In January I partnered with Staff Sergeant, Jeffrey Baldovin form WERC (Wisconsin Employment Resource Connection) to bring you 7 reasons why you should hire a veteran. I want to provide you with an update on what I have done to advance my initiative to hire more people as we approach Armed Forces Week.

Consistently Attending Events

Since January, we have supported our service members, attended a number of veteran career fairs, and developed more connections. Personally, I extend my help with their job search. Do they need help with LinkedIn? Their resume? Interview Practice? Or simply the offer to answer questions they have on open positions.

Alliance with our internal Veteran Resource Group

We have a veteran’s resource group within our organization, and its goal is to create a network of shared experiences. We collaborate to attend events, provide recommendations, and advance the cause. Most recently, I spent the entire day on Saturday at a career fair with a veteran focus.

Presenting to Key Leaders in our Company

This week myself and a few of my colleagues along with Staff Sergeant, Jeffrey Baldovin will be presenting to key leaders in the organization. We will specifically talking about transferable skills and the work we are doing to make sure we are doing all we can in hiring our veterans.

Reinventing Michael Banks

This website is an interactive site that allows you to view the hiring process from the veteran’s point of view as well as the hiring manager. As you answer the questions throughout the journey you learn about the different perceptions, correct ways to ask questions and learn more about how a veteran transition to civilian life feels. It’s an eye opener for any hiring manager!

Transferable Skills Resources

I know we all hear the term, transferable skills. How do skills learned in the military translate into the civilian workplace? What does E-8 mean? Would it surprise you to learn that a member of the Army with an E-8 ranking is a Master Sergeant? This ranking also is responsible for supervising up to 120 service members and responsibility of overseeing several million dollars of equipment. Check out Military.com and Feds Hire Vets for more resources.

I am very proud to say that we have hired our first veteran with a direct link to various ways I have pushed this initiative forward! We are not moving a mountain overnight but, we are sure making a move to make a difference each week.

Jen Ray Fun Fact: My 2014 personal goal was to meet the Governor of Wisconsin. I was able to achieve this goal yesterday at VetCon, veteran focused career fair. I was very nervous but, I did get a great picture with him!