Best Jobs For Veterans 2018

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Best Jobs for Veterans

Eight of the best civilian jobs for transitioning veterans have been identified by one of the top job search sites, CareerCast. These include registered nurse, financial advisor, info security analyst and operations research assistant, among others.

“There are many benefits to hiring veterans,” says Kyle Kensing, online content editor, CareerCast. “The discipline, teamwork and leadership qualities emphasized in the military directly translate to the civilian workforce. Skills gained during military service are in high demand.”

Public and private sector efforts to recruit and employ veterans have paid major dividends in lowering the unemployment rate for veterans. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in 2016 that of the approximately 21.2 million men and women with military experience, an unemployment rate that hovered near 10 percent just seven years ago has been cut almost in half.

The Veterans Opportunity to Work Act was designed for the Department of Labor to match veterans with career paths based on their responsibilities while in service. Private-sector companies are also launching their own hiring initiatives to match veteran job seekers with open positions.

Growing emphasis on technological skills in the military translate well to a growing market for IT professionals. Information Security is an area of growing importance in both military and government matters. Veterans who work specifically in IT security during their service can effectively translate their skills into government positions of the same nature.

Another area of emphasis in military service is healthcare. Nursing positions are also in demand for enlisted personnel, and many states allow veterans with experience as nurses in the military to apply that experience to civilian certification.

For those veterans looking to use their civilian careers to make a positive impact for others in the military, careers in management and finance offer great opportunities. Businesses tailoring their outreach to the veteran community are increasingly turning to veterans for management consultant and operations research analyst positions.
Financial advisor is the No. 1 most in-demand field in the CareerCast Veteran Network job database. Veterans with a background in mathematics and finance can work directly with military families to help them protect their investments and savings.

The improved employment landscape for veterans isn’t merely a boon to one section of the workforce. Veterans bring skills that greatly benefit employers, making them prime candidates in a variety of fields.

Here are eight of the best jobs for veterans:

Profession Annual Median Salary* Growth Outlook*
Financial advisor $89,160 30%
Information security analyst $90,120 18%
Management consultant $81,320 14%
Nurse practitioner $104,740 31%
Operations research analyst $78,630 30%
Registered nurse $67,490 16%
Sales manager $113,860 5%
Software engineer $100,690 17%

The best jobs for veterans were selected from the 200 professions covered in the Jobs Rated report as a good match based on their responsibilities and skills gained while in service.

Wages and projected growth outlooks through 2024 are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
To read the full report, visit veteran.careercast.com/jobs-rated
Source: veteran.careercast.com/jobs-veterans

Transitioning out of the military? Here’s your checklist and timeline

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By Blake Stillwell, Army Times

Deciding to leave the military might be as big a step as deciding to join. Most of us come in when we’re young, naive, and unprepared. When we get out we’re just as unprepared. Most of us. It doesn’t have to be that way, though.

You had what it took to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. You certainly have what it takes to support you and your dependents. You just have to be smart about it – and ask the right questions. Will you be getting a civilian job, and if so, will it be the same thing that you did in the military? Is remote work for you? Or will you go to school? Where will you do these things? How will you prepare to pay for them while you wait for benefits? Do you know how to get into the VA system?

No matter what your answers are, there are things you need to do in the two years leading up to your departure from the military that will ensure a smooth and successful experience.

Two Years to 18 Months from Expiration – Term of Service (ETS):

  • Find a mentor who has faced the same problems you will likely face.
  • Choose your civilian career and make sure you’ll leave the military with an education or a certified skill that will help you in that career.
  • Learn about your G.I. Bill and decide what you plan to do with it.
  • Start to save money and be prepared for the possibility of a tight job market when you get out.
  • Start to build a network by meeting people in your desired career field or college.

One Year Out:

  • Review your pre-separation budget and make sure you’re on track.
  • If you’re going to school after leaving, choose where, what to study, and start applying.
  • Learn about both VA home loans and the process of buying a house. If you’re moving to a new area, you might be able to get house hunting orders.
  • Begin the process of getting out of the military, which includes informing your unit and command while starting relevant paperwork and taking transition assistance classes. You may even be assigned a counselor.

