Job Market Appears Better for U.S. Veterans

Amy Winter
Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700
Lifestyle

After serving our country in the armed forces, it may be difficult for veterans to return to the working world. It makes for an even harder transition if jobs tend to be less available. According to the Labor Department, there was an 11.2 percent jobless rate for Gulf War veterans over 18 years old earlier in the year — 4 percent higher compared to last year.

But it seems the job market has taken more of a positive spin for veterans later in the year. Forty-one percent of employers have hired U.S. veterans or National Guard members in the past six months, according to a CareerBuilder survey that questioned 4,478 workers and 2,667 hiring managers and human resource professionals. And 21 percent of employers continue to recruit veterans for open jobs.

Employers seem to have a hard time figuring out how military duties apply to civilian jobs. It would be helpful for managers if veteran applicants better explain their military roles in their resume, cover letter and interview; they can describe how military responsibilities relate to the open job qualifications.
Updated: Wed Sep 30, 2009

After serving our country in the armed forces, it may be difficult for veterans to return to the working world. It makes for an even harder transition if jobs tend to be less available. According to the Labor Department, there was an 11.2 percent jobless rate for Gulf War veterans over 18 years old earlier in the year — 4 percent higher compared to last year.

But it seems the job market has taken more of a positive spin for veterans later in the year. Forty-one percent of employers have hired U.S. veterans or National Guard members in the past six months, according to a CareerBuilder survey that questioned 4,478 workers and 2,667 hiring managers and human resource professionals. And 21 percent of employers continue to recruit veterans for open jobs.

Employers seem to have a hard time figuring out how military duties apply to civilian jobs. It would be helpful for managers if veteran applicants better explain their military roles in their resume, cover letter and interview; they can describe how military responsibilities relate to the open job qualifications.

Veterans should include their military experience on their resumes, even though some applicants choose to leave out that information. Eleven percent of veterans didn't mention their military experience, while 12 percent only did in certain interviews. The good news is that 43 percent of managers would most likely choose the candidate with military experience if they had two equally-qualified applicants.

The top industries that seek out veterans are information technology, engineering, management and sales. The important qualities that service men and women bring to the table for civilian jobs include: disciplined approach to work, ability to work as part of a team, respect and integrity, leadership, problem-solving skills, ability to perform under pressure and communication skills.

To aid in the transition from the military to the civilian job market, CareerBuilder recently started MissionGetHired.com. Veterans can locate employers that are seeking their employment in various job fields.

For more information on the survey, visit www.careerbuilder.com.

LIST OF OPEN POSITIONS

With the current economic downturn, job-seekers have had a tough time landing a job, let alone a job they enjoy. One-third of respondents say, according to a Yahoo! HotJobs survey that questioned almost 600 workers, it is not possible to find their perfect job in this economy. And at least 50 percent of surveyors don't see the job market improving anytime soon; they anticipate that the employment condition will only become worse.

Yahoo! HotJobs comes to the rescue with a list of the top 100 companies that are hiring. The HotJobs 100 list includes various industries across the country; the list, which will be updated on a quarterly basis, can be located at http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/HotJobs100.

HotJobs 100 list also includes the top hiring industries and regions. It seems the state of California has some hot spots for recruiting. The Southern states are represented as well. The best areas for job applicants include: New York City, San Francisco, San Jose, Houston, Atlanta, Oakland, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Diego, Dallas, Las Vegas, Denver, El Paso, Philadelphia and St. Louis. The best industries for job-seekers are: health care, retail, service (including customer service and administrative), technology, finance and accounting, telecommunications, manufacturing and operations, and government and military.

"Sometimes it's not about who you know, but rather where you go when conducting your job search," says Tom Musbach, senior managing editor for Yahoo! HotJobs.

"There are geographical hiring hot spots, companies hungry for talent and stable industries that are growing in spite of the economy. There is absolutely no reason for people to feel stuck in a job because they are threatened by the economic landscape."

For more information, visit http://hotjobs.yahoo.com.