32 Skills and Traits that Make Veterans Great Employees

32 Skills and Traits that Make Veterans Great Employees Updated: November 2019 Veterans make great employees. This should be no surprise considering the selfless acts of service theyve already performed. Imagine this kind of dedication in the workplace. In this post well share 32 reasons why these real-life heroes make great hires, what hiring managers can do about it, and how veterans can use this as an advantage.   Veterans are the real-world heroes among us When it comes to veterans, I have the utmost respect. Veterans are amongst the closest you’ll come to encountering real-life Marvel action heroes. They are the first in line to go where many of us would rather not. And in many cases they demonstrate incredible courage in doing so. On top of it, veterans are completely selfless in their service willing to put their lives on the line for complete strangers like you and me. You couldnt pay me to do what they do! And for all of this, I believe its worth taking a moment to offer our gratitude. Why I hate to see veterans facing job search challenges Being in the career management industry, I am exposed to veterans post-service. The transition from active duty to civilian life can be challenging. This is only compounded when you add the task of finding a new job to the mix. The job search isnt exactly a walk in the park. Therefore the thought of the search, on top of a major life transition, can be daunting. My heart always sinks at the thought of these heroic men and women, facing the same challenges as the average job seeker. After all, its their commitment to you and I that affords us the freedom we tend to take for granted each day. So what can we do to help those who served? What employers can do to honor those who served Sure we take time to honor our vets every year on Veterans Day, but lets commit to doing more. I encourage hiring managers and recruiters to take note of the awesome employees that await you in our veterans. You’re potentially missing out on if you don’t consider a veteran for your team. The next time a veterans resume crosses your desk, dont be too hasty to move on to the next candidate. What lies before you may just be the loyal and hardworking employee youve been awaiting. When you see the skills vets bring to the table, it makes hiring a veteran a no-brainer. Here are 32 skills and traits you can benefit from when you hire a veteran Data Analysis Technical Skills Report Writing Supervision of Others Teamwork Decision-Making Deadline Oriented Organized Project Implementation Leadership Strong Work Ethic Respect Collaboration Dedication Perseverance Planning Structure Problem-Solving Communication Ability to Perform in High-Pressure Environments or Adversity Discipline Positive Can-Do Attitude Initiative Self Confidence Accountability Efficient Performance Will-Power Crisis Management Team-building Respect For Procedures Accelerated Learning Curve Integrity Team Loyalty What veterans can do about It takes a special person to add “veteran” to their resume. If youre a veteran, just know that you bring more to the table than you might realize. Use this list as a starting point to  develop your professional brand. These 32 skills and traits also make great resume keywords. Youll want to use these in your opening resume Summary and Skills section. Dont forget to add these to your Linkedin profile as well. As potential employers search for talent on Linkedin, these awesome qualities will jump out at them. Its the same for your resume 6-second scan. Your military experience is an automatic brand in and of itself. Now you just need to connect your military service to the real world corporate environment. It may sound intimidating, but its very achievable. Marketing these skills is a bit head start. One last plug for veterans and hiring managers To all the veterans out there: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. To all the hiring managers out there who haven’t considered hiring veterans: You’re missing out!