It's no secret that the job market is tight and for veterans making the transition to civilian life, it can be even tighter. Each year, 200,000 service members, men and woman, are leaving the military and joining the ranks of the civilian workforce. The change can be difficult and right now, it's even more difficult than ever.
Although there are resources to help, one thing that the military offers that is in short supply in the civilian world is job security. Although there are better paying jobs outside of the service, they are harder to find and don't come with the same guarantee.
What has always helped was that companies actively recruited military members for jobs when their enlistments were over. Today, that doesn't happen as often. However, there are several things that make a veteran a great candidate for a job.
They have excellent team building skills - No one knows how to work within a team as well as a military member. Every part of their job and even their own survival depends on being able to work with others and depend on them to help keep them safe. It's an intensive type of team work and the skills transfer into the civilian workplace.
They understand the importance of being on time - In the military, people are expected to be at work 10 minutes early. There is no excuse, and in the civilian world, veterans understand this well. They are less likely to call in sick because they don't feel like going to work and rarely have problems with attendance.
They take pride in their appearance and how they present themselves - Arriving at work, dressed appropriately is something that service members understand. They have been required to wear a neatly pressed uniform everyday and it doesn't go away. Veterans understand the importance of presenting themselves as a professional.
There are lots of other reasons why veterans make great employees, but it seems that employers are still hesitant to hire ex-service members. Why do you think that is? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
Why Do Veterans Struggle To Find Jobs?
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Staff Editor
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Melissa Kennedy •Ted, thanks for sharing that information. I can imagine that the Reservists and National Guard people do have trouble finding work, especially when they have been called up over and over. If I'm not mistaken, having an employee be called to Active Duty from the Reserves can create a huge strain. There is some legal requirement to keep their job open or to continue to pay their salary, even while they're gone. To compound the problem, many active duty servicemembers are required to complete a set amount of time as a Reservist after their enlistment is over. -
Ted D •Melissa, nice article, but you are missing a critical part of the veteran unemployment issue. For the most part, those young veterans who transition off active duty and totally separate from the miltiary are finding jobs, which is not to say there are not some having problems. When you parse out the BLS numbers, you find that the veteran group having problems are in the National Guard and Reserve. They have been called up so many times in the last ten years very few employers will hire them. The national unemployment rate for the National Guard exceeds 20%! Yet the overall unemployment rate for ALL veterans is only 6.6% (NOvember, BLS). I would be glad to provide you more data. FYI, the overall unemployment rate for all veterans has ALWAYS been lower than the national unemployment rate.Ted DaywaltPresidentVetJobstdaywalt@vetjobs.com
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