4. Be a source of information, not a list of problems.
When employers listen to the laundry list of problems that the news says veterans have, many companies may worry about what accommodations they’ll need to provide to a potential veteran employee. How do you help them see you as an asset instead of the myth of the veteran who has lots of costly problems? The answer is to provide the employer with the peace of mind that the real human they are hiring is an asset who brings many positive attributes to their company: leadership, teamwork, discipline, motivation and adaptability, to name just a few.
Before you interview:
Think about how you will present yourself as an opportunity rather than a burden. Veterans bring with them an incredible tool set based on the unique experiences they had serving in the military. Focus the conversation on how your military job prepared you for the position you are considering. Translate your deployment experiences into skills that you will take with you to the job. Discuss what your military service taught you about handling challenges and how you have worked to overcome some of your own.
Don’t let these myths work against you when looking for a new career. Make a plan to blast these misconceptions out of the water so they don’t stand in the way of landing the best post-military career possible.
