Veterans Hiring Initiatives and Resources

A recent report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed the veteran unemployment rate for those who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan to be 12.1%. The number of overall unemployed veterans is close to the 8.3% unemployment rate for the rest of the population. The jobless rate for young veterans – age 18 to 24 – is a staggering 30%. In 2011, there were more than 250,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans jobless.

Veterans face some unique challenges in their job search. It is my opinion that we, as a society owe the military service members every effort we can give to assist them in transitioning out of the military or returning from an extended deployment. Here are some veteran’s hiring program highlights.

Feds Hire Vets – www.fedshirevets.gov

This is based on an Executive Order that was signed by President Obama in 2009 that established the Veteran’s Hiring Initiative. This initiative is designed to help the men and women who have served our country in the military find employment in the federal government. Resources include links to hiring managers and officials, tips and advice on the federal employment process and a government agency directory.

Hiring Our Heroes – http://www.uschamber.com/hiringourheroes

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and RecruitMilitary.com are partnering to present 50 hiring fairs for veterans and military spouses throughout 2012. Check their website to find a list of the upcoming career fairs dedicated to hiring military veterans.

The Veteran’s 100,000 Jobs Mission – http://www.100000jobsmission.com

A number of leading U.S. companies such as J.P. Morgan Chase, Delta Airlines, Verizon and AT&T, to name a few, launched the 100,000 Jobs Mission in 2011. Its goal is to hire 100,000 transitioning service members and military veterans by 2020. Participating companies offer job listings by Military Occupation Code or keywords and geographic location on the site.

Heroes Work Here – Website Link

This is the Walt Disney Company’s veteran’s initiative that was launched in 2012 and aims to hire 1,000 veterans over the next 3 years. This encompasses all of the Disney Corporation’s companies such as the theme parks, movie studios, ESPN and ABC.

I would just like to personally say thank you for your service to our country. I hope one of these resources will point you in the right direction as you navigate the military to private sector conversion.