Many veterans aren't prepared to enter a civilian workforce, and in some cases biases have developed against them, says Kirk Hallowell, Ph.D., a nationally recognized authority in the talent management arena who has provided individual assessment, feedback and performance coaching to more than 2,000 executives.
"I'm familiar with talent management systems big corporations use," Dr. Hallowell said. "Many job candidates are not successful because they don't understand the corporate selection process. People are not just selected because they are good at interviewing. Unless veterans understand how the system works, applying for a job may be a waste of time."
Dr. Hallowell is author of "The Million-Dollar Race: An Insider's Guide to Winning Your Dream Job" a book he has developed into an online course, in particular, to help veterans.
Many large corporations use a personnel recruiter, who Dr. Hallowell said uses a checklist and an applicant tracking system. It is their job to recommend the job applicant to the company.
"From the corporate point of view, they want to hire someone with experience and has all the certifications for the job," Dr. Hallowell said. "With so many people looking for jobs, corporations have their pick. It takes a lot of money to hire someone. Why take the risk of having a negative experience with a veteran?"
Biases against veterans have developed, Dr. Hallowell said, which makes it even more difficult for them to get hired.
"A lot of biases about vets are completely wrong, that all vets command control, and only think in black and white. Nothing can be further from the truth," he said. "This is how biases happen. Some hires just don't work out."
Dr. Hallowell's recommendation to veterans, and all other people looking for a job, is for the applicant to educate himself as much as he can about the company, and focus on the company rather than himself or herself during the interview.
"Most job candidates prepare for interviews by focusing on themselves, their past performance, their achievements, their success stories," Dr. Hallowell said. "By the time of the interview, these candidates are like a balloon blown up to capacity. The moment the interviewer opens the balloon with a question, he or she is hit in the face by a stream of uncontrolled, hot 'you' air. If not handled correctly, that release of air is about as inviting as the blast from an actual balloon."
Research the company, he said. Check to see if the company has a website, and learn as much about the company as you can.
"Sell yourself. Look the part. Discuss your strengths," he said. "Many job seekers go into an interview as a sharp, well-read expert - on themselves. While it's important to display how good a fit you are for the job, if you think that the success of the interview relies on 'you' as the most important factor, than you are likely walking out without the job."
Contact the writer: jdino@standardspeaker.com