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🚨 National Hire A Veteran Day 🚨 25 July On July 25th, National Hire A Veteran Day reminds employers to consider Veterans to fill their open positions. Here are three (3) reasons why this is important. #1 Supporting Veterans' Transition to Civilian Life 🇺🇸 #2 Leveraging Valuable Skills and Experience 🇺🇸 #3 Recognizing and Honoring Service 🇺🇸 If you enjoy my posts, consider smashing that follow button or connecting with me, Darrell Utt. 🫡🇺🇸 My content is typically focused on #grit, #rowdy7, #veterans, #leadership, and #motivation.

Veteran transition is hard. Make no mistake about it. When you’ve been in a demanding profession like the military for four years or forty years, it’s not easy to jump right back into civilian life. If you’ve never had to apply for a job, negotiate salary, worry about health benefits, or worst of all… talk about yourself, it’s overwhelming. What’s the actual hiring process? How long can that take? What the heck is an ATS? What if I slept through my mandatory virtual transition class and didn’t learn a thing? These are real problems Veterans face once the contract is up, so what can you do? Where can you turn? Jordana Megonigal and The RECON Network is helping to bridge that gap and assist Veterans with their transition to being a civilian again. The work they do and network they’ve created is needed and welcomed! I had the privledge of sitting on a panel at this year’s Veteran Summit to give Veterans insight from HR’s perspective. As you can see, I was among some of the very best in the business, and I learned a LOT from these leaders. Thank you for the invite, Robyn Knox, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, RCC™! You continue to give so much of your time and talent to the community, and we are lucky to have someone like you advocating for us. Great to see my friends Anna Harris (York), SPHR, Jessica Jenkins, BBA, SHRM-CP, Shannon Sports, and of course Scott W. Cook! To my fellow Veterans: You can control your attitude in the process. Never give up on yourself or those around you. Lean on your network heavily, and continue to do your research on companies you’re interested in. Don’t be the 50%! If your current plan isn’t working, cancel it and regroup. You would have done the same on active duty, so why start losing now? You bring so much to the table, and employers want that level of discipline and talent on their team. Leverage your network and resume to get that interview or conversation. The rest is easy! Ray Lattimore, SHRM-SCP, SPHR Mike Rausch Semper Fi! #veterans #military #usmc #marines #marinecorps #army #airforce #navy #coastguard #spaceforce Upstate Warrior Solution South Carolina Department of Veterans' Affairs

Today, we honor the courage, dedication, and sacrifices of our veterans. On Veterans Day, we remember those who have served our country and the immense value they bring to our communities and workplaces. Hiring veterans isn’t just about gratitude—it’s about strength and resilience. Veterans bring a unique blend of leadership, adaptability, and problem-solving skills developed through real-world experiences. Their commitment to teamwork, responsibility, and mission-driven focus makes them exceptional assets in any role. Let’s continue to support and empower those who have served. If you’re looking to build a team that can adapt, overcome challenges, and bring diverse perspectives, consider hiring a veteran. It’s an investment in excellence, loyalty, and purpose. #VeteransDay #HireAVeteran #Veterans

Does your company have a “Veteran” Employee Resource Group or VERG? These groups help Veterans better understand their new organizations and transition into civilian life. During the 2022 Society of Human Resource Management Inclusion Conference, Omari Faulkner, (a public affairs officer for the U.S. Navy Reserve) said, “VERGs are phenomenal programs and all organizations should have." He encouraged companies to also incorporate these other retention strategies: * Invest in training programs that help Veterans understand their new jobs. * Draft and commit to a strategy for recruiting and retaining Veterans. * Create a benefits package that appeals to Veterans, such as offering more paid time off and paying them adequately. "Our bottom line should be to better understand this community and elevate them," Faulkner said. "We should champion hiring veterans every single day.” Read full article here: https://buff.ly/3DTJ7RS Join the Veteran Champion Movement. Be a part of the win! #TrustedVeteranHiringAdvisor #HireAVeteran #VeteranTalentAcademy

68% of veterans report that finding a job is the biggest hurdle in their transition from active service to civilian life. As we observe Veterans Day, it's crucial to not only thank veterans for their service but also recognize the challenges they face in finding meaningful work after active duty. We’re honored to do our part in supporting America’s veterans by providing a platform that connects them with local employers, helping them get hired faster and easier than ever before. Thank you to all veterans for your service and sacrifices! #VeteransDay #Veterans #CareerSearch #JobHunt #CareerTips #JobSearch

