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Articles

John Henry Weiss

Hiring Heroes: Ideas for Veterans Returning to the Workplace



Women and men who leave military service after active duty face a life-altering challenge: transitioning to the civilian workplace. It involves more than writing and sending out a dynamite résumé. It’s a process that begins with finding where good job opportunities

might be available and showing prospective employers what unique skills and attributes you as a veteran offer.


The good news is that job options are plentiful. They range from work in a large, military-friendly company such as Boeing, which employs 150,000 workers, to opportunities with a small company employing less than a hundred workers. You can consider starting a business as a single proprietor or purchasing a franchise. In addition, jobs are available in local, state or federal governments.


How do you find the right match? It all centers on the transferable skills you learned in the military, along with your aptitude, interests, abilities, financial status, family obligations and education. As you proceed along your job path, know that several excellent resources are available specifically for veterans. Here’s a look at three key job sectors.


Large Companies

Many major corporations value what veterans bring to the table. Resources for getting started in the corporate world include:

Self-Employment

Online resources for those in go-it-alone mode include:

Government Jobs

Many civil service jobs are a perfect fit for veterans. Resources for finding

government job opportunities, including guidelines for submitting résumés and

completing job applications, include:

  • Feds Hire Vets: fedshirevets.gov.

  • U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: va.gov/jobs.

  • Federal Government Jobs: federaljobs.net.

  • The Book of US Government Jobs, by Dennis V. Damp (Bookhaven Press, 2011; not available at Costco).

  • Operation Job Search. A Guide for Military Veterans Transitioning to Civilian Careers. (Skyhorse, 2016; Buy from Publisher)

The job market has never been better for veterans transitioning to civilian careers. Employers in the private and public sectors know that vets’ military training and transferable skills will serve them well.


Tips for Vets

Transitioning requires more than sending résumés to multiple job boards. It’s an

operation that includes:

  • Speaking and writing—including cover letters, résumés and follow-up letters—in civilian language that is free from military jargon and acronyms.

  • Practicing interview techniques.

  • Attending trade shows and job fairs to meet hiring managers personally.

  • Evaluating and negotiating a job offer.

  • Updating technology skills.

—JHW


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