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For veterans entering the civilian workforce

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Greetings everyone,
I am still constructing this new web site, military2civilianemployment.com

In the meantime, here is a guest post from Dr. Harry Croft

 The unemployment rate among military servicemen and women in the civilian workforce is much greater than for their non-veteran counterparts.  As troops from Afghanistan start returning home, what do these veterans as well as employers need to know? 

Harry Croft M.D., a former Army doctor and a psychiatrist who has evaluated more than 7,000 veterans for PTSD, and is author of the book I Always Sit With My Back to The Wall, offers this advice:

For Veterans
-       Recognize what your skill sets are.  Your military training proves you’re able to learn, work in groups, accomplish a mission, be a strong leader and be dedicated to what you do.    

-       Understand the differences between the military community (your former job) and the civilian community (job you’re going into).  The military recognizes you by your rank, time-in-grade and job description.  The civilian community is different: people dress alike, socialize with co-workers, and things are looser and not always by the book. 

-       If you suffer from PTSD, learn everything you can about it and better understand why you do what you do.  It’s important to know what your symptoms are, what triggers them and how to cope.  Without the knowledge, you’re likely to get in trouble and be misunderstood.

-       You’ve received the best leadership training in the world, but understanding and being able to explain how that translates to the civilian workforce is the key in your resume or during an interview.

-       Get yourself a support system.  It can be on the web, a mentor, coach, or group of local veterans who are also returning to the workforce. 

For Employers
-       Understand the veteran, his or her skill sets and the differences in military and civilian culture.  Hire veterans in pairs or groups because they’re used to working that way. 

-       Learn about PTSD so if you hire a veteran dealing with it, you know what the symptoms really are.  This will help you understand that the vet is not trying to be disrespectful or obstinate and will help you understand the reasons they sometimes behave the way they do. 

-       Don’t give into the myths, mystique and stigma about veterans with PTSD.  Never will someone with PTSD behave like Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, the soldier accused of killing 16 Afghanistan civilians.  He was suffering from much more than just PTSD alone. 

-       Offer veterans you hire someone to talk to in confidence or a situation or way that might enable them to deal with their symptoms more effectively.

-       Ask yourself why you want to hire a veteran?  It shouldn’t be because it’s a tax break, the patriotic thing to do, good for business or because you feel sorry for them.  They don’t want to be treated like charity, but given opportunities because they are the right person for the job.

Croft says if both sides understand where the other is coming from, veterans can make for some of the best employees in an organization.

Please consider an interview with Dr. Croft to talk about veterans and the workplace.
www.mybacktothewall.com

Melissa Martinn t
bilingual career/social media strategist
Rated among top 100 inspiring career coaches, http://onlinedegree.net 
Melissa is a proud military spouse and former employment counsellor at Canadian Forces Base Kingston, Canada. She currently works as a vocational counsellor in mental health.
approved career expert on www.careerealism.com and www.secretsofthejobhunt.com
Twitter: @ravingredhead and @melissacmartin

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