Hiring Heroes: an Interview to Celebrate Veteran’s Day

Nov 10

As employers it can be a challenge to get out of our comfort zone when it comes to hiring. It’s easy to follow the status quo and simply post jobs on the standard job boards and see what kind of candidates role in. But with Veteran’s Day approaching, I was curious, what could employers do to help veterans find civilian employment after retiring from the military?

To get some insight on this I spoke to my good friend Kareem Hazard, Owner & Veterans Resource Counselor at Hand Salute and Veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard. Kareem gave us several resources for employers, as well as some great tips for job seekers that I wish someone would have told me years ago. All resources to help employers hire veterans are listed again at the bottom of this article.

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Jocelyn: We are doing this interview in honor of Veteran’s Day, the main purpose is to talk about how you help Veterans and how employers can help Veterans. To start, why don’t you tell us about your nonprofit Hand Salute.

Kareem: My non profit is Hand Salute, it’s an idea I came up with around 2008 but I didn’t start launching it until after I retired. When I retired, all veterans went through a program called TAP (Transition Assistance Program). The TAP class gave me a bunch of resources for finding a job in the civilian world. It was an indoctrination into the civilian world, I took that information and used it to do my nonprofit Hand Salute where I am a Veterans Resource Counselor. Since I don’t receive funding from the state or federal level, I can help people who served in the military but didn’t get the Veteran title.

Currently I also work for the EDD in the Workforce Services Branch as a Disabled Veterans Outreach Program Specialist (DVOP). I can’t look at Unemployment Files, but I can answer UI (California Unemployment Insurance) questions.

Jocelyn: That’s awesome. Next I was hoping you could talk about some of the struggles in finding employment that Veterans face when they come out of the military?

Kareem: Some of the struggles I have seen in talking to Veterans and going through my life as a Veteran is we don’t know what to do once we leave the service. Some Veterans get into a mindset that they did a certain job in the service and that they should do that job on the outside. I am trying to break that cycle of ‘you have to do what you did in the military,’ so when I do career counseling I try to get them to focus on their purpose in life.

Another one of the struggles is that Veterans need to look at the transition from the military as starting over professionally. When they join the civilian workforce they are starting off at the bottom, it’s like going through bootcamp again. Sometimes the responsibilities at the civilian job are not as important as they were in the military, which could be a bit of a let down. But I want to express to the Veterans that you are important and you make a difference.

The other thing is that Veterans overestimate how unique their skills are. There is a lot of competition out there. It has expanded the job market to where teleworkers are winning, they are saying that 30% of the jobs won’t return to a brick and mortar location. So now that person in Florida who is afraid to move to California because of rent, now they can stay in Florida and collect California pay. It adds saturation to the workforce. But, if you match up with what the company wants, you are going to win.

Jocelyn: How would you say that employers can get their jobs out there so Veterans see them?

Kareem: America loves its Veterans and we have a lot of programs at our fingertips to help employers. If an employer wants to hire Veterans, there are so many resources out there for them; here are a few:

U.S. Department of Labor: Employer Veteran Guide

U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Hiring Our Heroes

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Hiring Veterans Toolkit

Military.com: Employer Resource Center

MilitaryHire.com

CalVet Jobs: Veteran Employer Resources

Hiring a Veteran is a win-win-win situation, you’re not just hiring a Veteran, you also may be able to get a tax credit.

Also, in the State of California there is a LVER position, Local Veterans Employment Representative, and companies will seek out that they want to hire Veterans, they work hand in hand with DVOP, which is my position.

Jocelyn: Switching gears a bit, what are Veterans looking for in a job after the service?

Kareem: They are looking for something that has stability. They want competitive pay and benefits and they want to find a purpose. Veterans want to work somewhere where they are making a difference and can give back to people because while they are in the service it is always about that mission.

Jocelyn: What other things would you say to Veterans who are currently looking for work?

Kareem: When I work with Veterans, I see resumes that are too short or too long. I have seen a six page resume, I don’t recommend that. I recommend at least one full page, and no more than two pages. When I work with Veterans I encourage them to create a Master Resume, The Master Resume has every job you have ever done. You take that and whatever job you are applying for you create a resume just for that job. The other thing I tell them to do is to have a Master Application. You bring the Master Application with you to apply in person or to use when you are applying online and it lists all the information from your previous employers. When you go back ten years, you are not going to remember the addresses or phone numbers. It has all that information. When applying for state, federal, or city jobs, they ask for a resume and they ask you to fill it in on an application.

I also see Veterans not wanting to use social media, some are hesitant to use LinkedIn and I tell them it is very important. The reason is because that is where recruiters and hiring managers are looking. It gives you credibility. When you are looking for a job you are your brand. Your brand has to be on message.

Jocelyn: I feel like that is not just good advice for Veterans but for everyone.

Kareem: When I approach something I sometimes help civilians and I try to take the Veterans stuff and tailor it to civilians so it has a dual purpose. I end up learning how to help civilians.

Another thing I tell people is that finding a job can be hard, finding a job is a job, but if you don’t get the job, don’t take it personally. Even if it’s personal, your mental health will be much better if you don’t take it personally. You will find your fit, you just got to put in the work.

Jocelyn: How do you plan to celebrate Veterans Day this year?

Kareem: I usually attend or walk in a Veterans parade with my Military Fraternity Kappa Lambda Chi, and my sisters from the Military Sorority, Kappa Epsilon Psi. This year because of Covid I am going to stay home and BBQ and enjoy the day off.

Jocelyn: Anything else you want to leave us with?

Kareem: For any Veterans reading, thank you for your service.