When the Employer is faced with 2 equally qualified candidates, one a veteran and the other not, how do they determine whom to hire?

COL Mikel J. Burroughs — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 14:52:37 -0400

To help our Active Duty Service Members with Transition and our Veterans still looking for employment, I would like for the Business Leaders, Civilian Supporters, Small Business Owners, Corporate HR Personnel, Executives and Civilian Recruiters to answer this question!

What do you look for in a potential hire when faced with more than one choice?

Look at the survey questions - what stands out for you?

What differentiates the candidates if one is a former military service member and the other isn't?

Everyone please feel free to comment on what you think?

Response by CPT Pedro Meza made Jun 28 at 2016 3:06 PM

CPT Pedro Meza — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 15:06:24 -0400

It is all about how you sell your talents which are represented by your resume.

Response by LCpl Cody Collins made Jun 28 at 2016 3:14 PM

LCpl Cody Collins — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 15:14:53 -0400

By the federal guidelines, that's how I got hired at Ford Motor company

Response by SrA Edward Vong made Jun 28 at 2016 3:21 PM

SrA Edward Vong — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 15:21:21 -0400

My organization moves veterans to the very top of the list. Of course skills and experience also apply. There are unfortunately few veterans at BlackRock though.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 28 at 2016 3:35 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 15:35:32 -0400

Work ethic, attitude, and the way the interviewees make him/her feel during interviews

Response by CPT John Sheridan made Jun 28 at 2016 3:40 PM

CPT John Sheridan — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 15:40:53 -0400

In my previous roles with a large conglomerate, I did a fair amount of hiring. I'll preface my remarks by saying that I don't remember a situation in which I had two equally qualified candidates. I've had some that had two or more well but differently qualified candidates. The decisions are rarely straight forward.

I selected "Education and Certifications", but that is my bias. Most people that I hired had advanced degrees in engineering, PE registration, or extensive professional experience. The only thing on the list that I wouldn't bother with is the "Great Résumé". Generally, when a resume lands on a hiring manager's desk, an HR person has already reviewed it with a checklist. There are an abundance of things on a résumé that can hurt you (too many words, too many pages, too much irrelevant info, spelling and punctuation errors, poor formatting, etc.).

Veteran status is a subjective differentiator which is usually positive. For veteran hiring managers, it's commonality... brotherhood. For many non-veteran hiring managers it confers a set of qualities by default (disciplined, tough minded, organized) because that's what they think. There are some to whom it is a negative due to a prior bad experience.

So, my advice is to highlight it on the résumé and speak briefly about it in terms of experience and qualification and how that relates to positive things that you will bring to the organization. After that, move off the topic. An interviewer is more interested in what you are going to do in the future than what you did in the past.

Response by Debbie Ruston made Jun 28 at 2016 3:44 PM

Debbie Ruston — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 15:44:53 -0400

Something often not considered is to trust your gut. Who do you feel would be best? Our intuition is there to guide us.....

Response by Jeremy Kossen made Jun 28 at 2016 3:47 PM

Jeremy Kossen — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 15:47:02 -0400

Contrary to conventional wisdom, I place far more value on attitude and outlook over experience. If a candidate is eager to learn, has the capacity to acquire the requisite skills, but most importantly, has an enthusiastic "can-do" attitude, I'll take that over years of experience.

Skills can be taught. But, attitude can't be.

Response by Melinda Stone made Jun 28 at 2016 3:52 PM

Melinda Stone — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 15:52:53 -0400

I look at a few things. One being their background during and prior to military. I also agree with Jermey Kossen, on attitude. I can teach you how to sell, I can not teach you how to have a personality. If an applicant is open to coaching (we do 2 roleplays during our interviews) I will go with the person that took my feedback and tried to implement it on the second roleplay. That tells me they are open to development.

Response by SSgt Robert Marx made Jun 28 at 2016 3:54 PM

SSgt Robert Marx — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 15:54:05 -0400

I have only assisted in group interviews for a handful of organizations. It appears to me that organizations place precedence on varying qualifying credentials such as professional licenses and experience in the field. Veteran status matters the most for government and government contractor organizations but only for well qualified persons.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Jun 28 at 2016 4:05 PM

CPT Jack Durish — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 16:05:47 -0400

If two candidates are equally qualified, they are indistinguishable. If the prospective employer is well disposed to the military, the veteran will probably receive preferential treatment. If not, the decision may go the other way. However, I cannot imagine two people being indistinguishable, not in every respect. As someone who made hiring decisions at times, I never faced that situation. There was always something to hang a decision on. Enthusiasm if nothing else. BTW, resumes and cover letters don't get jobs. Their purpose is to get the interview. All the other choices in this survey are really items on a resume. If I had been crafting the survey, I might have said appearance, composure under pressure, verbal skills, enthusiasm, other.

