It has been suggested that the crux of effective veteran transition is making the private sector aware of the hidden value a veteran can add to a firm. This article, for example, examines the skills and traits typically attributed to traditional 4-year degrees, and equates with them skills and traits garnered from typical military experiences. http://thevalueofaveteran.wordpress.com/2012/06/03/bachelors-degree-vs-military-experience-why-do-employers-view-one-as-less-valuable/
While I do believe that raising awareness within the private sector is an important component of our issue, I also believe that in order to transition effectively other components are important too, such as:
- Obtaining a college education
- Making effective use of networks
- Understanding your skills and communicating them effectively
My full argument is in the comments section of the blog post linked above. What other components do you see? How would you address them?
Answers
Daniel,
First I want to commend your thoughtful and thought provoking post. I hope my input isn't too far off the mark.
From my experience, I would have to say one component of transition would be working with ambiguity. What I mean by this is that, generally speaking, many corporate environments in the private sector operate under a less structured set of processes and procedures. In the companies I have been involved with, there is a great deal more leaway for an individual to act autonomously and on his/her own initiative than there is in the military. It is often the expectation that for an individual to advance in their position, they must show that they can be given ambiguous goals and turn them into concrete results. In other words, they need to operate in the absence of Standard Operating Procedure.
There isn't a doubt in my mind that marines and soldiers are fully capable of doing very well in that environment, but I believe it would take some effort to make the adjustment.
Hello Daniel,
When I left the military in 1990, there were not networking groups to help me transition and I am so grateful to ACP for providing this access for new veterans making the transition. One thing to remember, while you know what you bring to the table, with leadership, critical thinking skills, and technical expertise, it is not easy to pass along this information. While you many have had years of military experience, unless it was in a job with the same skills and title, you are probably not going to jump in where you jumped out. Go into this with a realistic perspective. While you proved yourself day after day in the military, you have to be able to demonstrate to your potential employer that you really can back up what you say. You have to be able to clearly articulate the technical things you have done that are similar to what they are looking for. Zero in on what the job description is and tailor what you are telling them to what they need. While I am sure that you did dozens of other tasks that have nothing to do with the position you may be applying for, you are probably best just explain how you can do what they want and as much as possible quantify what your accomplishments are. Telling someone you trained a unit, squadron, or group on some task will not impress anyone. Telling them you trained 3000 personnel how to operate this specific piece of equipment explains what you did very specifically.
If that was too general for you, feel free to reach out to me and I will be happy to help with other suggestions. You can email me at loretta.carter@parallon.com and I would love to share some other tips that I have learned to get your resume noticed and help you nail the interview. Thank you for your service and dedication to our country, Loretta.
Daniel,
What value will you bring to the role you are applying for? Can you translate your experiences and skills into something relatable - that I will understand brings value?
I know you won't come in with the exact skills I need. Talk to me about how quickly you learned, how you succeeded when you had ambiguous directions. (but be careful about asking for training - no one trains as much or as expensively as the US military.)
If you are sitting in front of me, I'm already somewhat interested - now you need to get me excited. Come with questions, show me your researched my company, tell me you are excited to work at my firm.
Good luck!
Daniel, I too would like to commend your thoughtful post and to thank you for your service. One personal strength not mentioned earlier is a mindset of "continual improvement." While companies may value "following established procedures," in today's continually changing business world most value workers and managers who are alert for opportunities to improve their work processes, products, and services. Such employee ideas play a critical role in improving competitive performance. I suspect your military experience built this strength so I encourage emphasizing it on your resume.
Hi Daniel,
You may be intersted in the artlce below and pay particular attention to the 6 reason why so many veterans are still unemployed.
Hope this helps,
Aaron F. Glover
________________________________________________________________
Hiring Military Veterans is Good for Business, According to a New Study
Conducted by the Washington think tank Center for a New American Security, the study uncovers why companies hire veterans and the challenges they face in doing so.
The 69 businesses examined, including AT&T, Bank of America, the Boeing Co., Kraft Foods and PepsiCo, provided a number of reasons behind their decision to hire veterans, including:
1. Leadership and teamwork skills: Veterans typically have led colleagues, accepted direction from others and operated as part of a small team.
2. Character: Veterans are perceived as being trustworthy, dependable, drug-free and having a strong work ethic.
3. Structure and discipline: Companies appreciate veterans' experience in following established procedures.
4. Expertise: Companies value veterans' occupational skills, job-specific experiences and understanding of the military community.
5. Dynamic environment: Veterans are accustomed to performing and making decisions in dynamic, rapidly changing circumstances.
6. Effectiveness: Company representatives report that veterans "get it done."
7. Proven success: Some organizations hire veterans largely because other vets already in their organization have been successful.
8. Resiliency: Veterans are accustomed to working in difficult environments, traveling and relocating.
9. Loyalty. Veterans are committed to the organizations they work for, which can translate into longer tenure.
10. Public relations value: Some companies have found that hiring vets has marketing benefits.
Despite the numerous benefits of hiring veterans, the research also revealed several reasons why so many veterans remain unemployed.
1. Skill translation: Civilians often have difficulty understanding what veterans did in the military and how those skills and experiences can benefit a company.
2. Negative stereotypes: Some employers report concerns about the effects of combat stress, including post-traumatic stress issues, anger management and tendencies toward violence.
3. Skill mismatch. Not all veterans possess the skills or experience that employers seek.
4. Future deployments. Some employers are concerned that veterans would leave their civilian job for long or repeated deployments.
5. Acclimation. Some companies perceive that veterans require time after military service to become accustomed to the civilian world and, thus, they should not be hired immediately after returning from service, or they will require additional assistance from the company.
6. Ready availability. It can be difficult for some companies to locate veterans, and the landscape of resources and organizations meant to facilitate or broker relationships between veterans and employers is confusing.
The study by the CNAS, a developer of defense policy proposals, points to a number of ways the Department of Defense and the Department of Labor can increase veteran hiring. They include aiding in translating military skills, better facilitating the transition process, providing guidance for companies to help them interpret which veteran candidates were successful in performing their duties while in uniform, and creating a résumé bank to help companies identify personnel who are leaving military service.
The study, "Employing America's Veterans: Perspectives from Businesses," was conducted by Margaret C. Harrell, director of the CNAS' Military, Veterans and Society Program, and Non-Resident Senior Fellow Nancy Berglass.
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