12 USAA Magazine FAll 2011 - 13usaa.com
You served your country — now it’s time to find a civilian job. The competition is fierce, so enlist your military experience to get a leg up. Here’s how.
By Greg Campbell
Illustrations by Jonathan Bartlett
On the Front Job
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A mechanic in the U.S. Navy, Benjamin Dunn was responsible for the care and upkeep of multimillion-dollar airplanes and helicopters — not to mention the lives of the pilots who flew them. His skills were a critical part of the U.S. war effort in Iraq and Afghanistan after 9/11.
But as a civilian, the best job 28-year-old Dunn could find was as a heating and air conditioning repair man in Alamosa, Colo., where he and his fiancé moved to be near her family. It wasn’t nearly as challenging as his previous duties, but it was slid work at decent pay, Dunn says. But with a cold, wet spring in the Rockies, work never picked up, and his boss was forced to downsize.
Now, a year out of the Navy, Dunn is living on his unemployment benefits and couch surfing with relatives in Denver, where he migrated in the hope that jobs would be more plentiful. With a 3-yearold daughter and a wedding on the horizon, Dunn will take any job at any wage, although he would like to return to his specialty — aviation.
“It’s been a full-time job finding a full-time job,” he says. “The biggest challenge I’ve had is matching my skill set with the civilian world equivalent. A lot of my skills are transferable to other maintenance or manufacturing types of positions, but getting that in words on a resume to attract the employers to want to hire me is the hard part. I’ve heard that I’m overqualified too many times.”
The Struggle
By definition, most service members are disciplined, organized and punctual. They’re used to working in high stress environments where failure is not an option. They are used to leading and being led, and, since the U.S. military is an all-volunteer force, they’re passionate about their duties. About 30 percent of active duty military personnel have college degrees; the figure rises to 60 percent when including guardsmen and reservists.
Yet too many like Dunn struggle to find meaningful employment after leaving the military. Among vets ages 18-24, those who’ve served in our most recent wars, unemployment is at a staggering 26.8percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That’s nearly three times the unemployment rate for the general U.S. population, which in June hovered at around 9 percent. While the overall veteran population fares slightly better at finding a job than the average American — the unemployment rate for vets of all ages was 8.8 percent in June — there are high percentages of extremely skilled, highly educated, well-disciplined young men and women who simply can’t find a job. The problem is worse for those in the reserves or in the National Guard, says Ted Daywalt, a retired 28-year naval officer who is now the president and CEO of Marietta, Ga.-based VetJobs, an online job board for former service members. Reservists and guardsmen must report for regular training and face the possibility of deployments that can last as long as two years. Because employers have a legal obligation to keep jobs for service members, some may be reluctant to hire them in the first place.“It’s become a huge problem,” Daywalt says, noting that some returning National Guard brigades such as those in Tennessee, had unemployment rates as high as 45 percent in 2010.
To help combat the problem, the Labor Department just issued 22 grants, totaling $9 million, to various states to help with workforce development. In addition, first lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden launched a support program for military families called Joining Forces, which includes a major push to encourage employers to hire veterans.
The initiative is about more than just jobs, however. It seeks to support military families in a number of areas, including promoting and highlighting the benefits of hiring service members’ spouses.
14 USAA magazine FALL 2011
De-Jargon Your Resume Step
Translating your military experience into civilian speak can be challenging — but getting it right can make or break your chances of scoring an interview. Here we decode a few common military roles and terms. — Jen Lawinski
For more translations, check out the Military.com Skills Translator.
AAM/ARCOM (Army Achievement Medal/ Army Commendation Medal), n. — Syn. award, recognition for accomplishments, outstanding achievement in a high-stress environment.
AI, abbr. – Syn. additionally skilled in. battalion, platoon or company, n. — Syn. department, unit, organization, agency or group within a company. This language is more understandable to civilians.
Field Grade Officer, n. — Syn. executive, department head or manager responsible for leading projects and supervising workers; self-directed and able to organize a team to execute organizational goals with minimal oversight.
Military Occupation Specialty (MOS), n. — Syn. career specialty. Do not use your MOS on a resume; instead list your duties and responsibilities.
Military Personnel Office (MILPO), n. — Syn. human resources department.
Mission, n. — Syn. task, function, objective or goal.
Operations NCO, n. — Syn. operations manager responsible for setting policies, managing daily operations and planning the use of materials and human resources.
Reconnaissance, n. — Syn. data collection, survey, analysis.
Regulations, n. — Syn. policies, guidelines or instructions.
Sergeant Major, n. — Syn. advisor in fields such as human resources, training
and labor relations; strong communication, negotiation and advocacy skills.
WLC/BNCOC (Warrior Leader Course/Basic Non-Commissioned Officer Course), n. — Syn. leadership or advanced leadership-development course.
Schools more attentive to the special needs of so-called military brats; creating more opportunities for post-service higher education at community and state
colleges; and promoting wellness options to help service members reintegrate into their communities. But a major facet of Joining Forces is a push to educate employers on the benefits of hiring vets. On its face, that wouldn’t seem to be a hard sell, given the discipline, commitment and training of today’s military.