Response by PO1 John Miller made Jun 28 at 2016 4:32 PM

PO1 John Miller — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 16:32:57 -0400

I would have to say specialty/MOS, experience (not necessarily before the military, and education/certifications (especially if the job requires a desires a degree or certification). My prior experience was: shoveling horse manure and working at McDonald's. Sure it shows I don't have a problem with manual and menial labor, but there's not a whole lot of that in the IT field).

Rank is a non-issue, unless you're a Full Bird (like you, LOL) or wore Stars and are applying for some type of high level executive position.

Response by SGT Michael Thorin made Jun 28 at 2016 4:39 PM

SGT Michael Thorin — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 16:39:20 -0400

There is a caveat to this question.

For former military looking for civilian employment, there are several jobs which offer preferential hiring for veterans. Most Federal, State, County and Municipal agencies will do this, especially for fire and police.

Second to that, a great résumé for a veteran competing against someone with equal qualifications is important because a veteran should be able to demonstrate their
ability to function under stress, their motivation and initiation, and their ability to effectively complete tasks.

This is, many times, the driving desire for employers when searching for an employee; the quest for an employee who will seek to do more than work, but to be a valuable member of a team.

While every other item on the above list is vital, in my opinion the résumé is the only way to demonstrate one of the most valuable qualities of any employee: a strong work ethic.

You can train a person with a solid work ethic to do a job a great deal easier than you can train a person who knows a job and has no work ethics the value of great work ethics.

Response by Claudia Cadamuro made Jun 28 at 2016 5:02 PM

Claudia Cadamuro — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 17:02:27 -0400

Veterans first look more naturally, with a kind smile. They are sure from themselves.
Civilians often prejudge other people from their outside (for ex.: clothes!)
Civilians often just want to do one job (for ex.: a director assistant job is for them just an office job, they often don't imagine that a director assistant & director have to feel well together. That a director assistant job is to do most works around the Director to simplify Directors Job.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 28 at 2016 5:12 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 17:12:37 -0400

Chose education and certifications but realistically it is how you sell your talents, your presentation, and who you portray. Nobody wants a military stiff to come in and think he/she will ace the interview based off their military background. MOS's and Ranks are good, but realistically they want to see who YOU are. I have seen many SM's turned down because their interviewing qualities. Preparation is extremely important, nobody wants to hear about your war stories in an interview. Being yourself will ultimately land you the job if it is a match for you.

Response by SFC Stephen King made Jun 28 at 2016 5:18 PM

SFC Stephen King — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 17:18:52 -0400

COL Mikel J. Burroughs It is a combination of resume and painting a picture for the prospective employer to visualize through you interview. As I am a neophyte in the process I am very interested in the discussion.

Response by SFC J Fullerton made Jun 28 at 2016 5:34 PM

SFC J Fullerton — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 17:34:51 -0400

The reality is that it is difficult for the transitioning veteran to be equally qualified in the eyes of the employer. Employers are looking for "specific industry experience", and unfortunately most don't see military experience (even in related fields) as relevant. While the veteran may score high in the intangibles, it boils down to experience in the specific scope of the job. Even with applicable education credentials, it is tough to compete with a civilian who has "specific industry experience" with multiple civilian employers. I got out in 2013 and learned this reality first hand.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Jun 28 at 2016 6:23 PM

LTC Stephen F. — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 18:23:50 -0400

Resumes, experience in the past, etc. can indicate past performance but may not be any indicator of how the individual candidate would perform in the position you are trying to fill COL Mikel J. Burroughs Resting on laurels from pervious positions in or out f the military is not a good idea.
People should be hired for their potential to benefit the hiring company through service, skills, management or leadership ability.
(1) I would review their resume and ask if they wrote it; (2) I would ask them about their experience in military/civilian employment and how they work with team members and being led by people junior in age; (3) I would ask what they are bringing to the company that would help us and listen to what they say and watch how they say it.

Response by MSgt Eric Roseberry made Jun 28 at 2016 8:14 PM

MSgt Eric Roseberry — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 20:14:52 -0400

Neither, they hire the marginally qualified candidate that brings a couple years of tax credits to the table because of economic circumstances.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 28 at 2016 8:48 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 20:48:10 -0400

they hire the one who isn't a SM

Response by CPT Catherine R. made Jun 28 at 2016 9:16 PM

CPT Catherine R. — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 21:16:08 -0400

If they are truly equally qualified, which is unlikely - one will have something the other doesn't. I'm going by how well they will fit with my current team. No point having a "superstar" who can't get along with my group, that create more work for me. Last round of hiring I was a part of I hired 4 people, 2 were Vets, 2 weren't. I didn't even realize the 2 were Vets initially as they didn't mention it on their resumes or interview (they served a while back). They were just the best qualified for the position.

