Find a Job if You Are a Veteran
Veterans searching for a job in today's market have more options than ever. Many companies, especially government contractors, are honored to be categorized as "veteran-friendly" and have special jobs and training courses set aside just for those who have served our country. Below are some helpful tips for finding a job as a veteran.
Steps
- Find Veteran-Friendly Companies. The first step is to find those companies that are eager to employ veterans, and this is not as hard as it might seem.
- Research will uncover sites that list these companies by many different criteria. For example, Washington Technology posts an annual list of the top 100 government contractors with links to their websites, the value of contracts for that year and so you'll know how well each company is doing.
- Other helpful sites include CNBC's list of the ten biggest U.S. Government contractors as well as Wikipedia's Top 100 Contractors of the U.S. Federal Government and list of U.S. defense contractors.
- Go To Their Career Pages To Apply for Jobs. Once you have the names of veteran-friendly companies, head directly to their pages on Jobs or Careers with a search such as "Jobs at Boeing" or "Honeywell Careers."
- You'll find current job openings and most likely an on-line application form. You'll notice that some of these companies have links just for veterans.
- Get In-Depth Information. Before you apply for a job or appear for an interview at any company, it's helpful to have information about current happenings or other pertinent information.
- You may be able to mention it in your cover letter or during an interview to show that you've done your homework on the company, and it will make you stand out over other candidates. Social media sites are a fantastic way to find out what's going on inside a company and to get a peek into their values and culture. Below are some links to top contractor social media sites, but an internet search will provide many more. Most companies have several social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, and it's a good idea to check each one.
- As you're researching companies, be sure to check back often to see if new jobs have been posted or new information released.Any veteran can find a great job at a top government contractor by following these steps for online research.