Six Months to Go:

  • Make sure your budget projections still make sense.
  • Write a resume, preferably with the assistance of a career counselor, and use it in your job search. Be sure to show this to your transition mentor and your civilian career mentor, too.
  • Request your last household good shipment. The military will pack up and send your belongings to your new location or home of record one last time.
  • Consider your post-military health care options. Unless your conditions are service-connected, your coverage will end. If you have a new employer who offers health care, enroll in that. You can also find health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act website. Tricare offers temporary health care coverage for newly-separated members under the Continued Health Care Benefit Program (CHCBP) and Transitional Assistance Management Program (TAMP).
  • Update your wardrobe, leaning on your career mentor and the professional network you’ve been developing.
  • Decide where you’ll roll your military blended retirement savings. For plans worth less than $100,000, consider a fiduciary app like Wealthfront.
  • Update your important documents while it’s still free.
  • Start your household goods shipments and other PCS/ETS procedures.

Three Months Left:

  • Begin working on your VA compensation claim paperwork. Declare everything on your outgoing medical exam. Your duty station and Veterans Service Organizations (like the DAV) will assist with this process. Some states have offices to help veterans get this done.
  • Review your budget one last time to ensure it’s still good to go.
  • No matter your age, review your life insurance options, especially Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) vs. Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI).
  • Get copies of your medical and dental records to keep.
  • Visit your doctor for free one last time.

One Month Out:

  • Choose your health insurance.
  • Know your home state’s veterans benefits.
  • Stay on top of your VA disability claim.
  • Keep looking for work, using job fairs, LinkedIn, and other websites.
  • Meet with your school’s veterans benefits office.

This can all be overwhelming if you wait until the last minute to do everything. Remember that staying proactive and ensuring you arrive at each point when you’re supposed to will keep you from losing your mind as your ETS date approaches.

Then you’ll really be able to celebrate a job well done.

Read the full transition guide on Army Times here.

How to Answer Behavioral Interview Questions

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Ever stumbled in a job interview and wished you had prepared more? It can be difficult to think back on your work history in the middle of an interview. But sharing an on-point story or example from your past experience communicates confidence and competence and can leave a remarkable impression on an interviewer. Prepare for your next interview by practicing responses to these behavioral questions—the type employers ask most frequently—and learn strategies for your answers.

What are behavioral questions?

Behavioral questions require you to describe how you have handled challenging work-related situations, such as conflict with co-workers, dealing with work deadlines or completing complex projects. The employer is seeking insight into your behavior, personality and character to determine how you’d likely perform in their job and whether they can rely on you.

Get started by gathering all the information you can about the position, organization and industry to determine the situations or problems likely to arise in the role you interview for. Then review the list of common questions below and identify the ones this employer is most likely to ask based on your research. While you likely won’t see a list of the employer’s questions in advance, you can develop a pretty clear idea of the scenarios the interviewer will probably bring up.

Next, thoroughly review your work history to identify experiences that may illustrate your ability to deal with the scenarios in the questions below. If you are starting your career, include experiences in classes, collaborating on class projects and participating in activities and volunteer work.

Look at these common questions to prepare stories about your experience.

Common Behavioral Interview Questions

How have you worked well with deadlines or other high-stress situations?
This kind of scenario is the most common behavioral question. Talk about a situation when you handled an intense project or major deadline pressure effectively, how you came up with your response, how others were involved and what the result was.

How did you respond when something significant went wrong on a job or when you made a mistake?
Here the interviewer acknowledges there will always be errors or issues, but they want to know you can work through challenges and use critical thinking to solve a problem. Emphasize the resolution, not the significance of the problem or error. Also, talk about the success or effectiveness of your solution.

