4 Resources For Veterans Looking For Civilian Jobs

By Debra Auerbach


Men and women who have served our country possess qualities and skills that are of great value to employers, including a strong work ethic, leadership and problem solving. Yet many veterans struggle with finding employment in the civilian world. According to whitehouse.gov, as of October 2011, more than 850,000 veterans were unemployed. In addition, the jobless rate for post-9/11 veterans was 12.1 percent -- well above the national average.

There is some encouraging news: A recent CareerBuilder survey found that 20 percent of employers are recruiting U.S. veterans to work for their organizations and that 14 percent are recruiting members of the National Guard. Yet, with more than 1 million service members projected to leave the military between 2011 and 2016, where can military veterans turn? What resources are available to help them prepare for, seek and secure employment?