The Keys to a Successful Veteran Job Search – Resources and Tips

Although military veterans sometimes experience difficulties finding work after they finish their active service, there are resources out there that can help in the veteran job search.

Our military vets face a number of challenges when transitioning back into civilian society.  One of the biggest of these challenges is finding rewarding career opportunities.  Our service members bring knowledge, experience, and skills to the workplace, but a veteran job search can still be a daunting experience.

This post suggests a variety of solutions to this often vexing problem. Continue reading to discover what kind of help is available during this sometimes difficult process.

A Look at The Problems Veterans Face When Looking for Work

The first requirement for a successful veteran job search is understanding its inherent problems.  Two of the most common are related to the kinds of skills that veterans gain during active duty.

First, many employers are concerned about ‘fit.’ They might understand the leadership skills military veterans have, but employers usually want job-specific skills as well.

This leads to the problem of ‘skill translation.’ Although veterans often have a bevy of applicable skills, they sometimes have a hard time explaining how these skills translate.

Here are a few other potential problems veterans might face when looking for work after active duty:

• The perception that military vets suffer from PTSD and might present difficulties in the workplace because of it.
• The difficulties vets can experience co-existing with civilians in the workplace.
• The discipline that served veterans so well during active duty can sometimes lead to unwanted rigidity in the civilian sector.
• After performing at such a high level during active duty, vets sometimes have unrealistic expectations regarding prestige and earning potential in the civilian workplace.

As you can see, some of these difficulties are the product of misperceptions on the part of employers.  But others are real limitations that veterans might understandably bring to their post-military work life. Either way, these difficulties can and must be overcome.

Veteran Job Search Resources

Fortunately, our military vets aren’t left to their own devices when searching for meaningful work after their service is over. In fact, they have many useful resources at their disposal. Vets can explore some of these on the Department of Labor Website. Here is a sampling of these valuable resources:

• Help matching up veterans with jobs they’re qualified for
• Information on starting a veteran-owned business
• Information on potential apprenticeships
• Job Training
• VA Benefits
• Career Help for Military Spouses
• Individualized job search assistance
• Resume Building Services

While this list of resources is not exhaustive, it does provide an excellent starting point for vets looking to secure meaningful employment. For more assistance, you can contact your state’s VA office.

Hope For The Future

Although the difficulties involved in a veteran job search are quite real, they needn’t be insurmountable. By staying open-minded, willing to grow, and utilizing available resources, veterans can definitely find rewarding careers.

Our military veterans have already proven their worth in a variety of settings. As such, there’s simply no reason that they shouldn’t be able to find rewarding employment. But it remains imperative that our service members acknowledge the problems they might encounter and work toward solving them.