Military employment question?

Question

As much as I found the original question offensive: "If veterans didn't go to school when they were in the Military, why should they be given a job?" question offensive the guy had a point that i've been asking myself. This is something our society/gov needs to step in and take care of.

We do get quite a bit a veterans that come back with skills that aren't applicable to civilian jobs, and there are vets that just don't want to use their GI Bill, some just don't want to go to college, so what should we do with those guys? 

Im not talking about all, im talking about the individuals that have no direct skill sets, with no college education. Those that come back that aren't physically/mentally capable of operating heavy machinery for labor types of jobs. What happens to them, and is it justifiable that they get the position over someone that is more qualified for the position but is not a veteran?

I know vets are known for more than their skills (teamwork, leadership etc) but those qualities don't seem to be enough to get your foot in the door of employment if you have no experience in an applicable field

I don't mean to be offensive I am ignorant to the situation and I genuinely want an honest answer, could someone please shed some light on this?

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

What needs to be done is:

1.  Educate employers about military jobs, training and skill sets.  And how those apply to the civilian world.  An employer sees "Infantry" and thinks "mindless, knuckle-dragger".  Because they have no clue what is involved in planning, resourcing and conducting Infantry operations.  And how those skills and experiences translate into the civilian world.  People are ignorant of how the military operates.  They think we just deploy 300,000 18 and 19 year old kids halfway around the world and let them run around like monkey children.

2.  We need better pre-seperation programs for those transitioning out of the military.

3.  We need a mechanism to translate military training into civilian licensing and certifications. Congress is working on fixing this.  England is a great example.  In the US..college is a big $$$ industry.  We have been brainwashed into thinking that college is the only way to be trained and educated...because college is a big $$$ industry.

Only in certain areas are Veterans given preference over non-Vets.  And these are mostly in Government jobs.  And it is only given IF both candidates are equally qualified for the job.

DrZ · Answer

I had many friends who were trained as infantry in the military.  Some became cops, firemen, postal employees, and various other jobs.  There are many skill sets that are learned in the military for the infantry.  If you attempt to do a straight cross from the military to the civilian world...you might have difficulty with the translation.  However, the military gives you focus, direction, and a 'can do' attitude that will make you strive to improve your lot in life.

Many here have asked about the vets on the side of the road.  Homeless, jobless, and hunger is what I have seen on their signs.  But I would state that no more than 1 - 2% of those seen spent any time in the military.  PTSD accounts for the majority of the 1 - 2% who did serve.

There is your honest answer.

Semper Fidelis,
Z

don_sv_az · Answer

Among other things they have proven the capacity to work hard, show up to work every day, follow directions, follow most rules (even if they seem stupid to most young people, like not spending 3 working hours every day on your cell phone), and in spite of not having a particular skill set, they have done thousands of different things in the military some of which are applicable to the civilian world.

In my opinion, the most important of these is they are capable of showing up for work every day they are scheduled.

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Military employment question?

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