Military service is one of the most challenging career paths in the world. Yet, for many veterans, new challenges arise when they end their service and start the next chapter of their professional lives.
These challenges can be overcome with solid planning, flexibility, and an ability to reach outside your comfort zone, just a few of the same skills that are required to be successful in the military.
This July 25th is National Hire a Veteran Day, which reminds employers to consider veterans to fill their open positions. In honor of the day and important message, Army veteran Robert Opp, TD Bank's Sourcer for Veterans and People with Disabilities, shares his insights on some of the best ways veterans can start their career journey in the civilian world.
Plan early
Those leaving military service should give themselves enough time to begin the career search, according to Rob, who is based in Pennsylvania. This is the time to start initially thinking about what sectors you would like to focus on. He also suggests starting networking with colleagues who already left the military to learn about how they found their roles.
The Department of Defense has programs to help military service people such as Skillbridge for members who already declared they are leaving within 12 months to work an internship with an outside organization while still on duty. It does require approvals and it's quite competitive so it's best to prepare early, according to Rob.
Identify the goal and get out there
Rob highly recommends evaluating your experience in the military and understand how it can apply to the type of role you are seeking. For example, if someone is seeking a career in an industry that may require specific education, it may be challenging so you have to really consider how your military experience would meet those requirements.
After identifying the career path you want to take, Rob recommends researching potential companies to make sure they are the right fit, not only with your experience, but also consider their morals and values.
The next step may be the most important one in looking for a job, according to Rob.
"You have to network, network, network. That is everything," he explained. "Most people in the military, their networks are primarily military people. That may not be as helpful looking for a role in the civilian sector. Every time you introduce yourself, more doors open. People are typically willing to try to help service members. While they may not be able to get you a job, they might introduce you to the next person who may have a connection to an opportunity."
Make good use of resources
For Rob, online sites such as LinkedIn are a great resource for career information. He suggests using these types of sites to find opportunities at organizations and also to see if they have roles like Rob's at TD, that include veteran recruiters, veteran sourcers, and organizations that have programs targeted towards hiring veterans.
"If I know I want to be in a certain company, I would find a veteran recruiter, introduce myself with my resume and say, here's what I'm interested in, here's what I can do," Rob said. "If there's a good role, they will likely make the connection."
It's also beneficial to investigate veteran services organizations, such as The Honor Foundation that help transitions service members or those already out of the military in their career search by providing resume advice and practice with interviews.
Work on your resume
It's important to make sure your resume is understandable to those who do not have a military background and that you highlight your transferable skills. Rob noted that the acronyms commonly used in the military are often unknown in the civilian world.
"Your resume is the first glimpse of what a recruiting team and hiring manager sees about you. You must make it count right away," Rob said.
He also suggests that job candidates tailor their resumes for specific roles rather than have a "one size fits all" document.
"For example, if you're applying for an operations role, you want to make sure you really have your operations experience stand out under each role or if it's a HR role you're applying for, make sure any of your HR functions stand out," he said.
Don't forget to talk about yourself
Rob noted that when military members speak to each other about their roles, it can be very formal and solely focused on the role. But typically, hiring managers in the civilian world want to get an idea of a candidate's personality and whether they are a good fit for the company's culture.
"Don't be afraid to share a little bit about yourself outside of your military experience," he said. "Share a little window and glimpse into yourself."
For more on personal finance topics
You can find out more information about TD Bank's programs for veterans here.
If you have more questions about personal finance topics that matter to you, visit the Learning Center on TD Bank’s website. You can find out more information about TD Bank's services at td.com.
We hope you found this helpful. This article is for informational purposes only and is based on information available as of July 2024 and is subject to change. This content is not intended to be used or acted upon with respect to any client's specific circumstances.