Can being a veteran actually harm your chances of finding employment in a management position??

PO3 Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 11:05:50 -0400

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!

Response by SCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 30 at 2014 11:20 AM

SCPO Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 11:20:24 -0400

PO3 Private RallyPoint Member - I have to say that I was hired for my current civilian job because of my military background. AT the time I was hired, I was a Reserve PO1 with an unusual mix of experience that appeared to make me well-qualified for the assignment. Being a PO1 became handy because the entire management team were retired Chiefs who then checked me out through the Chief's Mess. It was the strangest interview I've had because they had already 99% decided to hire me before I got there.

Admittedly, it wasn't a management position at the time - I became management after two successive Project Leads left the contract. Nonetheless, my status as a respected PO1 made getting hired pretty easy.

That said, I have seen the difficulty getting hired for Federal service when you're Enlisted.

Response by PO3 Brendan "Smitty" Smith made Oct 30 at 2014 12:59 PM

PO3 Brendan "Smitty" Smith — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 12:59:17 -0400

I always try to stress that because of my time in the military, I was forced to learn how to work with people from all walks of life at a young age. This was further enforced by working in a joint command. Not only was I dealing with folks from all walks of life, but they were coming from five distinctly different points-of-view in the military. The Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and DoD civilians all do things their own way. Because of my experiences, I can truly work with anyone and while I may not be willing to compromise on the quality of work, I can certainly compromise on how the job gets done, just as long as it is done well.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 30 at 2014 10:56 PM

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 22:56:19 -0400

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".

Response by SPC James Mcneil made Nov 2 at 2014 9:44 PM

SPC James Mcneil — Sun, 02 Nov 2014 21:44:31 -0500

I've noticed this in my job search as well.

Response by Sgt Junyer Knight made Nov 3 at 2014 12:21 AM

Sgt Junyer Knight — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 00:21:44 -0500

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.

Response by Maj Mike Sciales made Nov 23 at 2015 12:32 PM

Maj Mike Sciales — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 12:32:32 -0500

Not in any company YOU want to work for. If they don't value vets then please, find another company.
There are way, way more smart employers who know and understand what a vet brings to the table -- demonstrated maturity, judgment, courage and the ability to follow rules yet look for ways to improve and EVERY vet is a potential safety officer because that gets beaten in to us from Day 1. When an employer asks a question like "what you best strength?" Say "I'm a stickler for safety and how to improve it. I just cannot compromise." If they say "Biggest weakness?" "Sometimes I over-emphasis my commitment to safety on the job all the time, but I just cannot compromise on matters of safety."
You'll get that job over the mouth-breather navel-gazing he just interviewed.