Veterans and Jobs

It’s harder than ever now for veterans to find a job after their time serving our country. Even after taking transition classes, veterans are struggling to assimilate back into civilian life. Even though veterans are extensively trained, military training doesn’t always translate into the social skills needed in today’s job market. Too often companies pass over veterans because the persona they were mandated to adopt in order to succeed in the military is vastly different from the average American business environment.

Veterans are becoming frustrated, feeling that their skills are not desirable and that they must start from square one in order to be employed. Those veterans who do find jobs often rise slowly in a company due to incompatibility of socialization skills.

Approximately 250 veterans return home every day.  These veterans will then seeks jobs in a market where there are approximately 187 qualified applicants for every job posting. Companies offer the following advice to veterans seeking civilian careers: obtain organizational structure for the company for which you are interviewing so you know what to expect; make sure your resume is not too long. A long resume does not necessarily mean it’s better than others and may make you seem overqualified for the job; make sure your resume incorporates the language of the employer; make sure the content of your resume shows a problem you solved and the actions you took to resolve that problem; proofread your resume – send it to professional to look over (there are many professional critiques out there who will look at it for no cost); if you do not have a LinkedIn profile, get one now. LinkedIn is a professional social media site to explore job/internship opportunities. If you do have a LinkedIn profile, make sure it is complete. Social Media is a great tool for veterans to utilize when looking for a career path.

Once you are granted an interview, make sure you prepare for it.  Practice with someone by going over your resume and reading it out loud. After your interview, send a thank you message that has some substance. Do not just write thank you and leave it at that.  Include a sentence demonstrating how much you appreciated the opportunity to interview and proclaim how much you would enjoy working for the company.

Today’s military veterans receive extensive training in a variety of different areas. They are mandated to be on time, be courteous and to compete a task at the highest level.  With this type of training they should be easily employable once they understand and transition from a military environment into a corporate atmosphere.  The social transition is the most difficult part.  Having a network of career professionals who can help mentor you through the process will assist you in securing the right civilian career path.