At Ease, Solider: Ways to Nurture Former Military Personnel in a Civilian Position

Joe Weinlick
Posted by •


American military personnel receive highly specialized training in their careers, which creates people who have very specific skill sets. When these men and women transition into civilian lives, getting a job may prove difficult, as civilian employment differs greatly from military units. Former military service members make great employees, and employers can make it easier for soldiers to find employment by taking some relevant steps to nurture former military personnel.

Become a Military-Friendly Company

Hundreds of employers tout themselves as military-friendly companies. These companies typically place former service personnel at positions that require high levels of training or expertise, such as technology, computer systems and management. Civilian employers can receive training from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Transitions Assistance Program and Hiring Our Heroes. These specialized programs help veterans find jobs, but they also help employees create an environment that hires former service members.

Vocational Training Programs

Firms can have special vocational training programs that help ease a soldier's transition to civilian life. These training initiatives can work with the Department of Veterans Affairs and other groups so military service members can go right into civilian jobs.

Outline Expectations

Civilian employers should outline the expectations of former soldiers. Veterans may enter a job search with very high expectations, but they receive lower-level jobs than what they set out to find. This occurs when employers do not understand how military skills translate into civilian work, which leads to dissatisfaction with the job and, perhaps, unemployment among military veterans. Instead of putting military members in a lower-paying job, employers should try to match skill sets with people applying for jobs.

Find a Good Fit

Many times, a civilian position may not translate well into a military task. For example, a Blackhawk pilot has a very specialized set of skills. This person must watch an instrument panel, adjust to flying conditions at a moment's notice and drive a large piece of machinery with precision. Companies should take the time to assess someone's skills that can translate into a good fit. Flying a helicopter seems similar to operating a heavy piece of machinery. This means a pilot may fit into a job as a truck driver, manufacturing equipment operator, forklift driver, train engineer or commercial airline pilot.

Someone who leads a unit of 30 men and women may have a bright future as a manager who learns to blend many personalities into a cohesive unit that gets the job done. Several military duty stations can turn into civilian jobs, so employers can take a look at a veteran's area of expertise to find some common ground. The military trains personnel on several transferable skills that work well in civilian life. Employers can focus on these transferable skills to see if they match with any relevant job descriptions.

Willing and Able

Firms should foster potential employees willing and able to get the job done. Businesses should ask two questions. First, is this person able to thrive in a civilian environment? In other words, does the job at the corporation translate well to the soldier's skills? Second, is the person willing to learn a new job? Although no job may be precisely what the person had in the military, a veteran is usually very eager to learn a new skill if given the chance.

Start a Veterans Group at Work

Many employers foster a military culture by having special military groups at the office. For example, Proctor & Gamble has a networking group called Blue and Grey where military veterans who work for the company help each other. Any corporation can start such a group within the employee structure. These groups help former military members have camaraderie at the office.

Know Military Lingo

A person in the military knows a lot of military terms. When an employer runs across this lingo on a cover letter or resume or in an interview, an HR manager should ask further questions about what this lingo means. The more an employer understands about life in the military, the easier he can fit the veteran into an appropriate job.

Former military service members make fantastic employees due to their dedication to a cause. These men and women sacrificed a lot for their country, and that willingness to go above and beyond translates well into civilian work if these brave people are given a chance.

Photo Courtesy of The Lugar Center at Flickr.com
Comment

Become a member to take advantage of more features, like commenting and voting.

Register
Sign In
  • Jacob T.
    Jacob T. •

    Some of the finest colleagues and employees I've worked with were veterans. Curiously, some of the worst were folks signing up for military service. Taking advantage of the transformation the military provides, along with the training and leadership skills, is a must for large and small employers alike - if they don't, they are letting a huge talent market go untapped.

  • Erin Jean
    Erin Jean •

    Regarding P&G's Blue and Grey group: does anyone know anything more about it? I'm curious. Do they help one another in a therapy-style fashion, do they help them network with others or is it just a feeling of belonging?

  • Emma Rochekins
    Emma Rochekins •

    Much of the useful advice about hiring veterans actually is useful for all candidates. More employers / hiring managers need to be less restrictive when it comes to evaluating candidates' experiences and better able to recognize potential and the value of non-traditional backgrounds. Too often hiring managers don't make the connections between unconventional experience and the open position. Making those connections clear, though, is the real point of a cover letter.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    Thanks for the comments. @Lydia I think that a company could recruit for veterans without making others feel left out. Many times, in my area, we have job fairs strictly for veterans. Companies take advantage of these events to reach out to these veterans. Probably the best way to do it when it comes to recruiting a certain class. @Shannon thanks for that. But remember, that veteran is no longer active in the service and wants to find a position within a company and be one of the team. He doesn't want to be singled out but wants to blend. It's a tough enough transition from military to civilian life without companies making a fuss. They will adjust in due course - just like they did when they joined the service.

