Introduction

Nearly 200,000 service members leave the military every year. That equates to about 2 million veterans experiencing this major life transition every decade. However, data shows that only 5% of veterans fully retire when they leave the military, meaning that a vast majority of transitioning veterans are looking to build fulfilling civilian careers.

Finding meaningful employment is a challenge for anyone, but it can prove especially difficult for veterans who are unfamiliar with the civilian workforce, and unsure how their military skills translate to other sectors. According to a recent Mission Roll Call poll, when asked if they found it difficult to acclimate to civilian life, 46% of respondents answered “yes.” In spite of resources available, a further 81% indicated that they had never received transition assistance such as mentorship, financial assistance, or job placement from a local business, nonprofit, or community provider. Additionally, in a study done by Syracuse University, nearly half of veterans said they felt the military transition assistance program did not prepare them well for leaving military service.

It’s clear that both awareness and utilization of potential transitional resources are much lower than they should be. Whether preparing for, in the midst of, or in the months and years following transition from active duty military to civilian life, it’s essential to our mission that service members and their families are able to leverage vital resources to improve their transition experience.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

The most recent research on veteran professional development discovered that only 25% of veterans walked straight into a civilian job upon their military retirement, while 48% began the job search immediately upon leaving the military. Though 57% of veterans said they had a job in less than 6 months and only 16% reported it taking more than a year to find a job, veterans polled by Mission Roll Call reported over a third still found it difficult to attain substantial employment. A similar number said that “finding suitable employment” was the biggest challenge of military transition.

Not having substantial savings upon leaving the military, which is the case for some, can exacerbate the issue of employment, causing veterans to take jobs that don’t suit their skills or needs. Because of this, roughly 80% of veterans leave their first post-military job within two years. If these transitioning members started the search earlier and leveraged available resources designed to support career success, they may be more likely to find meaningful, financially adequate, and satisfactory work.

It’s Never Too Late

Transitioning careers is complicated at the best of times, and it can take months to years to fully adjust. This is especially true of transitioning service members, who are not merely moving from one corporate job to another, but are also often changing geographies and losing some of the structure, stability and purpose that the military provides.

Service members need to give themselves grace as they navigate this time in their lives, but they also need to know they don’t have to do it alone. Whether a service member is just starting to consider leaving the service, or a veteran is well into their civilian life, it’s never too late to utilize the employment and transition resources available.

Resources That Can Help

From financial literacy classes to skills certifications, educational opportunities, and resume help, any number of these resources can be helpful to veterans no matter what stage of the transition process they’re in. More than just finding job listings, community and public resources provide tangible help for veterans looking to build financial stability through a meaningful, impactful civilian career.

One of the first hurdles that veterans face when trying to get help is knowing where to look. The VA is the go-to resource for many veterans – for good reason.The VA houses services such as the Veteran and Military Transition Center, which offers information on continuing education, civilian employment and job opportunities, help navigating benefits and assistance. The VA also offers a Veterans Employment Toolkit, a one-stop page where veterans can be linked to other resources like resume and application help and upcoming career fairs. The federal government offers additional help apart from the VA as well, such as the DoD’s Office of Financial Readiness. This program offers financial tips and education specifically geared towards service members and veterans.

For the 47% of veterans who enrolled in school either part or full time after leaving the military, their new college or university can also be a valuable resource. Many higher education institutions have career centers aimed at helping students find gainful employment, and they host events such as career fairs, resume workshops, and more. Continuing education as a veteran might also look like through programs such as Skillbridge, a DOD program that offers internship, apprenticeship, and employment training opportunities.

Employment and transition resources can be found in the private sector as well as the public.

Companies such as Anheuser Busch and others market themselves to career-seeking veterans, often providing developmental training, certifications, and additional resources. Nonprofit organizations and community groups like the Honor Foundation, Hire Heroes USA, Vets in Tech, Bunker Labs, and Gallant Few also serve the veteran transition experience. Some, like Gallant Few, offer individual transition support, while others like Hire Heroes USA are specifically veteran employment nonprofits. Many civilian companies and nonprofits highly value the unique skills that veterans have to offer, and they will often work alongside veterans to bridge the employment gap if it means gaining these highly motivated, hardworking individuals in the workplace.

Conclusion

Transitioning into the civilian workforce can be challenging, especially when veterans are navigating housing, mental health and other difficult issues. It can be confusing knowing how to apply military skills in different employment sectors – but veterans can take comfort in the fact that many of their comrades have gone through the same challenges, and there are organizations, programs and resources designed to help. That is why spreading awareness of the different transition and employment resources available is vital for promoting veteran success. Just like there is more than one pathway to success, there is more than one avenue to assistance for those needing help.

Informing those still serving about these resources gives them the opportunity to navigate their transition with a wealth of useful knowledge at their command, ultimately bringing greater ease to their military transition experience. And for those who have already left the service, it’s never too late to utilize these resources to build a civilian career. A well-informed transition creates stronger outcomes for veterans, their families, and the communities they go on to serve, proving once more that we’re stronger together.

At Mission Roll Call, we’ll keep working to make sure every veteran knows about — and can access — the resources they’ve earned.