Posted on Nov 8, 2017
What are the most common road blocks Veterans face when transitioning to civilian employment?
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Susan Foster
Adjusting to the culture of civilian life, or that civilians who are hiring don't understand what you did?
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The biggest problem most suffer from is a lack of marketable skills or at least an inability to explain the merits of your skills. Civilian employers don't give a damn about your tactical proficiency. They don't care about most of your certifications. This is partly because they don't know what they are. Instead of saying squadleader, I gave an approximate number of subordinates I managed. I indicated that I also managed 2 subordinate managers. I gave a very summarized overview of my responsibilities and added a dollar amount for the equipment I was trusted with. At the very least it shows a quantifiable level of your service in terms that a civilian employer can understand.
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A lot of people will say that it is the employers don't understand the Vets or they will say it is a different culture that doesn't fit what a Veteran is used to and these are true. I also think it is the responsibility of the Vet and the Military to prepare for that change rather than the responsibility of the employer. When entering the military the first thing you do is boot camp so that you can adjust and adhere to the lifestyle of the military... when leaving you must do the same thing. When transitioning back into the civilian world you must learn to adjust and adhere to the lifestyle of a civilian. It is the responsibility of the Veteran first to adjust to the market. After all it is our career and life changing not the employers. That's why programs that have leadership sessions, team building sessions, work place training, resume training, job board training, social media (LinkedIn) training, interview training etc. in their programs are essential. This is the training that is the most valuable. This is the training that will make or break the job search.
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