Talk about a time you set a goal/goals and how you achieved them.
The employer wants to know how you organize your work and follow through to reach a goal. Emphasize any qualities you may have that reinforce your capability to persist through steps over time.

Tell me about a time you had an unexpected problem come up and your response.
Most jobs involve dealing with the unexpected—a shipment gets lost, projects stall, a co-worker suddenly quits, etc. The employer is looking for a sense of whether you can roll with the unexpected and find a way to bounce back and respond effectively.

What recent skill have you learned, and how did you tackle learning it?
Everyone needs to be willing to develop new skills and learn new things during their career. If you haven’t done any skills-building recently, take an online class or other training now—you can still discuss this in your interviews! Talk about something you’ve learned to improve your work performance and how it helped.

How have you handled an interaction with an especially difficult customer?
Employers in customer service depend on employees to remain professional even in the face of poor behavior by customers, so this is a crucial question for anyone applying for work with customers. Emphasize empathy, keeping calm, patience, courtesy and persistence.

What do you do to motivate your team?
Leadership success depends on relationships and communication with employees, so here emphasize how you have helped the people who report to you engage at work and achieve success.

What is a career accomplishment you are proud of and why?
Here is your chance to show what you find most meaningful in your work and how you have worked to become successful in your career. Emphasize what you learned from your accomplishment, whether others were involved and why it was meaningful.

Describe a major failure in your work life and how you worked through it.
This companion to the previous question lets the interviewer know whether you can take a hard knock and get back up and try again. Emphasize what you learned from the experience and what you did to prevent it from recurring.

Describe a time you experienced conflict with a co-worker or supervisor.
This can be tricky because while employers recognize conflict happens, they often want to see it avoided. Aim to focus on a positive result and how you were part of a solution, not the problem. If a compromise or negotiation happened, describe that as well.

Source: CareerOneStop

Why Military Appreciation is Year-Round at Lowe’s

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LinkedIn
Lowes

In addition to offering an everyday 10% discount with no annual limit, this Memorial Day Lowe’s will show extra appreciation for the military community:

Stores nationwide will hold a Moment of Remembrance at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day (May 29), where taps will be played over the PA as well as a message from Joe McFarland, Lowe’s Executive Vice President of Stores and Gulf War and Desert Storm Veteran.

Each store will also reserve one veteran’s parking space in remembrance of those who have lost their lives serving in the United States Armed Forces.

“At Lowe’s, the entire military community is at the front of our hearts and minds, from our customers to our own military associates, which is something I personally value, as a veteran myself,” says Joe McFarland. “It’s important to support this community every day, because they dedicate themselves to protect our nation’s freedom every day.”

Lowe’s has a longstanding commitment to honoring the military community, including:

  • Employing 26,000+ veterans, active, guard, reserve and military spouse associates
  • Prioritizing military-owned businesses as product suppliers
  • Providing workforce training and scholarships to military store employees
  • Partnering with military non-profits including Building Homes for Heroes, AMVETS and the USO

You can learn more about Lowe’s military-focused initiatives at Lowes.com/Military.

How to Write Your Business Plan

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Writing a comprehensive business plan is the first step in starting a business. It will serve as a guide to make your entrepreneurial dreams a reality, help you avoid costly mistakes, assist in financial preparations, serve as a resume of sorts for future potential business partners and much more.

The most valuable part of writing a business plan is the education you gain by researching and writing it. While it may be tempting to hire someone to prepare your plan, or to buy an off-the-shelf plan for your type of business, it is in your best interest to do the work yourself to best understand the needs and workings of your company.

Here’s what your business plan should include:

Mission & Vision Statements

A mission statement is a brief description of what you do. It helps you and those working with you to stay focused on what’s important. A vision statement answers the question “What do we want to become?” It provides you direction as you make decisions that will impact the future of your business.

