November 11th, Veterans Day, a day to commemorate and give thanks to all the brave men and women who have served in the United States military. According to the Department of Labor, veterans face an unemployment rate that is twice as high as the national average. There are 1 in 10 Americans who served our country in the military and are trying to find their way back into the workforce. Many veterans struggle with translating their skills and experiences gained in the military into resumes and job interviews that appeal to civilian employers. Here at The Kable Group, we are committed to helping veterans make this transition and find fulfilling careers. We interviewed one of our own employees, Anthony, who is a veteran himself, to get his insights on how the military shaped his life and career path.
Anthony, a technical recruiter here at MBS Professional, comes from 5 generations of military and police service. He mentioned that his entire life he has been surrounded by service members on both sides of his family. From his father, all the way down to his son and nephew his family has had members in almost every branch of the military. “My son is currently a designated Nuclear Electronics Technician in the Navy. After having served 3 years of active duty he is now at The US Naval Academy. As you can tell, there’s not a lot that challenges him. He’s a go-getter that’s for sure.” When the question of why he enlisted in the military came about he stated, “I honestly had no motivation to go to traditional college and I wanted to travel the world and serve this country. While serving I was able to travel to 23 countries before I was even 23 years old. How many people in this world can say that?” One of his most memorable moments as a combat medic for the US Marine Corps was when they were on a search and rescue mission swimming in the Adriatic Sea at 3 am. They were able to rescue a boat full of Albanian citizens and bring them ashore to safety.
In the fall of 1999, Anthony was in an unfortunate accident that destroyed his back and broke his hip in 3 places. Due to this, he was separated from his military service. Anthony also found that transitioning back into civilian life was quite difficult. “They have made immense changes in the past decade to help transitioning veterans, but when I was in this process, I found very little help. I kind of felt completely on my own trying to navigate life and find something else I was passionate about. It was tough.” He found himself in pharmaceutical sales and then eventually began a career as a recruiter and has been in this field ever since. His passion for helping others attain the resources and guidance to start or change their careers is what has kept him in this industry for over 15 years. He not only wants to help people find jobs but to help them find the right career fit that allows them to grow professionally.
While facing his own personal struggles throughout his transition into civilian life, Anthony turned this into an opportunity to help those in similar situations. In 2018, he started a non-profit that collected clothes left behind at local dry cleaners and donated them to homeless veterans. Once the pandemic hit, he had to make the decision to close his non-profit but he is still adamant about staying active in the veteran community. He is a part of various organizations such as United Way and Mission 22, an organization actively supporting services for veterans struggling with PTSD and other mental health disorders. He also encourages the employers he works with to dedicate some of their time and money to hiring these veterans. “They have the leadership and determination to be successful in civilian careers. Companies just need to give them the opportunity to showcase their skills. I would encourage all companies to invest in career services for Veterans. From the time and money put into these hiring programs, you will get it back 100-fold every time. Hire a veteran.”
We understand that for veterans the transition process can be very overwhelming at times. To alleviate some of that stress and concern, our team has gone through and gathered a list of helpful resources and services that could be of great use to those looking to begin a new career after their military service. Please review the links below and be sure to share them with friends and loved ones. As always, our team is here to help in any way we can. We will work with you on job applications, resume building, upskilling, interview prep, and continuous professional services throughout your new career.
Helpful Resources:
Jobs for Veterans, Veterans Job Fairs | RecruitMilitary
Careers And Employment | Veterans Affairs (va.gov)
Military Service | OhioMeansJobs
Mission 22 I National Veteran Non-Profit Organization
Mission United Get Support | United Way Worldwide
Disabled Veterans National Foundation- “Serving Our Heroes with Honor” (dvnf.org)