As a military veteran, you possess unique skills found nowhere else thanks to your high-quality training provided by your time in the service. Employers recognize that veterans have attributes that denote high-quality hires. Unfortunately, veterans often receive hiring rejections based on a few misperceptions within civilian companies. Examine these four primary objections and how to alleviate them as you apply for jobs after you leave your military life.
1. Irrelevant Experience
Employers may list irrelevant experience as one of a several reasons for hiring rejections. Your training included teamwork, leadership and combat readiness. More advanced training might have focused on repairing hardware, learning advanced cyber security techniques or any of the thousands of jobs within the U.S. military. The difficulty is that military occupations may not translate into civilian jobs in an apparent way.
For example, a civilian employer may not understand a resume line that reads, "Served 20 years as a battalion chief specializing in surface warfare." During your time, you commanded 20 warriors, set up computer hardware and communicated with other units. This sounds like you would make a great team leader despite a company's reservations. The key is to find a way to translate your skills using language that's common among civilians to avoid hiring rejections.
2. Concerns About Mental Health
The media often reports on the problems associated with PTSD faced by many military service members. While PTSD is a problem, it happens to relatively few veterans, even those who experience combat situations. Come to your interview armed with facts regarding PTSD and your mental health. Although medical conditions are not a legal subject to talk about when it comes to a job application, your potential employer must know that PTSD can affect anyone, not just members of the military.
3. Fears of Being Too Demanding
Hiring rejections may include a fear over you being too demanding around other employees. Your supervisor might fear that you could do his job better than him simply because you have a no-nonsense, goal-oriented approach that relies on strictly obeying orders. Lessen your interviewers' fears by bringing empathy and humor into the situation. Instead of displaying a direct attitude about your competence and skills, try to come across as friendly and nonthreatening.
4. Fitting in With a Company's Culture
Hiring rejections could revolve around not fitting in with a company's culture. Much like the military, each unit in which you served had several unspoken rules that weren't found in any manuals, codes of conduct or standing orders. Before your interview, research the company's culture and learn what it takes to succeed within the culture. Think of adapting to your new employer in the same way you adapted to a new duty station, promotion or advanced training regimen. Also, remember that military life included off-duty time and rec time apart from the daily grind of sending and receiving direct orders.
A military veteran is a gem for employers, and you should be treated as such. Alleviate any hiring rejections by approaching the opportunity with empathy, clarity and humor. Adapt to civilian life and use civilian language, and have facts about the military, mental illness and other aspects of veteran life ready to share if necessary.
Photo courtesy of MarineCorps NewYork at Flickr.com
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