An Employer Perspective And A Veteran’s Response To: “Top 9 Obstacles To Employment Veterans Face”

Image: getfive.com

EDITOR’S NOTE:  The following article from “Military.Com” featured at this posting is a treatise from an employer perspective about the challenges often faced by veterans returning to or entering the civilian workplace.  

It does not fully address, however, an understanding of why these challenges exist and what to do about them from both employer and employee perspectives. For that insight I suggest you combine your review of this article with the linked article below at our companion blog , “Smalltofeds” “ Meeting Veteran & Employer Challenges During Transition from Military to Civilian Work”

Meeting Veteran & Employer Challenges During Transition from Military to Civilian Work

A respectful partnership and realistic expectations must evolve between the veteran and the company for success in transitioning  former military personnel into the civilian work force. This must be achieved through education, training, communication and assessment of both the veteran and the company personnel. 

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“MILITARY.COM”

“Transitioning from the military into civilian life isn’t always easy. Despite the fact that you come from the same country and speak the same language, the culture of the civilian working world is radically different from the U.S. military. Both have different hierarchies, practices, and industry-specific language. Making a successful transition means learning a new set of skills to adapt to civilian workforce culture. Business Insider provided a list of the top nine obstacles transitioning veterans usually face, and we’ve touched one each of them for you below.

1. You don’t see the transition from the military as starting over professionally.

When you first joined the military, how much did you know about it? Maybe a few basic concepts from books or what you heard from friends and family, but not much else. It took months of training and acclimatizing to fully integrate, and years to move up the ranks. Every step of the way brought new lessons and new ways of doing things.

The working world is no different. No matter what you did in the military, no matter how competent you are with the core skills necessary to do the job you want, it takes training and experience to climb the ranks. Although some may move quickly, the learning curve is unavoidable.

When they join the civilian workforce, it’s important that veterans realize they are, more often than not, taking a step down. Their responsibilities won’t be as intense or, likely, important as they were in the military. Accepting that is imperative to maintaining a focused, realistic perspective.

2. You overestimate how unique your skills and experiences are.

Years of intense experiences have shaped you in many positive ways. You should be a shoe-in for any civilian job, right? If there were far fewer people competing for the same positions, then maybe. Monster.com reported that 470,000 resumes were uploaded every week in 2012. If you compare that number to the number of job openings available, you have roughly 187 candidates, qualified or not, per job. No matter how qualified you are, you’re likely competing with many others who are just as capable as you or are otherwise flooding the recruiter or hiring manager. Don’t ever rely on your inherent worth – finding jobs will always require work.

3. Your resume is too long or too short.

How do you condense the depth and breadth of your work history and military experience into a single sheet of paper? According to Business Insider, you don’t. The trick is to cherry-pick jobs and tasks from your work history, military experience included, that are most relevant to the job you’re applying for. That means you might need to create a slew of resumes for different applications, but doing so will prove fruitful. An employer will respond more favorably to a resume that clearly identifies what in your history suits you well to the open position rather than a laundry list of miscellaneous accomplishments.

4. You did not proofread your resume.

If your version of proofreading is scanning for all the red squiggly lines and unthinkingly making the suggested changes, you’re doing it wrong. Proofreading tools that accompany word processors are powerful but limited. They won’t always catch obvious spelling mistakes, sometimes autocorrect to the wrong word, and their sense of grammar isn’t as impeccable as yours should be. Take the time to honestly analyze every single sentence and scrutinize each punctuation mark. Have other people read it, read it five more times yourself, then have even more people read it; do whatever it takes, even using a professional to make sure your grammar, spelling, and formatting are impeccable.

5. You aren’t using LinkedIn, or your profile isn’t complete.

The civilian working world takes LinkedIn seriously, and so should you. You don’t have to be a social media expert, but creating a complete profile and remaining open to networking opportunities will serve well any job-seeker. Some may even argue it’s a necessity. A LinkedIn profile shows off that you’re capable of navigating modern technology and adapting to shifting business standards. Even if you don’t have your sights set on working in upper management, having an easily accessible professional online profile will help you regardless of your chosen industry.

6. You aren’t trying to leverage social media.

A few years ago, scoffing at Myspace or the then young Facebook wasn’t an outmoded thing to do. Social media started off as an interesting way to reach out to others online, but only recently has it exploded into a nearly ubiquitous cultural phenomenon and enraptured the working world. Just as with LinkedIn, you don’t have to be an expert but competency will make you a stronger candidate.

