Let’s take a dive into military veterans jobs and how veterans can enter the corporate workforce by transitioning their skill sets over into the civilian world.
After serving on active duty, military veterans often discover unexpected challenges returning to the corporate workforce.
Balancing the search for core mission values and camaraderie with career ownership and flexibility, the transition to civilian life can be extremely stressful for a veteran.
The employment situation for veterans has improved over the last few years – the unemployment rate fell to an 18-year low of 3.5 percent in 2018 from its peak 9.9 percent in 2011 – but it is still harder out there for you compared to your non-military peers.
It’s important to know the numbers and to take a look at how many veterans are there exactly.
By understanding the numbers, we can understand the amount of veterans who need help.
Employment Situation of Veterans – 2018
The annual veteran unemployment rate declined to 3.5% in 2018 – the lowest level since 2000.
Read the full report.
Some highlights from the 2018 report include:
- The jobless rate for all veterans fell to an 18-year low of 3.5% in 2018, from its peak at 9.9% in 2011.
- Unemployment for veterans who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces at any time since September 2001 dropped from 4.5 percent in 2017, to 3.5 percent in 2018 – the lowest rate recorded since BLS began collecting the data in 2008.
- The unemployment rate for women veterans fell to 3.0 percent in 2018.
- Among the 326,000 unemployed veterans in 2018, nearly 60 percent were age 45 and over; 35 percent were ages 25-44, and 6 percent were ages 18-24.
- As of August 2018, about 1 in 3 employed veterans with a service-connected disability worked in the public sector, compared to about 1 in 5 veterans with no disability.
- The unemployment rate of veterans varied across the country, ranging from 1.4 percent in Iowa to 6.5 percent in the District of Columbia.
The corporate world comes as a shock to many veterans because they are used to a completely different lifestyle.
They are accustomed to giving or following orders, wearing a uniform and working in a closed culture, so when they get their marching orders and are required to find a job, they have no idea how to go about it.
If you have recently left the military and are struggling to transition to the corporate workforce, don’t worry. We have listed some valuable tips that would help ease your transition into civilian life.
Attend the VA Transition Assistance Program (TAP)
Recognizing the problems faced by veterans in transitioning to a civilian workforce, the United States Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) created the Transition Assistance Program (TAP).
The TAP provides military vets with training and employment information. It runs a three-day workshop that is open for all ex-military job seekers.
This workshop covers career exploration, labor and market conditions, job search strategies and job preparation skills like a cover letter, resume, and interview preparation.
Another good source that breaks down each military branch and their transition assistance programs is found over at Military.com
TAP participants also go through Transition GPS (Goals, Plans, and Success). The Transition GPS comprises of modules that can help service members pursue their post-service and develop their customized transition plans.
Determine Your Career Path
Your time in the military would equip you with communication and leadership skills that are applicable in several roles across a variety of industries. It’s highly important to understand the various veterans jobs there are available to you.
Consider how your military experience and skills can make you a worthy candidate for a corporate role.
For example, if you managed or lead soldiers in Iraq, think about how your training, delivery, and results may apply in a corporate setting.
If you worked as a tax assistance officer for your battalion in active duty, you could use this experience to seek a career in finance.
If you used to drive vehicles in the service, you could consider becoming an Uber driver and earn a decent income.
Search for Military-Friendly Hiring Managers
Many hiring managers don’t understand what kind of experience a military veteran has earned from their time in the military and how they can use it in the private sector.
Meanwhile, vets themselves aren’t effective at communicating how their skills are applicable.
If the military member is unsure and the hiring manager isn’t sure either, then everybody is left in the dark.
This is why we recommend you find hiring managers who appreciate the qualities a veteran brings to a civilian job.
Once you have found such a manager, you need to explain to them how your skills and experience apply to the job in question.
You must rehearse and practice telling others who you are. You may feel uncomfortable doing this at first.
But if you don’t explain to a hiring manager how your expertise translates to the job that you are seeking, you won’t get hired.
Remember You Are Not in the Military Anymore
Don’t ever wear a military uniform to a job interview. You want to show to the hiring manager that you have left the military and are ready for the corporate world so wear formal civilian clothes to make this message clear.
In addition to this, make sure to never use military-speak. Use corporate language throughout the interview and address the hiring manager by their first name instead of Sir or Ma’am.
Play up Your Strengths During the Interview
Leadership, impeccable execution, accountability and communication skills are in demand, regardless of industry or position.
Military veterans generally possess all these traits but most of them don’t know how to showcase them. If you want to get the job, it is important that you exhibit these qualities during the interview.
Network
Recruiters get bombarded with thousands of CVs for a single opening. Out of these, only a hundred may get an interview call.
If you want to be considered for a position, you will have to network. Start with military veterans who are in the corporate workforce.
A few places or companies who help veterans find jobs are:
- DAV (Disabled American Veterans)
- VA (Veterans Affairs)
- VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars)
- American Legion
- Recruit Military
- Hire Heroes USA
- Hire Veterans
Don’t just directly ask them for a job. Instead, take some time to know them. Ask about their time in the military and where they served. Then ask them how they transitioned from military life to the civilian world.
After that, you can inquire about any jobs for veterans.
Research about Companies
About half of military veterans today, leave their first job within a year. One reason behind this is that many veterans focus on the money they are getting instead of what they will be doing and what they want to do.
It is important that you look for a job that you will enjoy – money comes later.
If you take a job that you hate or aren’t good at, you will very likely quit within the first few months and the painful journey of searching for a job will start again from scratch.
It is comforting to assume that your career transition will be orderly and linear. But that is rarely the case when you are shifting from the military to the corporate workforce.
By following the tips we have listed above, it can become easier for you to do everything necessary to find the right job and successfully transition to civilian life.
Overall, you have a veterans advantage over any civilian due to the skill sets, and qualities that you’ve gathered while serving. Thank you veterans!
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3 Comments
Ramsey
Hi, very nice website, cheers!
Chris Jackson
Thanks! Feel free to share with any veteran friends or families who want to get into entrepreneurship!
Frederica Lamborn
How Military Veterans Can Get Corporate Jobs it is very useful,
I also shared it on my facebook.