Business Description

Your business description provides the “who, what, when, where” of your business, including the type of business structure, start date and the location. This is also where you’ll want to list your business type, which you will choose depending on your needs. Business types include:

  • Sole Proprietorships are owned by a single person or a married couple. These businesses are inexpensive to form and there are no special reporting requirements. The owner is personally responsible (liable) for all business debts and for federal taxes.
  • Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) are very popular. The business has limited legal liability like a corporation, but has fewer governance requirements.
  • General Partnerships are like sole proprietorships with more than one owner. Partners share managerial duties, profits and losses, and each is personally responsible (liable) for all business debt.
  • Corporations are more complex structures than the others. As with LLCs, corporations have limited legal liability and must complete other tasks such as issuing stock certificates, holding annual meetings and keeping minutes, electing directors, etc. Corporation owners are called “shareholders” or “stockholders.”
  • Limited Partnerships (LPs) are not used very often for small businesses, although they are common for real estate ownership. LPs are composed of one or more general partners and one or more limited partners. The general partners manage the entity and share fully in its profits and losses.

Market Analysis

A market analysis will help you determine if there is a need in the marketplace for your product or service, who would be most likely to buy your offerings and where your customers are located. Include:

  • An analysis of your industry.
  • Evidence of demand for your product or service.
  • A description of your target market (customer profile).
  • Your market size (looking at area demographics and the growth of your industry).
  • Your competition and why people would choose your product or service over the competition.
  • Estimated sales volume and revenue.

Marketing Plan

Once you’ve identified your customer, you need to explain how you will get your customers to buy your product or service. Include:

  • Your pricing strategy, including the price floor (the price at which you would break even), the price ceiling (the maximum price people would consider paying for your product or service) and your pricing relative to your competition (same, lower, higher).
  • Your desired image (in light of your target market) and how to achieve it through advertising, signage, business cards and letterhead, brochures, office/store appearance, your appearance and other means of outreach.
  • Your promotion and advertising strategy to reach your target market (such as use of website, social media, yellow pages, news releases, personal network, cold calls, newspaper, radio, television advertising, direct mail, etc.).
  • The costs and timing of your marketing activities.

Operations Plan

This reflects all the basics of operating your business and includes:

  • Your business location. Who owns it? What are the lease terms? What will be required to get it ready with regard to zoning, permitting, construction and tenant improvements?
  • Furnishing, fixtures, equipment and supply needs.
  • Inventory. What will you inventory in what volumes? Who will your vendors be? How will you store and track the inventory?
  • Description of operation, such as the activities from when an order for products/ services is received through its delivery, the cycles for inventory or materials/supplies purchase and other cycles inherent to your business.
  • Key players and their operational roles in the business (co-owners, managers, advisors).
  • Legal needs, insurance needs and an understanding of your regulatory requirements.
  • Recordkeeping and accounting needs (inventory tracking, accounting system, billing method, filing systems, etc.). Who will handle day-to-day accounting? Who will be your business banker? Who will be your business accountant and what services will they provide?
  • Consider including a section on emergency preparedness. Unexpected natural and human caused events could damage or destroy your business and its records.

Other

Once you have a basis for the above, other amendments can be added to your business plan, such as funding requests or pertinent information that may be needed by the specific reader of your document. While the task is daunting, there is help to conduct your perfect plan. Visit the SBA.gov for more information.

Source: Business.WA.Gov, SBA

How Do You Grab Their Attention Before the Interview?

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Resumes serve one purpose: to get you noticed. You need to be organized, personally and professionally, so you can create a solid resume and cover letter.

You can get yourself organized by knowing your worth, knowing your Veterans’ preference qualification, knowing what you want and knowing what works.

Know Your Worth


As a veteran or military service member you—

Learn quickly. One reason that you are needed in the federal civilian workforce is that you have already proven you can learn new tasks. You underwent rigorous training. Managers know you understand the value of learning and how to apply it.

Understand the value of teamwork. Teamwork was instilled in you from the moment you entered boot camp. You understand its value and work well with others.

Lead by example. You may have been given opportunity and various experiences to be a leader. Federal civilian jobs need people who are highly motivated and lift up those around them.