Websites like Facebook and Google+ allow you to remain in contact with individuals who may offer you a new job; even if you don’t see each other face to face on a regular basis, professionals tend to remember who they like and trust when it’s time to fill a position. Furthermore, Twitter isn’t just for bragging about food or lamenting about “first world problems” – hiring managers and companies alike often tweet about job openings and provide information about their company, industry, and other useful information.

7. You did not prepare adequately for the interview.

No matter how many jokes you’ve heard about professionals successfully faking their way through work, the reality is that valuable employees train, prepare, and make sure they’re ready to accomplish a given task. Job interviews aren’t to be taken lightly, and research and practice can only help you. The more you know about a company and the industries it’s a part of, the more knowledgeable and prepared you’ll appear during an interview. Potential employers respond well to candidates who show genuine interest, and that’s proven by knowing who they are, what they do, who their competition is, what industry trends they’re grappling with; the list goes on and on.

8. You wrote a lackluster thank you note.

Thank you notes are simple, easy, and help you stand out. After a job interview, get busy procuring and crafting your note, and make sure it gets to the right people as soon as possible. Having said that, it’s not enough to write: “Dear potential employer, thank you for the interview. I’m awesome. Take care, veteran of the U.S. Military.” The thank you needs to be accompanied by genuine introspection. Recall what you discussed during the interview, and mention one or two points in the thank you note. The note itself is a mark of appreciation, but what you write is an indicator of what you learned and how much you pay attention.

9. You don’t know what you want to do.

If you really don’t know what you want to do professionally, your job-searching forays are a poor time and place to figure it out. Candidates who lack focus aren’t appealing to employers. You might not know what you want to do, but no one else will figure it out for you, especially hiring managers and recruiters. Rather than use job listings and the application process to find your path, try securing informational interviews, attending gatherings for different careers, and researching online.”

Meeting Veteran & Employer Challenges During Transition from Military to Civilian Work

#Business #hr #humanResources #humanResourcesEducation #technology #VeteranSAssistance #veteransEmployment

The Nomad: Veterans In The Post-Transition Employment Space

“CLEARANCE JOBS” By Steve Leonard

“Nearly half of 200,000 veterans entering the workforce annually leave their first job within a year and roughly 80% within two years. We need to have a a greater purpose. When we don’t find one, we move on until we find it.”

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“Act 2, Scene 1. Less than six months into my second career, I was miserable. I had a job, a good salary, and a small group of new friends. I had a new house to call home, with a view of the woods and within walking distance of a lake. The dogs had a big yard for once. By most measures, I had landed well and in a good place.

But I had no purpose. My role was new and ill-defined, with ambiguous responsibilities. I’d been shuffled to three different offices in that space of time. I kept busy, but not in a way that felt productive or meaningful. To make matters worse, I felt alone. The deeper sense of connection, the feeling of team that comes with years in uniform, was gone. Not even a year into my second act, I was questioning my role and thinking hard about moving on.

Then two things happened. One, I saw an opportunity to carve out a niche for myself that would provide the sense of purpose I so desperately needed while at the same time pulling me closer to my former “tribe.” Two, a department chair reached out and offered me an opportunity to teach in his area, something that would allow me to share decades of experience in a way that provided genuine value to the institution.

When I marked the first anniversary of my retirement a few months later, my perspective (and morale) had improved significantly as I prepared for Scene 2 of my second act.

THE NUMBERS DON’T LIE

In the years since, I’ve had more than a few of my former peers mention that I had “hit the retirement lottery.” From the outside, my second act looked like a perfect landing. Then I remind them that many of us share that first-year experience – the looming sense of loss that comes with transition. Even if you land the dream job, there’s a good chance that you won’t escape those feelings.

The numbers don’t lie. Of the roughly 200,000 servicemembers who enter the veteran space each year, nearly half leave their first job within a year and roughly 80% within two years. Those numbers vary from year-to-year, but the trend remains consistent. Even though veteran unemployment sits at a historical low, those numbers can be deceiving when you look below the surface.

