Kelly Thrasher ⋅ Denver, PA Accolade ⋅ 20 years experience

Michael,

Good question. Off the top of my head, and having been the "veteran advisor" for our staffing department at a few career fields coporate America doesn't understand the difference. They look for education and demonstrated experience in terms that they can read and understand quickly. Typically military vets tend to throw in the rank, etc which really do not paint your picture. Paint YOUR picture but include your responsibilities such as leading a team of 16 individuals with 5 direct reports, etc, etc. That could be officer or NCO.

What does come into play will be if the interviewer is military and let's face it, we all have preconcieved notions of what we want. It really isn't that different from hiring Ivy league or non-ivy, etc, etc, etc. A degree shows that you dedicated your time to developing skills in a clear understandable fashion.

Hope this helps,

Joe Paschall ⋅ Madison, AL nLogic, LLC ⋅ 26 years experience

There will always be some bias based on the interviewers' and hiring managers' past experience (or lack thereof) with prior military folks of all ranks. I know senior folks in some companies who are biased toward junior officers because they come in with degrees, drive & energy. Some are biased toward Senior NCOs with degrees because they bring a hands-on approach to management. I know a couple of former E-8s who are now running small companies. Some managers are biased against Senior Officers because they are used to getting work done thru their staffs and less inclined to have technical skill sets. These are all biases that one can argue do not always apply. However, they do exist, were created by past experience with our predecessors, and it is fruitless to argue against them. If you just follow all of the above guidance you will put your best foot forward.

Joe

Tom Cal, CFA ⋅ San Francisco, CA Army Veteran, Investment Manager ⋅ 25 years experience

Michael,
Yes, there is and there may always be distinctions made between officers and enlisted. We can discuss the merits, if any, of these distinctions, but unless earn in a position to change hiring practices, I am unsure how productive it will be. Just as certain firms will mostly or even exclusively recruit only certain majors from specific schools, some firms will recruit only certain ranks for some of their jobs.

My advice to Veterans is to clearly identify your goals, and then figure out how to achieve these goals, overcoming any obstacles (such as officer hiring preferences) that they might encounter.

This Forbes online article addresses the "officer vs. enlisted" hiring topic:
"The Single Most Devastating Flaw In Hiring Veterans"
http://www.forbes.com/sites/shaunso/2012/10/18/the-single-most-devastating-flaw-in-corporate-veteran-hiring-initiatives/

(It is funny to me to think that the current hiring protocol at General Electric might have once judged the current head of the DOD as unqualified for a entry-level management job, but that is another topic...)

The topic of "Officer vs. Enlisted shenanigans" came up recently on a LinkedIn group. I include my reply below:

http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=4466143&type=member&item=266988141&trk=groups_search_item_list-0-b-ttl&goback=%2Egmr_4466143%2Egna_4466143

"My advice is to find ways to ways that enable enlisted Veterans to get around this obstacle and achieve their goals.

A few ideas:

1. Apply for the job, and include a cover letter and email that specifically addresses how your skills, expertise, leadership abilities and overall qualifications are as good and better than many Junior Officers.

2. Network and build personal relationships with recruiters and HR professionals. This will give you further opportunity to explain the points above and why you are a great asset to an employer.

3. Earn certifications such as the PMP, CAPM, CISSP, etc. that help you stand out. Include these certifications on you resume and as you market yourself.

See my post here (constructive critique appreciated)
"A Checklist For Veterans: "How to Learn More About the Project Management Professional (PMP) Cert." Please let me know how it can be improved, and I'll edit and improve the post.
https://acp-advisornet.org/question/927/a-checklist-for-veterans-how-to-learn-more-about-the-project-management-professional-pmp-cert.

The Veterans Career Transition Program (VCTP ) at Syracuse offers a program that enables Vets to earn many in-demand certifications
see http://vets.syr.edu/education/employment-programs/

4. Ensure your resume and LI profile are "top-notch" and include objective an dif appropriate quantifiable accomplishments. You seem to me like an ideal candidate for the Project Management Professionals (PMP) certification.

5. Seek out several mentors, and continue to participate in this and other mentoring boards:
a. request a mentor here: http://acp-usa.org/Mentoring_Program
b. there are more possible mentors here: https://acp-advisornet.org/directory

Good luck and please come back and update us on what you learn."