Respect authority. People in the federal civilian world respect those who understand rank and authority. Everything has its proper place, and order is needed to function smoothly.

Supervisors take comfort in knowing that you know how to support them with their mission.

Understand cultural diversity. You know how to work alongside others of different races and religions. You can work with coworkers who may be a little different or challenging. You can adjust to different environments when the situation calls for it.

Perform under pressure. You were trained to perform well—even when the going gets a little rough. You do not back down from challenges. Your ability to keep going adds stability to a team.

For all of these reasons and more, you are 
the kind of high performance candidate the Federal Government needs. Weave these words and themes into your professional resume to remind recruiters and supervisors that it’s not just the candidate, but the quality of his or 
her character that makes a difference in the workplace.

Know Your Veterans’ Preference Qualifications

In recognition of their service and sacrifice to our country, Congress passed the Veterans’ Preference Act of 1944.

Veterans’ preference is a measurement that provides Veterans special consideration when applying for certain federal civilian jobs. It is intended for Veterans who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces and were discharged under honorable conditions. It does not guarantee Veterans a job or give Veterans’ preference in internal agency actions such as promotion, transfer, reassignment and reinstatement. It does, however, give Veterans additional points after their assessment as a qualified candidate for a job in recognition of their status as a service member.

Veterans’ preference scores range from 0 to 10 points. Your Veterans’ preference score is in direct proportion to VA’s assessment of the length and timing of your service and any disability incurred during that time.

To claim Veterans’ preference, you must provide a copy of your DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, or other acceptable documentation as proof of your service. Applicants claiming a 10-point preference will also need to submit Form SF-15, Application for 10-point Veterans’ Preference, located at: http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf.

To investigate your Veterans’ preference qualifications, visit the Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Preference Advisor at: http://www.dol.gov/elaws/vetspref.htm.

Know What Works

Different types of jobs call for different types of resumes. Creating resumes for different jobs allows you to highlight the experience you have in one area over another, tailoring your experience to a desired position. For example, on one resume, you may wish to showcase the times you coordinated teams and managed assignments, but on another, you may want to focus on your technical proficiency. USAJOBS allows you to create and save up to five different types of resumes.

Remember: The more your application matches a position’s requirements, the easier it is for recruiters to assess that you are a suitable candidate.

What makes a resume good or bad can come down to several common indicators, as much as the format you choose.

Source: www.vaforvets.va.gov

7 Schools for Returning Military Service Members

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Enrolling in a trade school after military service can be challenging. Some institutions lack programs that allow returning service members to maximize their potential.

Others may be unable to offer the funding and resources veterans need to succeed in the classroom. However, there are military-friendly trade schools vets should consider when furthering their education or pursuing new career paths.

What Makes a Trade School Good for Veterans?

Trade schools are an excellent option for veterans looking to further their education.

Many returning military service members who enroll in vocational programs enjoy the hands-on training they get to supplement their traditional classroom instruction.

Others like the flexible scheduling that allows them to balance their work, home, and school obligations more easily.

A Shorter Cost Efficient Way to Establish a Career

However, one of the most common reasons veterans choose to attend trade schools over traditional colleges and universities is that they can complete a program in less time and for less money. Instead of taking two to four years to get a degree, you can finish a trade school course in anywhere from six months to a year and start working in your chosen field.

Applying Military Training to Skilled Trades
Transferable Skillsets

Many of the skills veterans learn in the military are also essential for those working in trade careers.

For example, the same teamwork, communication, and interpersonal skills that helped you build relationships with fellow service members and commanding officers may come into play when interacting with employers, coworkers, and customers.

Other transferable military skills that are essential for trade jobs include analytical thinking, risk management, attention to detail, adaptability, and the ability to work well under pressure.

Specific Skills Learned in the Military

Some military skills might even relate to a specific trade, like applying weapons training to a job in criminal justice or going from a fighter pilot to an airline or commercial pilot.