Love Brendan Aronson and super excited to hear him and Paul Lawrence jam on this topic. I've been wrestling with this issue of veteran underemployment for some months now... Career exploration is the key here in my opinion. Micro-internships and other opportunities to really feel out one's preferred career is the first step, even before translating military skills or deciding which degree to obtain. On that topic, underemployment is a broader issue with college graduates as well. (Link in Comments) Unfortunately the timeline for the typical military transition is far too short for a servicemember to do this exploration. Even skillbridge falls short if the individual is given one role for 6 months. Which is one reason I'm a huge fan of Jason and the paradigm shift of "PreVeteran". Imagine a micro-skillbridge where a Navy Hospital Corpsman with 6 years of service and 2 years left on an enlistment could spend two weeks in a hospital, then a few months later two weeks in a corporate setting, then a few months later two weeks helping to install solar panels. By the time they're eligible for skillbridge they have a much better understanding of their preferred career path. As a Career Counselor to over 1,000 Navy Sailors at one point, I know exactly the emotional turmoil that occurs when a Sailor is deciding whether to stay or go. In fact, Career Counselors are measured on retention, so there was little incentive for me to encourage career exploration. With a sea of voices telling you to stay, it takes courage to go. When you have made that choice, you're put in a generic pipeline of (let's be honest) relatively uninspired content meant to "reorient" you to the private sector. What if the military were measured on gainful employment? (Link in Comments) What if the military used the fact that military service is a catalyst for career trajectory as a recruiting tool? "Every veteran a recruiter" is much easier to embrace when veterans articulate the ways in which the military set them up for success post-service. And yet, veterans are chronically underemployed... #veteranjobs #veterancareers #futurestate

Does your company have a “Veteran” Employee Resource Group or VERG? These groups help Veterans better understand their new organizations and transition into civilian life. During the 2022 Society of Human Resource Management Inclusion Conference, Omari Faulkner, (a public affairs officer for the U.S. Navy Reserve) said, “VERGs are phenomenal programs and all organizations should have." He encouraged companies to also incorporate these other retention strategies: * Invest in training programs that help Veterans understand their new jobs. * Draft and commit to a strategy for recruiting and retaining Veterans. * Create a benefits package that appeals to Veterans, such as offering more paid time off and paying them adequately. "Our bottom line should be to better understand this community and elevate them," Faulkner said. "We should champion hiring veterans every single day.” Read full article here: https://buff.ly/3DTJ7RS Join the Veteran Champion Movement. Be a part of the win! #TrustedVeteranHiringAdvisor #HireAVeteran #VeteranTalentAcademy

How do you get a high paying job? | Brendan Aronson outlines exactly what you need to do when you're planning and pursuing a career in a high paying career. I encourage you to share whatever knowledge you have to contribute in the comments section and I look forward to seeing your replies. #VHV | Veterans Helping Veterans #Veterans #Careers

Veterans Lead The Way and LinkedIn's 2023 Veteran Opportunity Report findings validate this with some facts: 1. Veterans master the most in-demand skills, possessing 8 out of 10 2. They possess 2X more work experience than nonveterans (The 2 and 2) 3. A 27% higher retention rate in the first 6 mos of a job vs. non-veterans This coupled with nearly 50% mastering extensive technical training during their military career and the Work Opportunity Tax Credit - hiring veterans is a proven ROI, #itrecruiter. Have a question about hiring a veteran, reach out to me, and let's start a conversation about making a difference in the lives of people who served our country, #veterans!

As a follow up to my post yesterday - today is #HireAVeteranDay for my neighbours to the south. As many of my 🇺🇸 colleagues here can make use of these resources I am sharing them below. And if anyone has similar resources for 🇨🇦 please add them in the comments. Happy Hire A Veteran Day! Hiring a veteran is a smart move for any business. It's essential for all hiring entities to have a veteran hiring plan and be veteran-friendly and veteran-ready in their hiring practices because veterans are definitely the talent that you want to attract. So, here are a few resources to help your organization get started with your #MissionHireAVet:  U.S. Department of Labor Veterans' Employment and Training Service - https://lnkd.in/gmuA-QRH  U.S. Department of Defense SkillBridge and U.S. Army Career Skills Programs - https://lnkd.in/gCKUcSXj  VET Employer Roadmap - https://lnkd.in/gGw8ahQe #HireAVeteran #HireAVeteranDay