The Communication Gap
So why do these men and women, particularly those returning from our current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, have such trouble finding jobs? Much of it can be attributed to a general disconnect between those who’ve served in the military and those who haven’t. They simply don’t understand each other. Vince Proffitt, the president of veteran-owned Spartan Medical Inc., a Maryland-based company that distributes specialized equipment for spinal injuries as well as other technologies, sees the problems stemming from civilians being unable to relate to the experiences of service members. Many hiring managers’ only connection to the military is watching Saving Private Ryan; they don’t understand that the skills needed to conduct nighttimepatrols in Iraq are transferable to the jobs they have available.
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Step 2 Find a Job
You’ve de-jargoned your resume. Now figure out where to apply. CivilianJobs.com identified 35 of the country’s most veteran-friendly employers. Here are a few of the highlights.
Amazon Seattle Sector: Online retailer
Current job openings
Why it made the list: Amazon has spent the past year building out a military talent program, including a team of dedicated military recruiters. Follow them on Twitter.
BNSF Railway Fort Worth, texas Sector: Railroads
Current job openings
Capstone - Alexandria, Va. Sector: Defense contractor
Current job openings
Why it made the list: “71 percent of new employees are veterans or active National Guard or reservists,” according to CivilianJobs.com. “Capstone will create at least 200 new positions in 2011.”
Chesapeake energy Corp. - Oklahoma City
Sector: Energy
Current job openings
Cintas - PuyalluP, Wash. division Sector: Corporate apparel
Current job openings
Concurrent technologies - Johnstown, Pa. Sector: R&D
Current job openings
CSX transportation - JacksonVille, Fla. Sector: Railroads
Current job openings
DaVita - Denver - Sector: Health care
Current job openings
Dollar General - Goodlettsville, Tenn. - Sector: Retail
Current job openings
Fluor - IrvinG, Texas - Sector: Engineering and construction
Current job openings
Why it made the list “Fluor recruits for places ranging from Afghanistan to Peru. During the past 12 months, Fluor has hired more than 1,100 veterans, including a significant number of junior military officers,” according to CivilianJobs.com.
General electric - FairField, Conn. Sector: Diversified financials
Current job openings
Mantech International - FairFax, Va. Sector: National security
Current job openings
Why it made the list: “The company employs more than 10,000 professionals, half of whom are military veterans or active reservists. ManTech hired more than 4,000 employees in 2010, and 50 percent of those were military,” according to CivilianJobs.com.
Northrop Grumman - Falls ChurCh, Va. Sector: Aerospace and defense
Current job openings
Schlumberger - Houston • Sector: Oil field services
Current job openings
Schneider National - Green Bay, Wis. • Sector: Trucking
Current job openings
Sears holdings Corp. -Hoffman Estates, Ill. Sector: Retail
Current job openings
Sprint
Overland Park, Kan. - Sector: Telecommunications
Current job openings
Transocean - Houston • Sector: Offshore drilling
Current job openings
URS, Federal services - San Francisco
Sector: Engineering and construction
Current job openings
USAA - San Antonio - Sector: Financial services
Current job openings
Why it made the list: In 2010, more than 25 percent of USAA’s new hires were veterans or military spouses — and 20 percent of its 22,000-plus employees are former military.
Verizon Communications - New York - Sector: Telecommunications
Current job openings
Waste management - Houston - Sector: Waste management
Current job openings
To see the full list — and why each firm made the cut — visit civilianjobs.com/mve.htm.
“I can recognize the value of what these guys have done, but it doesn’t always translate well [to civilians],” says Proffitt, a USAA member and former Air Force intelligence officer. “The idea of ‘dedication’ doesn’t have the same meaning in the civilian world as what I look for. In our career field, to be great, you have to treat it like it’s a career and not a job. That’s why I look to the military veterans, because they’re used to that. That’s what they did. It wasn’t just a job to them, it wasn’t a 9-to-5. It was a lifetime and lifestyle commitment. I don’t know if people outside of [the military] recognize the value of that.”
Step 3 Get the Interview
But educating employers is only one side of the coin — the veterans themselves must be trained in the ABCs of finding a job which many have never had to do in their lives. “Guys will introduce themselves as an HM3 [Navy hospital corpsman 3rd class], and it doesn’t mean anything to a civilian,” says Eric Greitens, a former Navy SEAL and current Navy reservist who is also the best-selling author of The Heart and the Fist.“But if you explain to someone that you were a Navy corpsman and were responsible for providing lifesaving medical treatment in a high-stress combat environment for a platoon of 20 Marines, if you explain that you’re responsible for maintaining X million dollars of medical equipment, all of those things are understandable to a civilian audience,” adds Greitens, a USAA member who is also CEO of The Mission Continues, a St. Louis-based organization that works to help veterans reintegrate into civilian life through volunteerism and community service.
Retired Rear Adm. Dick Young, the chairman of the Colorado branch of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, sees the same communication gap between employers and vets, some of whom hadn’t so much as bussed tables before joining the military after high school. He recalls one young Army vet who highlighted on his resume that he could fieldstrip and reassemble a rifle in under a minute. “Well, that doesn’t mean anything to the employer,” Young says. “How can he equate that to ‘I’m a good mechanic, I know how to make something work’? I think that’s part of the problem.”
