I work in the S-1 office and I see a lot of soldiers getting chapter for multiple reason and they have no idea of what's next after the services. What advice do you give veterans that was chapter out the Army for different reason, but most jobs will not hire because of the codes on their DD214. I know they made a mistake and things happens, but what advice is best to give them to help get them back in the workforce to redeem their career?
Answers
I agree with Davis, people make mistakes when young. This is when they haven't quite matured and later in the life they get the real punishment. I am trying to start an organization for these veterans. If you served your country when most people chose otherwise then your country should serve you. The only discharges my organization will not help are those with dishonorable discharges
David, the above advice is very good. I would add, however, once you've decided what type of business or industry you'd like to work in or your military experience is compatible with, take any job even if it is "sweeping floors" per se. If you have more skills that the business could use, and I'm sure you do, they will recognize it.
Alan
David,
As a deputy G1, I can tell you that we have a lot of veterans file complaints or make request to get their character of service changed. I just about every case, the character of service was upgraded at the time of discharge. However, this is based on rules and not someone's arbitrary decision.
As far as follow on employment, no employer is going to require a copy of a DD 214 for the hiring process. However, Walmart will as part of their hiring 100k veterans initiative. There are some professional licensing situations that require a potential employee to provide the DD 214. Those who require submission of a DD 214 as an internal policy, probably aren't veteran friendly and certainly not veteran competent.
My best advice is for a veteran with a Other Than Honorable discharge is not to volunteer this information. Employers are not experts on situations surrounding the determination of character of service. If pressed to provide and answer, then provide the reason why the discharge occurred without a long drawn out story. Certainly avoid the "I got screwed" stories. Another technique might be to ask "If my qualifications make me a good candidate then what impact does this have on my ability to contribute to your organization?"
Hope this helps
John
I agree with Tom that the first thing they should do is to ensure they are ready to move on, get support and resolution.
In the area of employment, the topic is a little bit more sensitive. I have interviewed and hired people in the past with blemishes on their record and have also mentored women that are entering the job market after rehab and jail time.
The rule of thumb is always to be honest with the fact that there has been a situation that led to (in your example) the dishonorable dischare. The reason doesn't need to be documented on the resume, but the individual will need to be honest during the interview process and answer the questions that the interviewer asks them. Provide only the info they feel comfortable in providing, but remember the company will do their research.
Serious offenses may lead to disqualification at some companies, depending on their business activities. Less serious offenses and how the individual has learned and grown from their mistake may win over an interviewers.
Well, most likely, the individual needs to conduct a self-evaluation and AAR, and take responsibility for their situation. What happened and what went wrong? What can they do to reflect and transform? What help do they need? Perhaps volunteer. Once all that is done, maybe consult with a search engine and an attorney.
Your Answer
Please log in to answer this question.