Why Is It Hard for Skilled Veterans to Find Jobs?
Q: Why is it hard for military veteran to find jobs, even when they did the job in the military and now want to do it as a civilian? For example, Human Resources. I have a master’s degree in Human Resources Management and did HR in the military for 20 years.
A: The biggest reason is the current job market, and it isn’t only veterans that have are having a hard time finding a job – it is most people, although the unemployment rate for veterans is 1% higher than for John Q. Public. There can be hundreds of people applying for a single job nowadays, so you have to make yourself stand out in the crowd. You do that with a stellar resume.
Many people think a resume’s purpose is to find a job, however, the real purpose of a resume is to get the applicant an interview. Once at the interview, you are in control as to whether you get a job offer or not.
As a veteran of military service, you already have marketable skills, called soft skills, such as organization, management, communication and team building/leading. How you present these skills on your resume can make the difference of an interview offer or not.
If you don’t have the education or training required for the position you are interested in, use your GI Bill and go to school. It is a proven fact that college graduates earn twice the amount of a high school graduate over the course of a career.
Of course you should have been preparing for your transition to the civilian world well before the end of your military service, but if you didn’t, it is never too late to start. If you are still serving and need training, use your service branch’s Tuition Assistance program.
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