Make Your Transition Easier: Seek Out Military Friendly Companies!

Companies believe there are many benefits to recruiting and hiring you – the veteran. The most commonly cited quality is a sense of responsibility and ability to see efforts through to completion. Does this sound like you?

In fact, an overwhelming 97% of companies surveyed believe the veteran’s strong sense of responsibility is their number one factor in hiring former military service members. Based on your military experience, there are many companies that know you are well suited for commercial work such as project management, IT and logistics. Further, they are eager and willing to hire you.

However, some companies have misperceptions about the risks and challenges associated with hiring employees with military experience. For example, the survey demonstrated a concern for former military employees needing extra time to adapt to new workplace cultures.

The good news - despite concerns, there are numerous military friendly companies that want to hire you. Big corporations such as Google, Chase, Amazon, and FedEx target veterans, while providing resources and veteran transition support assistance. The United States Automobile Association (USAA) hires veterans of all ranks and is one of the most veteran friendly companies in America today.

Many IT companies such as AT&T and Verizon are on the “Top 100 Military Friendly Companies” list. Intel is on this list with over 8% of their employees being veterans. Logistics companies are constantly seeking former military personnel. In 2013, 25% of all new hires at Union Pacific Railroad were veterans, many of them logistical workers. Defense contracting companies such as L-3, General Dynamics, Booze Allen Hamilton, BAE, CACI, etc., are always looking for military personnel. In fact, almost 25% of all Lockheed Martin employees are veterans. By knowing the environment and yourself, you can make quality decisions on potential future employers.

You will want to research companies and speak the commercial vernacular to demonstrate your knowledge of the job requirements. Understanding the job you are applying for and how the job relates to the company’s business operation will provide the opportunity for you to demonstrate knowledge and intellect, validating you are a fantastic candidate.

Your challenge is to perform introspection, consider your desires, the various industries and the associated marketplaces. You must properly align your experiences, skills and interests to determine the opportunities you desire to pursue for your next career. Properly translating this information into a transition strategy will be exciting and critical for your successful jump to the commercial market.

Always remember: your skills and your abilities from the military are transferable and desired, you just need to be able to translate them to actual career fields and positions!