Whatever branch of the military you served in, you can find a skilled trade or vocational school program that helps you apply the skills and training you learned in the military to a civilian career. In fact, many trade schools offer specific workshops and resources for veterans looking to make a smooth transition from the military to the workforce.

Must-Haves for a Military-Friendly Trade School

Generally speaking, a military-friendly trade school should have the four elements below.

1. Financial Aid for Military Students

Tuition assistance from U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs programs and GI Bill Benefits or through military-specific scholarship and grant opportunities.

2. Veteran-Specific Academic Assistance

Academic advisors that help veterans choose programs that suit their military skillset and possibly receive course credits for previous military experience.

3. Post-Graduation Career Placement Resources

Resume-crafting workshops, interview practice, job fairs, and networking events to help students find jobs with military-friendly employers and organizations.

4. On-Campus, Student-Run Veteran’s Center

A strong community of military students offering vouchers for food, transportation and books, plus support through study and tutoring groups and counseling referrals.

Continue on here to view a list of Schools & Programs for Veterans.

The Top Veteran Jobs of 2023

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Whether 2023 is the year you transition to the civilian sector or you’re simply looking for a career switch, your military skillset has prepared you for a tremendous number of jobs. Here are the hottest jobs for 2023:

Electrician

For those who enjoy working with your hands or have experience in construction and engineering from the military, working in electricity may be the perfect fit for you. Electricians install, maintain and repair electrical power, communications, lighting and control systems in homes, businesses and factories.

  • Training and Education: To become an electrician, you must have your high school diploma or equivalent. Most electricians learn their trade in a 4- or 5-year apprenticeship program, receiving 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training and technical instruction. However, workers who gained electrical experience in the military or in the construction industry may qualify for a shortened apprenticeship based on their experience and testing.
  • Work Environment: Electricians work indoors and outdoors at homes, businesses, factories and construction sites. Because electricians must travel to different worksites, local or long-distance commuting is often required. They may need to work in cramped, noisy spaces from time to time or at great heights for construction and renewable energy-type projects.
  • Average Salary: $60,040
  • Job Growth Rate: 7% (average)

Financial Analyst

Financial analysts guide businesses and individuals in decisions about spending money to attain a profit. They assess the performance of stocks, bonds and other types of investments. Veterans’ abilities to quickly adapt to new circumstances, take on the helm of leadership and stay organized are especially helpful in this role.

  • Training and Education: Most entry-level positions for financial analysts require a bachelor’s degree, preferably in a business field. You should also have your securities industry license, which is generally sponsored by the employer and is not required before starting a job. Obtaining a Chartered Financial Analyst certification can also improve the chances of workplace advancement.
  • Work Environment: Financial analysts work primarily in offices but may travel to visit companies or clients. They work full-time hours of at least 40 hours per week.
  • Average Salary: $95,570
  • Job Growth Rate: 9% (faster than average)

Information Security Analyst

Information security analysts plan and carry out security measures to protect an organization’s computer networks and systems. If you have experience working with encrypted messages or cybersecurity during your time in the military, this career is the perfect fit for your experiences.

  • Training and Education: Information security analysts typically need a bachelor’s degree in computer and information technology or a related field, such as engineering or math. However, some workers enter the occupation with a high school diploma and relevant industry training and certifications. Employers may prefer to hire analysts who have professional certification in information security.
  • Work Environment: Many information security analysts work in an office-like setting with other members of an information technology department, such as network administrators or computer systems analysts. Most information security analysts work full-time but may have to be on call outside of regular business hours in case of an emergency.
  • Average Salary: $102,600
  • Job Growth Rate: 35% (faster than average)

Registered Nurse

Registered nurses (RNs) provide and coordinate patient care, educate patients and the public about various health conditions and provide advice and emotional support to patients and their families. They often administer medications and treatments, help families administer care, operate and monitor equipment and consult with healthcare professionals. This job is perfect for veterans as the job often calls for individuals that are calm under pressure and can quickly adapt to new situations.

