When veterans return home, one of their top priorities is finding a stable, dependable job. Fortunately, there are a number of career choices available in the U.S. that are ideal for vets of all skill levels.
With veteran affairs in mind, here are a number of vet-friendly career paths as well as some things your business can do to help veterans find work:
Veterans and Employment
Although most military veterans eventually find work when they return home, unemployment rates for vets are still high. In fact, according to a recent report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are roughly 573,000 unemployed vets in the United States.
Unemployment has dropped 5.3% for male veterans and 6% for female veterans in the past year, which is promising. The current population of military veterans in the United States is just more than 21 million, which would suggest that vets are finding work in increasing numbers when compared to the unemployment estimate above.
Today’s military training encompasses a number of different skills, which means veterans are qualified for more jobs than you might think.
Top Jobs for Vets
As mentioned above, military veterans are trained in many different skills and trades, which make them adaptable to a variety of careers.
The following positions are just a sampling of the career possibilities for today’s vets:
- IT Specialist – Military technology is incredibly advanced and a growing number of vets have vast IT knowledge as a result. From online security to building and maintaining digital infrastructures, there’s no end to the job possibilities in the world of IT.
- Home Inspection – As the following article looks at, there are 4 reasons why home inspecting is a great career choice for vets, including job flexibility, low startup costs, and the various training options. In addition, the attention to detail that veterans have is unparalleled, which is a much-needed skill in the home inspection industry.
- Skilled Trades – Becoming a licensed and certified tradesperson is always a career option for returning veterans. From welding and machining to carpentry and construction, there is a growing need for skilled trade people in the United States.
- Training Program Specialist – With all the training that veterans go through, a career as a training specialist is a perfect fit. Training program specialists create and run training programs for companies of all kinds.
Veterans as Business Owners
There are a growing number of veteran-owned businesses in the United States.
In order to keep this trend on the rise, the U.S. Small business association is offering vets resources for starting their own businesses, including business planning and financing assistance.
How Can Your Business Help?
If you want to do your part to help veterans find work, there are a number of things businesses just like yours are already doing. For example, many businesses are exclusively hiring veterans for certain positions.
Likewise, businesses of all kinds are also supporting disabled vets by creating special job positions that are ideal for disabled individuals.
Even if your business doesn’t have any positions available, you can still support U.S. veterans by giving to national charities such as the Wounded Warrior Project and the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America organization, which both provide employment support.
When it comes to helping veterans, providing job support is a great place to start.
About the Author: Adam Groff is a freelance writer and creator of content. He writes on a variety of topics including veteran affairs and U.S. business.
