VETERAN HIRING: If a company states they are "Veteran Friendly," what is your initial reaction?

My experience is admittedly anecdotal, but when I spent three years looking for work, all I saw was claims to be Veteran Friendly. I couldnt even get an interview.

No there's isn't veteran friendly employers it nay have been friendly veteran employers got Desert Storm but not for veterans who serve in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I do t know what it takes to change that but these employers need to stop the favoritism and nepotism in others words hiring the Good O boys Club .

One of my employers claimed he was veteran friendly because he allowed me time off without pay to attend my two weeks active Reserve duty.

That is what he was required to do by law.

I have to go with the "not" crowd although I've been seeing it get better very slowly. I had a reserve CDR canned by his employer for deploying. Company actually said in their go away letter it was because of his military affiliation. Problem is you can't get Justice to go to bat for you. They don't touch anything under $2-4 million so ignore the cheap ones (junior enlisted) and presume more skilled will get a job soon enough so it isn't worth their while either. I had a lot of personal frustration with the system trying to get support to address this issue prior to my retirement in 2003. I can only hope things got better.

companys also get a tax break for hiring vets

I am a skeptic..... You can talk whatever talk you want....let me see you walk the walk.

I work for Union Pacific Railroad and I am a Veteran with 25 years of service. They fall into that 23% category. 20% of its employees are Veterans or current Guard or Reserve members.

I was hired by a military friendly business... But was never able to climb the ladder because of my apartment status... I had trained many managers above me to have their own franchise but was never promoted into my own franchise... Good enough to train higherbut because of my military commitment I was never given a store of my own.

I separated in 2009, during which time the economy wasn't exactly booming. I joined a job fair that was military specific and walked away with a hand full of very serious contenders. With no degree, I joined a medical company making a great living for my young family. (All 6 fortune companies that took the time to interview and host a meeting required a degree.. They all made me great offers based experience and training). They hold us to higher standards, just as the military does.

It's my hope that they are really hiring veterans due to their Skills, knowledge, abilities and experiences and what they feel the veteran can bring to their organization. I have a feeling though that's not always the case and some are doing more as a PR stunt. I would hope though that more company's realize all the small things a veteran can bring to the team and in the Armys case how we live the Army Values everyday and how well that translates into being a well respected member of any team.