  • Training and Education: Registered nurses usually take one of three education paths: a bachelor’s degree in nursing, an associate degree in nursing or a diploma from an approved nursing program. Registered nurses must be licensed.
  • Work Environment: Registered nurses may work in hospitals, schools and offices. They often do a lot of bending, stretching and standing and are in close contact with people with different infectious diseases. Their work schedules depend on their specific setting but can range from typical full-time shifts to around-the-clock coverage.
  • Average Salary: $77,600
  • Job Growth Rate: 6% (average)

Human Resources Manager

Human resources managers plan, coordinate and direct the administrative functions of an organization. They oversee the recruiting, interviewing and hiring of new staff, consult with top executives on strategic planning, and connect an organization’s management and its employees. Veterans with experience in managing staff allocation and leadership experience are especially fit for this job.

  • Training and Education: Human resources managers typically need a bachelor’s degree to enter the occupation. The degree may be in human resources or another field, such as business, communications or psychology. They typically have a combination of education and related work experience to enter management positions. Courses in subjects such as conflict management may be helpful.
  • Work Environment: Human resources managers work at least 40 hours a week in offices. Some managers, especially those working for organizations that have offices nationwide, travel to visit other branches, attend professional meetings or recruit employees.
  • Average Salary: $126,230
  • Job Growth Rate: 7% (average)

Sources: Indeed, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

How Veterans Can Make Their Resume a Favorite With These Unique Skills

Career
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By Ron Kness

Reports from employers routinely show that the majority of them are looking for soft skills in their candidates. Veterans have a high number of these skills from their time in service, and if you don’t put them on your resume, then employers won’t know that you have them.

5 SOFT SKILLS FOR VETERANS TO HIGHLIGHT ON THEIR RESUME

As a veteran, don’t underestimate the value of the soft skills learned while in the military.

This is the kind of experience employers are searching for…and it is the experience that new college graduates typically don’t have. But if you don’t put these soft skills on your resume — with examples of how you used these soft skills — they will never know you have them.

  1. Communication

This soft skill has always been important, but because of the way the pandemic changed our way of working, it is even more important now. With remote and hybrid work, communicating is different. While much is still verbal using videoconferencing, more has transitioned to text and email, and writing is different than speaking.

Another change requiring this soft skill is that more and more companies are becoming more diverse, inclusive and global. And to the credit of veterans, there is probably not a military force more experienced with a broad spectrum of experience with different races, cultures and genders than the U.S. Armed Forces, so veterans already know how to communicate in a growing diverse, inclusive and global business environment.

  1. Time management

The ability to manage time is the “secret sauce” of being effective. In today’s fast-paced business environment, things move fast and employers can’t afford to have employees waste time. Fortunately, veterans are “old hat” at this soft skill. The military runs on a clock. Certain things happen at certain times, and if you are not there, it will not wait for you. So, we have all learned not to be late by arriving 15 minutes early for a scheduled event.

  1. Project management

This soft skill often goes hand-in-hand with time management. A project usually has a sequence of events where “A” has to happen before “B,” “B” has to happen before “C,” etc. If one of the items is delayed, it affects the rest of the project and throws it off schedule. Veterans are used to dealing with projects.

One that comes to mind is operations. Being on the objective at a certain time is critical for the success of that operation. In many instances, it can be a matter of life or death. Veterans can check that box!

  1. Analytical thinking

The U.S. military is different from many other militaries in that its NCOs are taught to lead in the absence of an officer. If their officer is taken out of the fight, there is always a Senior NCO there to take over and carry on with the mission. And if unexpected situations come up, that person can choose possible courses of action and select the one with the highest chance of success on the fly. It is analytical thinking at its best, but we call it being able to think on your feet!

  1. Flexibility

One of the benefits of being able to work remotely that workers like a lot is flexibility, being able to work when their life schedule allows. Employers recognize this benefit, so they are interested in candidates that have experience working in this type of environment. In the military, we learn that a plan does not always go as planned — alright, almost never as planned — and we have to be flexible and be able to adapt to fast-changing conditions — often in an adverse environment. So, this is another soft skill veterans are very adept at doing.

