Jobipedia.org Experts Offer Advice to Veterans on Armed Forces Day
Washington, D.C. – On the occasion of Armed Forces Day—a day set aside annually on the third Saturday of May by many Americans who wish to thank military members for their patriotic service in support of our country—recruiting experts of jobipedia.org offer guidance to military veterans on how to best market their military service when seeking a job in the private sector. Jobipedia.org is a free career advice website where hiring officials from America’s leading employers, representing the largest companies in the U.S., answer questions for early career job seekers.
Douglas R. Oberhelman, CEO of Caterpillar Inc. and supporter of jobipedia.org said, “We have a long history of working with the U.S. military. We are proud that they can count on Cat equipment, and they can also count on us to be supportive employers of those who serve our country.” Caterpillar’s Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer Kimberly Hauer added, “We have hired veterans, as well as veteran family members, into a variety of positions at Caterpillar, and we find that from production positions to management, their experiences and backgrounds position them to bring a unique perspective and approach to their work. This diversity of experience and thought is a competitive advantage for Caterpillar.”
Jobipedia.org experts agreed there are direct experiences that veterans possess that are highly marketable such as: logistics, purchasing, security, project and operations management, and suggested that American veterans looking for private sector jobs should think through the jobs that are most closely aligned with their experience.
Claudia Healy, jobipedia.org supporter and Vice President of Global Talent Acquisition and Development at Verizon Communications Inc. said, “Verizon is committed to using its technology to provide powerful answers to the most challenging issues facing our planet, and few people are better equipped to take on challenges than our veteran employees. We have the highest standards when we recruit top talent to work at Verizon, which is why we aggressively recruit veterans to join our diverse workforce. The powerful combination of leadership skills and unique backgrounds that they bring to the table make them natural fits at Verizon.”
If a veteran was more of a generalist in the military, then he or she should consider broader proficiencies that they possess as a result of their training and service such as the ability to perform under pressure, strong verbal communication skills, the ability to work in teams and to meet tight deadlines, and focus on jobs that require those skills. As one jobipedia.org expert explained, people with military experience are “without a doubt some of the best leaders—that leadership skill set is extremely transferable.”
Rafael Maldonado III, Manager of Human Resources – Diversity for Mutual of Omaha, and a retired Air Force veteran said, “At Mutual of Omaha, we understand the important role the Armed Forces play in protecting our freedom. We acknowledge the sacrifices of those who have served, or are currently serving, in our nation’s military. And on this day we want to extend our deepest thanks for all you do to keep America’s citizens and our freedoms safe.”
Jobipedia.org experts also recommended that veterans look to companies that value and recruit Veterans through hiring initiatives. These companies will best understand how to translate the valuable experience of a Veteran into their open positions. Jobipedia.org is affiliated with a free job search engine for Veterans: http://wehireamerica-veterans.jobs designed to help Veterans seeking jobs find employment opportunities at some of America’s biggest and best companies.
Looking back on his experience of joining the Kellogg Company as a military veteran 12 years ago, Jason Stewart, Senior Director of Regional Accounts at the Kellogg Company said, “I saw Kellogg Company as a place with bedrock values that excited me and a corporate culture that would allow me to leverage the leadership skills I developed through military experience. I am a proud member of the company’s KVets & Supporters Employee Resource Group. With over 800 U.S. veterans currently working at Kellogg and many more veteran supporters, KVets seeks to celebrate and leverage the values of service. Through various events throughout the year, the group celebrates military service and recognizes the benefits that can be brought to Kellogg by those who serve.”
For additional advice on job searching, tips on interviewing and more, visit www.jobipedia.org.
With over 580 questions received and nearly 2,200 answers given, jobipedia.org brings together career service professionals and top tier recruiters to help first-time jobseekers and recent graduates get hired and succeed in the first steps of their professional careers. Jobipedia.org provides a free, secure website where candidates can ask questions and quickly receive the most honest, useful and timely information from hiring experts at some of America’s largest companies, all members of the HR Policy Association.
HR Policy Association is the lead organization representing chief human resource officers of major employers. The Association consists of more than 360 of the largest corporations doing business in the United States and globally, and these employers are represented in the organization by their most senior human resource executive. Collectively, their companies employ more than ten million employees in the United States, nearly nine percent of the private sector workforce, and 20 million employees worldwide. They have a combined market capitalization of more than $8 trillion. These senior corporate officers participate in the Association because of their commitment to improving the direction of human resource policy. Their objective is to use the combined power of the membership to act as a positive influence to better public policy, the HR marketplace, and the human resource profession. For more information visit www.hrpolicy.org.