  • Shannon Philpott
    Shannon Philpott •

    The idea of creating a military-friendly company is essential. I would suggest that companies actively seeking the skills and talents of veterans form a partnership with veteran associations and government agencies that aid with transitions. Companies need to show that they are willing and able to meet the needs of these specialized employees.

  • Lydia K.
    Lydia K. •

    I very much agree that companies should actively recruit veterans and learn to understand the value they can bring to a company. I disagree however, that it's an employer's responsibility to sponsor a networking group. I think it could be easy for this to create a situation where people with non-military backgrounds feel discriminated against. I do believe however that vet career support groups outside of companies do a lot of good work on this front. And veterans also have their own networks to help with the transition to civilian careers.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    @Kellen thanks for your comment. Sure a company could use a recruiting agency or even get the job posted with MWR on a local military base. The issue here is that they want to make sure that they are not discriminating again non-military applicants so they really have to proceed with caution. They could indicate, in the job posting, that veterans are welcome to apply but make sure that the posting is open to all.

  • Kellen P.
    Kellen P. •

    I'm interested in other ways to make your company "military-friendly." What can a hiring manager do to make sure that job listings get in the hands of veterans? Is there a way to target veterans for certain jobs that they would be suitable for? I know that in the past I would have loved to know that the position I was trying to fill was exposed to veterans. How do you do it? Mention it in the ad? Use a service?

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    Thanks for your comments. @Erin it is very true that it is almost like going through culture shock when you leave the military behind and become part of the civilian workforce. So true that only the veteran can answer that question. Not everyone needs vocational training after departing the service. I know I didn't go through any vocational training but had no problem finding first a job and then a career. @Sarah matching skills are up to the veteran. Although transitional assistance classes are offered, there just isn't the time for them to work with each veteran who is departing. It's a group session and lasts for a few days but it has to cover so much more than just job searching. There are websites that offer ways to translate your military experience, skills and jargon into civilian terms. That certainly helps!

  • Erin H.
    Erin H. •

    Nice article, but I have to question one thing. "First, is this person able to thrive in a civilian environment?" I'm not sure that this falls under an employer's duty to verify. How can anyone but the applicant know the answer to that question? I do believe that transitioning into the civilian workforce is a very important step, and vocational training goes a long way, though.

  • Sarah Andrews
    Sarah Andrews •

    While these are all very good points, I think that unfortunately, matching skill sets and finding a good fit ultimately falls on the veteran because companies hire for positions that are available and they hire people who apply for those positions. That being said, being able to translate their training to what they can do outside of the military should be a key part of vocational training for veterans so that they can seek out positions where they will be successful and fulfilled.

  • William Browning
    William Browning •

    More and more businesses should hire veterans for one very simple reason: when these men and women are given tasks, they accomplish them. That was part of their military training. Service members follow orders and diligently complete a mission. No one is better trained to finish the job than someone in the U.S. military.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    Thanks for your comments. @Catherine if only that were true. Most companies want you to change your management style and way of thinking to theirs. It's sort of like when you graduate from college and you start a new job based upon your degree. In reality, how much of what you learned in college is being used on the job? Probably very little. You have to learn the company's way of doing things. Same is true for a veteran. @Jay it probably would not be a good idea to have training. The veteran knows that things are not done the same way and he/she will have to learn to adapt just like they did when they joined the military. @Katharine it certainly is true that veterans are used to a more formal structure but they will adapt.

  • CATHERINE S.
    CATHERINE S. •

    It's very unfortunate that veterans usually get lower level jobs in civilian life that don't fully utilize the training, skills and experience that they obtained in their military careers. I like this article because it discusses how companies should make themselves more accessible for veterans, rather than focusing on how veterans should change themselves to become better applicants. The way that veterans are treated in our society really needs to change and one way is to make it easier for them to find employment.

  • Katharine M.
    Katharine M. •

    While a former soldier who led a unit may have good management potential, it would probably be important to make clear to him/her the different managerial strategy that will likely be necessary. The military chain of command is much more structured than the culture of the typical American workplace, and the soldier may need to adjust his/her style.

  • Jay Bowyer
    Jay Bowyer •

    Maybe another great military-friendly things to do would be to implement training programs in the workplace for other employees, so that they too can help military members settle in? Would that be a viable option for both smaller and larger companies from a cost perspective, and would it be legal (under anti-discrimination law)?

Jobs to Watch