Source: ClearanceJobs

Veteran Small Business Certification – What you need to know

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Veteran-owned small businesses can use this application to be certified by SBA to compete for federal contracts.

Certified veteran-owned small businesses (VOSBs) will have the opportunity to pursue sole-source and set-aside contracts at the Department of Veterans Affairs under the VA’s Vets First program.

Certification Eligibility

Have at least 51% veteran ownership
Registered as a small business with SAM.gov
Be a small business according to SBA’s size standards
View Size Standards
Register and Apply Today!

Certification Benefits

  • All federal government purchases between $10,000 and $250,000 are automatically set aside for small businesses, as long as there are at least two companies that can provide the product or service at a fair and reasonable price.
  • Access to SBA tools to prepare for federal procurement, connect with commercial supply chains, meet your local business community, purchase surplus federal property, access capital, and mitigate disaster damage.

Benefits for veteran-owned small business

Getting certified by SBA as veteran-owned (VOSB) makes your business eligible to compete for sole-source and set-aside contracts at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The VA sets aside at least 7% of its contracts each year specifically for certified VOSBs and SDVOSBs. You can also compete for contracts under other qualifying socio-economic programs. Learn more

Benefits for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses

Getting certified by SBA as service-disabled veteran-owned (SDVOSB) makes your business eligible to compete for sole-source and set-aside contracts. At least 3% of all federal contracting dollars each year are set aside specifically for certified SDVOSBs. You can also compete for contracts under other qualifying socio-economic programs. Learn more.

Other SBA resources for veterans
Learn more about resources and opportunities available for veteran small businesses
View Resources and Opportunities

Source: sba.gov

Related Articles:
usveteransmagazine.com/2023/03/introducing-veteran-small-business-certification-program/
usveteransmagazine.com/2023/03/grow-robust-business-portfolio-based-military-principles/

Separation Health Assessment Part A now required on claims from transitioning service members

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If you are a transitioning service member applying for VA disability compensation under the Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) or the Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES) program, there are some changes coming that you should know about. 

Starting April 1, you will be required to complete and submit the Part A Self-Assessment of a new Separation Health Assessment (SHA) with your BDD or IDES application.

The SHA is a single separation examination which supports both the VA disability compensation process and the Department of Defense (DoD) separation/retirement process.

The SHA examination documents any medical concerns identified during your military career, assists with identifying future illnesses, and reduces redundant examinations between both agencies.

The SHA is divided into three Parts:

  • Part A – medical history questionnaire. You must complete Part A prior to attending your clinical assessment;
  • Part B – clinical assessment. This is where the examiner will review your Part A and your Service Treatment Records (STRs), provide an examination, and then deliver a clinical assessment;
  • Part C – this is reserved for DoD reviewer purposes only. DoD is expected to fully begin using the SHA later this year.

The SHA Part A questionnaire will provide VA examiners a history of the service member’s medical conditions and will assist with conducting a more thorough and better-quality examination. A link to the Part A questionnaire will be placed on the VA Form 21-526-EZ Application for Disability Compensation and Related Compensation Benefit, under the eligibility criteria for the BDD program, and on the VA BDD and IDES Fact Sheets. A direct link to Part A is also available here.

BDD claimants who submit applications online can upload the completed Part A with their STRs under the evidence section. After VA receives and reviews the application, STRs, and completed Part A Self-Assessment, an SHA examination will be requested. The SHA clinical assessment will be conducted by one of VA’s contracted examiners or a local VA health care examiner. All evidence submitted by the service member will be made available electronically to the examiner.

The new SHA is a multi-year collaborative effort between both agencies to improve the separation examination process for service members exiting the military.

For further information on the BDD and IDES programs, please visit our website at Pre-Discharge Claim | Veterans Affairs.

Source: VA

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