Military Connection: Veteran Employment Report: By Debbie Gregory

Back in 2011, a group of employers banded together and vowed to collectively hire 100,000 military Veterans by 2020. The coalition began with eleven companies, bent on hiring Veterans, and calling their initiative the 100,000 Jobs Mission. But the undertaking rapidly grew into a widespread national alliance, expanding to 170 employers. As of September 30, 2014, the coalition of employers that make up 100,000 Jobs Mission have combined to hire 190,046 Veterans, smashing its initial goal.

In 2014, the RAND Corporation published a Veteran employment report titled “Veteran Employment: Lessons from the 100,000 Jobs Mission.” The report was based on data collected from 26 member companies of the coalition, spanning a diverse range of industries.

The report was intended to provide 100,000 Jobs Mission members and government organizations with informative data on best-practice methods for recruiting and retaining Veteran employees, However, there is a wealth of additional information in the report that Veterans can use to help land civilian employment through the 100,000 Jobs Mission.

The report recommends that Veteran job seekers not waste their time and energy attending any and every job fair until they get hired. Instead, Veterans are encouraged to focus their energy on only attending job fairs that allow them to submit their resume to potential employers before the job fair. These job fairs are more like interview fairs, where the employer can notify candidates of their interest ahead of time, and make arrangements to interview them.

Veteran job seekers are also encouraged to research and seek out job-placement/temp agency companies that are Veteran friendly and positioned to help link Veterans to companies that are hiring.

The RAND Veteran employment report also suggests that one key aspect for Veteran job seekers in finding civilian employment is the ability to convey their skills and experience to their prospective employers. Some ways that Veterans can learn to better translate their skills and experience is by taking advantage of the technical training opportunities that are made available to them when they are preparing to separate from the military. There are also resources available once they have separated.

The report also repeatedly stresses that coalition companies and Veterans should link up with each other through programs such as the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Veterans Employment Center, state Veterans affairs offices, state and county employment offices, and local and national Veteran non-profit organizations.

MilitaryConnection.com would also like Veterans to know about the resources and information that can be found on our Jobs Page at: localhost/mc/jobsoverview

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, Veterans and their families. We are the go to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go to site.

Military Connection: Veteran Employment Report: By Debbie Gregory