It’s not a matter of job skills. According to a 2019 Pew report, 88% of GWOT veterans felt qualified (or overqualified) for their first job, and 61% believed their military skills and experience contributed directly to their hiring. One-in-four veterans walked right into a civilian job, 78% were employed within twelve months, and 94% in slightly more than one year after transition.

None of that explains the nomadic life of the post-transition veteran in the job market. According to a Korn Ferry analysis of veteran employment data, “veterans re-entering the civilian workforce have little trouble finding jobs, but they have significant problems keeping jobs.” What drives so many veterans to pack up and change jobs so soon after separation?

HITTING THE LANDING ZONE

There are three distinct answers to that question. The raw data only tells part of the story; the numbers don’t lie, but they also aren’t as revealing as you’d think.

1. Soft Landing

First, we naturally aim for soft landing zones. We look for jobs that have a strong veteran culture or deep ties to the military. While this eases us into transition, the role might not be the best fit. Having served in a profession where we routinely change jobs every 18-24 months, this isn’t necessarily a cause for concern. We hit the landing zone, get our feet firmly on the ground, and move out and draw contact (look for a more suitable role). The turnover churn looks bad in the data, but it’s explainable.

2. Team Bonds

Second, we lose the bonds of the team we once had. While a great number of employers appreciate and want to employ veterans, not all of them are fully prepared to do so. The same Korn Ferry report noted that 70% of organizations don’t train their hiring managers on veteran-specific hiring practices and more than 60% don’t provide any onboarding or transition support for veterans, who then struggle to regain that sense of team. Employers that provide such support typically see the investment translated into higher retention rates.

3. Sense of Purpose

Third, we lose our sense of purpose, our raison d’etre. Many organizations struggle to define purpose and direction, both of which are fundamental to military service. Transitioning from a profession where your existence is framed by an oath to the Constitution to one where you’re just putting in the hours can be tough. We need to be challenged. Without that sense of purpose, we struggle. As the character Peter Gibbons so aptly put in the 1999 film, Office Space: “Every single day of my life has been worse than the day before it.”

This is the worst of all possible outcomes. This was my experience, one shared widely among a vast majority of the veterans I have since coached through this process. It’s not about the money, it’s not about the stability, it’s about the need to have a greater purpose. When we don’t find one, we move on, again and again, until we find it.

NOMADIC VETERAN LIFE

Act 2, Scene 5. Yes, you read that right; I am that nomadic veteran, one of the 80% who change jobs every couple of years. At some point, I accepted the fact that years in uniform hardwired that into me. I like a new challenge, and when one presents itself I pursue it. However, I’ve been fortunate enough to pursue those challenges with a single employer, which has allowed me to regain that sense of team and belonging that means so much. I gave up on business cards years ago and my office number usually changes before I can memorize it, but there are worse ways to go through your second act.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Steve Leonard is a former senior military strategist and the creative force behind the defense microblog, Doctrine Man!!. A career writer and speaker with a passion for developing and mentoring the next generation of thought leaders, he is a co-founder and emeritus board member of the Military Writers Guild; the co-founder of the national security blog, Divergent Options; a member of the editorial review board of the Arthur D. Simons Center’s Interagency Journal; a member of the editorial advisory panel of Military Strategy Magazine; and an emeritus senior fellow at the Modern War Institute at West Point. He is the author, co-author, or editor of several books and is a prolific military cartoonist.

https://news.clearancejobs.com/2024/02/13/the-nomad-veterans-in-the-post-transition-employment-space

#ReturningVeterans #veteransEmployment

LEAVING THE MILITARY – Pursuing Your Passion Or Just Finding A Job. Understand that your passion might be in your work or it might lie outside of it. Know the difference.
https://rosecoveredglasses.wordpress.com/2025/07/19/leaving-the-military-pursuing-your-passion-or-just-finding-a-
job/
#veterans #VeteransAffairs #WoundedWarriors #military #veteransemployment #Veteransjobtransition

At @vetsec we're dedicated to supporting veterans in finding meaningful employment. Veterans face higher rates of underemployment and unemployment, and we're committed to changing this. With their unique qualities such as discipline, leadership, adaptability, and problem-solving skills, veterans are a perfect fit for any company, including the cybersecurity industry. By providing tailored training and resources, we're empowering veterans to thrive in their careers and positively impact their mental well-being. Let's honor our veterans by creating opportunities for their success. #veteransemployment #cybersecuritycareers #veteransupport