Posted on Oct 30, 2014
Can being a veteran actually harm your chances of finding employment in a management position??
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Since the turn of the century at least, I've been employed in a number of positions that either had the responsibility for or influenced the hiring of employees for various civilian businesses. I've always tried to influence my employers to hire as many veterans as possible, however I've found that while most civilian employers will believe that a veteran can be a good individual employee, they are hesitant to give them any positions requiring management skills. I'm speaking mostly about former enlisted.
I find that it's not because they didn't believe the vet doesn't have management skills, it's that there is a belief that a vet won't compromise. We all know that during our service years that we'd never have been able to get away with things that many civilians routinely do and manage to stay employed. We walk away from that experience with a willingness to achieve our goals and the duties assigned to us, and from my own experience, tend to have very little patience for those who don't share that view.
I think maybe it would help for a veteran seeking a position in management to highlight their political skills as well as the gung ho attitude we are known for. Be sure your prospective employer knows your not likely to pull a DI routine on a guy for showing up late, or run off a hard to replace skilled worker who also happens to be somewhat lazy (at least not without training his replacement first!). This may be self evident to a lot of you but perhaps not. Let me know your thoughts, do you agree or feel I'm full of it?
I wanted this post to be more detailed but I'm running out of break time here!
I find that it's not because they didn't believe the vet doesn't have management skills, it's that there is a belief that a vet won't compromise. We all know that during our service years that we'd never have been able to get away with things that many civilians routinely do and manage to stay employed. We walk away from that experience with a willingness to achieve our goals and the duties assigned to us, and from my own experience, tend to have very little patience for those who don't share that view.
I think maybe it would help for a veteran seeking a position in management to highlight their political skills as well as the gung ho attitude we are known for. Be sure your prospective employer knows your not likely to pull a DI routine on a guy for showing up late, or run off a hard to replace skilled worker who also happens to be somewhat lazy (at least not without training his replacement first!). This may be self evident to a lot of you but perhaps not. Let me know your thoughts, do you agree or feel I'm full of it?
I wanted this post to be more detailed but I'm running out of break time here!
Posted in these groups: 
Employment
Politics
Employment Politics
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 6
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I do not think it hinders anyone wanting to move into management. What I noticed during my job search was an emphasis on "fit" and not on hard skills. I would expect that most corporate environments have an internal culture that they need to fill with someone. Bringing in an outsider for a management role is a huge deal, as it has a huge influence on a lot of people. Coming into a role that will work up to that management position is easier on both organizations. You learn the ropes, the who's who, and do not exert too much influence too quickly.
The trick is, and it's a hard trick to pull off, is finding a great entry-level role at a great company that promotes from within. Any veteran I've met only needs to be given a chance to shine and they do so. That's a different discussion though. I can think back to a time when we got a new SSgt straight from the drill field right after our deployment and it was a hard transition for all of us. The military has that rank structure though, which helps and allows people with little influence to exert themselves right away and within a certain standard. You exert yourself the wrong way in the corporate world and all of a sudden three people in your department quit and your profits start tanking.
The trick is, and it's a hard trick to pull off, is finding a great entry-level role at a great company that promotes from within. Any veteran I've met only needs to be given a chance to shine and they do so. That's a different discussion though. I can think back to a time when we got a new SSgt straight from the drill field right after our deployment and it was a hard transition for all of us. The military has that rank structure though, which helps and allows people with little influence to exert themselves right away and within a certain standard. You exert yourself the wrong way in the corporate world and all of a sudden three people in your department quit and your profits start tanking.
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PO3 (Join to see)
Yes, thanks for the great comment. The military structure is something we all learn to fall back on while serving and it can even help us in the civilian world but doesn't always translate.
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In my opinion, there is no "standard" for that which a company will employ you. In other words, one company may see the management or supervisory potential in you, where another does not. What I will say is that there are a LOT of companies tripping over themselves trying to locate and hire veterans. Even with these large initiatives, many of them are still struggling to find the connection between your service and their operations.
As a recruiter, and in my own transition (I did this too), I see transitioning NCOs/POs attempting to jump right into a management role in a company or operation where managers generally have several years within. Needless to say, they are disappointed, as even I was in my own job search, when they tell me that my military supervisory experience isn't YET good enough for their management role. Which, arguably, is correct in many cases...as much as it pains me to say it.
We, as veterans, need to understand that our strengths lie in being adaptable and having a work ethic and desire to succeed greater than that of many of our civilian/non-military counterparts, because of our experiences and training. My advice to an NCO/PO in transition is to learn a trade and/or get a foot in the door and try to work up the ladder. The military, for example, doesn't hire an E-6 from the streets and say "get to work". Everyone starts at the bottom. As hard as this is to swallow, you/we are better off getting in where we can, becoming an expert in something, and then being irreplaceable or becoming the "example to follow". THAT is where we get promotions, increase in title, and better opportunities. Focus on the end-game, the growth and the position you want, versus where you can start.
I see a lot of veterans who are waiting to get some awesome position with virtually no civilian experience. And so they spend years job hopping or looking for something better, where they could've spent that time at a great company picking up some "rank".
As a recruiter, and in my own transition (I did this too), I see transitioning NCOs/POs attempting to jump right into a management role in a company or operation where managers generally have several years within. Needless to say, they are disappointed, as even I was in my own job search, when they tell me that my military supervisory experience isn't YET good enough for their management role. Which, arguably, is correct in many cases...as much as it pains me to say it.
We, as veterans, need to understand that our strengths lie in being adaptable and having a work ethic and desire to succeed greater than that of many of our civilian/non-military counterparts, because of our experiences and training. My advice to an NCO/PO in transition is to learn a trade and/or get a foot in the door and try to work up the ladder. The military, for example, doesn't hire an E-6 from the streets and say "get to work". Everyone starts at the bottom. As hard as this is to swallow, you/we are better off getting in where we can, becoming an expert in something, and then being irreplaceable or becoming the "example to follow". THAT is where we get promotions, increase in title, and better opportunities. Focus on the end-game, the growth and the position you want, versus where you can start.
I see a lot of veterans who are waiting to get some awesome position with virtually no civilian experience. And so they spend years job hopping or looking for something better, where they could've spent that time at a great company picking up some "rank".
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PO3 (Join to see)
Excellent advice Sgt (Join to see) my own personel route was to work my way up. I took what was offered and always gave more than was required. It does pay off!
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