for you.
3. Referral Partnerships
When you apply to jobs through partner platforms, we may earn a referral fee at no cost to you. This incentivizes us to show you the best opportunities, not just the most profitable ones.
What We Don't Do:
- We don't sell your personal data
- We don't hide features behind paywalls
- We don't prioritize sponsored content over accuracy
- We don't share your information without explicit consent
FTC Compliance:
All sponsored content is clearly labeled and visually distinct from organic results. Our goal is to help you make better career decisions, not to push you toward partners who pay us.
Limitations & Disclaimers
Important Limitations to Understand:
1. Wage Data Reflects Averages, Not Guarantees
Salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics represents median wages across all workers in an occupation. Your actual offer will depend on:
- Your education, certifications, and experience
- Employer size and industry
- Local market conditions
- Negotiation skills
- Security clearance status (for cleared roles)
2. Job Market Depth Based on Establishment Counts
Our job market strength indicators use Census Bureau data on employer counts, not current job openings. "Strong market" means many employers hire for this role, not that there are openings today.
3. Career Translation is Guidance, Not Placement
AI recommendations help you explore options, but they don't guarantee you'll qualify or get hired. Always:
- Verify requirements with actual job postings
- Consult with TAP/SFL-TAP career counselors
- Research licensing requirements for your state
- Consider additional training or certifications
4. Federal GS Grade Recommendations Are Estimates
Recommended GS grades are based on military pay grade equivalents and typical hiring patterns. Actual grade offers depend on:
- Your qualifications and specialized experience
- Agency hiring authorities (e.g., direct hire, VRA)
- Position requirements and budget
- Negotiation (yes, you can negotiate federal salaries)
5. Data Freshness Varies by Source
- USAJobs postings: Updated daily
- BLS wage data: Annual (May 2024 release)
- Census data: 2022 (latest available)
- AI recommendations: Generated January 2026
Always cross-reference with current data sources and professional advisors.