In May, as parts of the country began to re-open after the first wave of COVID-19 infections, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics noted that unemployment numbers for U.S. veterans had gone down.
That drop was significant, from about 11.7 percent unemployment in April to 9 percent unemployment in May. It represents some 800,000 veterans who had applied for unemployment assistance in May, Leo Shane III at MilitaryTimes reports.
If you are a veteran searching for work, or if you know someone who is, here are 10 people and organizations that will be useful in a job search.
1. PAE
Pacific Architects and Engineers (PAE) was founded in the 1950s, as the U.S. government and its allies were rebuilding whole economies after WWII. PAE was a key partner in the rebuilding work that happened in Asia.
Today, the organization has a portfolio of projects around the world that employ more than 20,000 people, and PAE recruits veterans because of the unique skills they bring to every project.
2. Feds Hire Vets
Fed Hire Vets is an arm of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, which has a specific focus on recruiting veterans for federal jobs.
Currently, veterans account for almost one-third (31 percent) of the federal workforce, and the Veterans Services Office works hard to match the talents of individual veterans with key positions in the government. The office also works to transition military service members as well as their families into roles within the civil service.
Available positions are posted at USAJOBS.gov. Listings with a green and white shield give preference to veterans. If you intend to claim veterans preference, you can find a list of the supporting documentation you will need here.
3. My Next Move
My Next Move for Veterans is an interactive tool for veterans to learn about their career options.
It’s developed and maintained by the National Center for O*NET Development, under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration through a grant to the North Carolina Department of Commerce.
“The site has tasks, skills, salary information, job listings, and more for over 900 different careers,” it says. “Veterans can find careers through keyword search; by browsing industries that employ different types of workers; or by discovering civilian careers that are similar to their job in the military. Veterans can also take advantage of the O*NET Interest Profiler, a tool that offers personalized career suggestions based on a person’s interests and level of work experience.”
4. Hire Heroes USA
Hire Heroes USA is a nonprofit organization that has been providing employment services to military members, veterans, and military spouses for more than a decade. The service is free, and it’s effective: There have been more than 40,000 confirmed hires through the service.
Hire Heroes USA provides career coaching services, resume reviews, interview prep, and job sourcing. It’s funded through private grants and public donations, and its partners include major employers like Boeing and USAA.
For anyone considering making a donation to Hire Heroes USA, you can find the organization’s financials here, and you can see its four-star Charity Navigator profile here.
5. Military.com’s Veteran Jobs Board
Military.com is a go-to resource for all service members and veterans. That’s why its Veteran Jobs Board is one of the best-curated listings of veteran jobs you will find anywhere.
Beyond the jobs board itself are all kinds of other resources, including:
- Job-hunting tips.
- Access to a free resume-assessment service from Monster.com.
- Guidance for managing your security clearance.
- Information about veteran-friendly employers.
- Information resources for veteran spouses.
The page also lists upcoming job fairs, which have mostly moved online at the moment.
6. FASTPORT
FASTPORT’s technology connects employers looking to hire veterans and veterans looking for work. Supporting that network is a team of job-matching experts with military backgrounds who are available for live chat on every job posting.
Further, FASTPORT works with programs like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes and a variety of apprenticeship programs to better-connect veterans with career opportunities.
FASTPORT’s team works behind the scenes, too, to create opportunities for veterans. For example, in February 2020 North Carolina State University announced that it had cooperated with the U.S. Department of Labor to create a $6 million grant to provide training and certification in artificial intelligence to about 5,000 workers. FASTPORT is among the veteran-recruitment groups providing support to that project.
7. Lisa Rosser
Lisa Rosser is Founder and CEO of The Value Of a Veteran, a company that teaches employers and HR professionals how to recruit military veterans. As veterans themselves know, transitioning into professional civilian life and transitioning their spouses back into that world can be challenging, and Rosser helps companies understand those nuances.
Rosser is worth a follow on LinkedIn because she networks so much with veterans seeking work. That means she knows who is hiring and who is hosting recruitment events, and she shares that information every day on her LinkedIn Activity feed.
8. High Ground Planning
High Ground Planning is a financial-planning resource that will be useful for veterans who are just transitioning from military to civilian. The site covers everything from tax liabilities to estate planning to whether buying a house is a sound investment.
The site’s author, John Goodell, is an attorney at Army Futures Command, so he has intimate knowledge of what career and financial planning looks like for U.S. soldiers, as well as other service members.
Goodell also posts career and financial-planning advice on his LinkedIn feed, so he’s personally worth a follow, as is his blog.
9. Corrie Waarum
Corrie Waarum is a U.S. Air Force veteran, a veteran advocate, and Senior Talent Acquisition Strategist at Amazon’s Veteran Business Leader Program, which helps military veterans find roles in retail business. The program offers participants a year-long training program that gives veterans the skills they need to navigate the industry and smooth the military-to-civilian transition.
Follow Waarum on LinkedIn for details about Amazon’s VBLP program as well as other career news specific to veterans.
10. Hirepurpose
Hirepurpose is another excellent job board. The site was built by veterans for veterans, so the available roles are curated more precisely than on some other job sites.
Hirepurpose is part of the Grid North Group, whose companies work to help veterans and military families navigate the challenges of professional civilian life. In fact, Grid North Group Founder and CEO Zachary Iscol is worth a follow on his own. Iscol is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, and he is the Chairman and Co-Founder of The Headstrong Project, a nonprofit that helps veterans access free mental healthcare.
Images by: Jessica Radanavong, Amy Hirschi, Lucas Sankey