The transportation industry has a long history of seeking out veteran talent and putting them to work. Railroad companies like CSX, Norfolk Southern, Amtrak, BNSF, and Canadian Pacific are making a concerted effort to fill their ranks with former service members by participating in a number of veteran hiring initiatives.
Canadian Pacific is a transcontinental railway in Canada and the United States with direct links to major ports on the west and east coasts, providing North American customers a competitive rail service with access to key markets in every corner of the globe. CP is growing with its customers, offering a suite of freight transportation services, logistics solutions and supply chain expertise. Visit cpr.ca to see the rail advantages of CP.
Canadian Pacific is an excellent place for veterans to work as it’s similar to the military in terms of a structure, roles, demanding working environment and attributes required for success. Veterans excel at working and leading in the operational environment as such climb the promotion ladder very quickly. CP has a great veterans support network which includes veteran mentorship, specific military management training programs, a Veterans’ Social Club and also a dedicated Manager of military Relations.
According to their website, 1 in 5 CSX employees is a former service member. The benefit of working at a company with such a high veteran employment rate, is that many vets thrive when they are surrounded by coworkers with similar backgrounds and experiences. As part of the veteran hiring efforts, CSX offers a neat Career Opportunity chart that breaks down different career paths within the organization that veterans can pursue based on their military experience. You can check it out here.
As the chart demonstrates, CSX offers careers in a variety of different fields. Some of their offerings include work in fields such as clerical, engineering, corporate, transportation, management and more. They even offer summer internships for veterans pursuing a college degree.
For a full look at available railroad careers with CSX, click here!
Norfolk Southern is participating in two separate veteran hiring initiatives. As part of the federal “Joining Forces” initiatives and the US Chamber of Commerce’s “Hiring our Heroes” program, Norfolk Southern presents a great opportunity for job-seeking veterans.
According to their website, Norfolk Southern employs more than 4,000 veterans and offers job security for reservists and members of the National Guard that are called to active duty. Norfolk Southern’s has partnered with veterans.jobs which is a job search site that allows veterans to filter job openings by plugging in their current or former military occupation specialty (MOS).
Norfolk Southern hires veterans to fill a wide range of jobs such as co-ops/internships, professional services, management training and operations. For more information on Norfolk Southern’s veteran employment program, check out their brochure here. For a list of railroad careers for veterans, click here!
Amtrak employs more than 20,000 people nationwide and they proudly support and encourage U.S. Veterans to apply for their job opportunities. To show their commitment to employing veterans, Amtrak established a Veterans Employee Resource Group (VERG) with a primary focus to mentor and support Military Veterans through fellowship, career development and community outreach.
Amtrak offers an exhaustive list of railroad career opportunities well suited for transitioning veterans. Possible career paths include entry level jobs, corporate positions, mechanical, engineering, and conductor jobs. Check out a full breakdown of their railroad career paths here.
BNSF has been a participant in the federal “Joining Forces” campaign since 2013. As part of this campaign, BNSF has committed to hiring 5,000 veterans by 2018. BNSF is no stranger to veteran hiring, they’ve put more than 9,000 veterans to work since 2005.
BNSF has an entire section of their website offering video testimonials of veterans who have successfully transitioned out of the service and into new and exciting roles with the railroad company. You can check them out here.
Like the other companies listed above, BNSF’s career offerings for veterans are wide ranging. Transitioning veterans can find jobs in field operations, admin, recruiting, information technology, crew work and much more. For a complete list of potential railroad careers for veterans, click here!
Careers in the railroad industry are perfectly suited for transitioning veterans who are seeking a career that in many instances reflects the military environment. Careers in this industry are often well-structured, and fast paced with an emphasis on safety. Veterans are skilled leaders with an expertise in operating in these kinds of environments.
Veterans who pursue careers in this industry often find themselves surrounded by other vets who have successfully transitioned or are actively transitioning. The organizations listed above have a proven history of supporting transitioning military members and they offer a wide range of career paths for veterans still deciding which professional direction they’d like to take.
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