To address it, Young’s group organized a recent job fair for veterans. The first two days of the three-day fair were devoted to teaching vets the basics of finding a job. One class, attended by about 40 people representing every branch of the military, was a crash course in how to dress for a job interview. Among what not to wear were loud clothing, offensive T-shirts, flip-flops and visible piercings. The moderator gave pointers on having sport coats tailored and advice on choosing subtle patterns for dress suits. In another room, civilian volunteers in the human resources field reviewed vets’ resumes to help them reword military jargon into layman’s terms (see “Step 1,” Page 15) and suggested job fields that might mesh with their experience.
“That’s probably the scariest part for them — not knowing where they can go,” says Dawn Beemster, a career services advisor with DeVry University in Denver who volunteered to mentor vets on navigating the job market. “I let them know that they need to be confident in themselves on their resume, and that’s really important.
What is the “perfect resume? The one that gets you hired. That s what Vince Patton tells vets he counsels. “The best way to achieve that goal is to ensure that words and phrases on your resume fit the profile of the position that you’re applying for,” explains Patton, a retired master chief petty officer of the Coast Guard and vice president of corporate outreach at the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association. Vets and civilians often make the mistake of creating one resume instead of tailoring it for each position. We’re taught to be vague, but it s best to have three detailed bullet points rather than 10 irrelevant bullet points, says Linda Sykes, project manager with recruiting firm HRWorks. And never underestimate the power of social networking. “There are a lot of groups on LinkedIn that are military specific. Tap into those groups, Sykes recommends.
That worked for Gary Profit, senior director of military recruiting and programs at Walmart. A lot of people that I didn t even know felt an obligation to help me, he says. The only thing they asked of me is that I accept a similar responsibility. People want to help and are willing to help — you just have to ask them. Profit also cautions against ignoring softer skills, such as leadership and teamwork. He sees
many candidates who focus too much on their technological skills and don t recognize the value of the investment the nation has made in their development as leaders.
And finally, don t try to rush things. “I counsel patience, Profit says. If you start early and you do the right things and you’re patient, I think the probability that you’ll be successful is far greater.” — J.L.
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Negotiating the Home Front
Levi Coulter, 27, is one of these struggling vets. The USAA member served six years of active duty with the U.S. Army, which included two deployments to Afghanistan, and is now in the Army Reserve. Since returning from duty he has attended classes at the University of Wyoming and worked odd jobs, but he’s looking for work in the security industry, which he feels is a good match with his combat experience. But he says he was advised to go easy on the details of that combat experience when sitting down with a prospective employer. “I need to say I’m used to being on my feet; I’m alert; I’ve got a lot of stamina; I can secure a perimeter, things like that,” he says. “You don’t want to talk about all the shooting and stuff.”
The military has a program to teach job-finding skills, the Transitional Assistance Program, or TAP, but attendance isn’t required (about a third of outgoing service members don’t participate). Plus, it isn’t offered on every installation and it’s not available to those in the National Guard or the reserves, which account for half of the fighting force since 9/11. The biggest shortcoming is that the TAP syllabus hasn’t been meaningfully updated in more than 19 years, around the dawn of AOL.
Ray Jefferson, the assistant secretary for the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service, recently launched an initiative to update the TAP program and make it more widely available. And he Hiring Heroes Act, introduced in Congress in May, would require outgoing service members to participate in TAP so that they’re better prepared to enter the workforce.
Jason Caron, who was in the Navy from 1990 to 1996 and then in the Army from 2005 to 2008, says getting his master’s degree in business administration was instrumental to landing a human resources job with the Boulder Laboratory, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology. Before he was hired, he was unemployed for 18 months, a time he describes as scary, especially being married with two kids. “The problem I ran into was that I was going
against people who were massively overqualified. Having the master’s was key,” says Caron, who was at the job fair recruiting new hires. And even Dunn, the former Navy aircraft mechanic, found success with some advice and training. Proffitt’s company, Spartan Medical, hired him to build and test medical equipment. It’s not in the
aviation field as he hoped, but he says it’s better than heating and air conditioning repair.
Despite these successes, finding meaningful employment remains a challenge for many veterans. Until the TAP program is updated and more widely available, it’s up to both the veterans themselves and their prospective employers — with the help of numerous veterans’ service organizations — to bridge the gap. The struggle they face is as old as war itself.
“Have you ever read The Odyssey?” asks Greitens, the former SEAL who runs The Mission Continues. “This problem, as far as we know, is at least 3,000 years old. Every society, every culture has had to find ways to welcome its warriors home. The Odyssey is the story of a man making the journey from a war zone to his home, the same steps people need to take today in order to be successful in that journey home. “No,” he adds, “this isn’t new. It’s as old as war itself”.
Greg CampbeLL is an investigative reporter living in Fort Collins, Colo. He recently published the book Flawless about the largest diamond heist in history.
18 usaa magazine FAll 2011 800-531-USAA (8722)
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