Response by Deborah Gregson made Jun 28 at 2016 9:40 PM

Deborah Gregson — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 21:40:11 -0400

Having equal qualifications, I'd tend to lean toward hiring the military veteran. But there are other considerations to take into account. I'd consider the personalities of each and how they'd fit into the group they'd be working with, their speciality, their personal background story, and references as in talking to people they've listed on their resume. There's lots that goes into a hiring decision, but personality, the chemistry of how the person gets along with others, has a lot to do with who I'd hire given all other things being equal, and if that means they're a Vet, it makes it that much better.

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Jun 29 at 2016 6:46 AM

Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 06:46:39 -0400

Being a veteran doesn't make us "special" but it does grant us unique insight in many ways.

Therefore, does that Insight align with the goals of the Hiring Manager more than the "Traditional Insight" or perspective offered by the other candidate. In other words, this becomes a Diversity issue.

The company needs "Diversity" (thought patterns) that support its goals. Sometimes that will come from a Vet, sometimes that will come from a former housewife. We tend to only think of Diversity as an endstate instead of a TOOL which it really is.

Commanders (Employers) want people who make decisions like they do, but are able to think in different ways, so they are not blindsided by change. If everyone has the same "backgrounds" the chances of everyone thinking the same is increased dramatically. Diversifying opens up solutions which would not have been considered otherwise.

Example: COL Mikel J. Burroughs tells Maj X he needs Task Y done. They have similar backgrounds. They are probably going to go through the same motions to get it done. However if he told LCpl Schmucetelli to get Task Y done, he "might" be surprised at the results. Their backgrounds are so different that they don't think the same. The same applies to the hiring process.

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 29 at 2016 1:35 PM

CW3 Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 13:35:41 -0400

How do they determine who to hire? It depends on whether the veteran is completely out, or is still in the Reserve. ;)

Response by MAJ Rene De La Rosa made Jul 2 at 2016 7:19 PM

MAJ Rene De La Rosa — Sat, 02 Jul 2016 19:19:56 -0400

COL Mikel Burroughs, as always, a relevant question for today. I tend to look at resumes, and any hardships that have been overcome by the prospective employee. For instance, one friend finished with a 2.97 in nursing school. Not too bad, but also not to stellar. The you find out she was an athlete at a small school, helped her mother and brother through a job/home loss; worked two jobs; and had to study at the same time. There are always ways to find out more information (within reason, of course).

Response by Kim Bolen RN CCM ACM made Jul 3 at 2016 2:08 PM

Kim Bolen RN CCM ACM — Sun, 03 Jul 2016 14:08:03 -0400

Great question again! You are Rockin' Because of my focus it would be on their Specialty. I I believe that in this day and age, we place undue pressure on the individual regarding a resume'. Sure it is a great hello piece. But it is not the end all. I find a phone call or follow up is the most important. It can reveal so very much. I also have to say that it depends on the project need and with me it will always be between two veterans, so interestingly it boils down to the fit within the team. Wow, that you Mikel. I had not thought about it before. I use my gut a lot.

Response by CPO Andy Carrillo, MS made Jul 3 at 2016 10:45 PM

CPO Andy Carrillo, MS — Sun, 03 Jul 2016 22:45:43 -0400

COL Mikel J. Burroughs 'Are they teachable?' will always rank at the top of my list of 'must have' qualities in any relationship, including work--primarily because I know from my own painful personal mistakes what happens when one is not. 'A thirst for learning' goes a long way, followed by 'a desire to help others succeed'. For me that will always be a winning combo! LCpl Private RallyPoint Member

Response by LTC Jesse Edwards made Jul 6 at 2016 9:51 AM

LTC Jesse Edwards — Wed, 06 Jul 2016 09:51:21 -0400

There is a punchline that uses your question as the straight line. I'll forgo the open invite for a crude joke best told sitting around a poker table with men who drink cold beer and scratch themselves.

I think the selection is based on the comfort level of the interviewer. Which candidate can they imagine integrating into the existing team and doing well in that environment? Unless the company has an explicit preference stated for hiring vets, its a crap shoot on who the candidates are personally, the background and frame of mind of the interviewer, and the social dynamic of the team that is already in place. It helps in these situations for the vet to have a contact inside the organization who is doing well professionally to offer a recommendation that they be hired. Vets must try to activate and leverage their personal network.

Response by SA Jim Arnold made Jul 7 at 2016 5:06 PM

SA Jim Arnold — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 17:06:39 -0400

I feel, upon the discovery of two very qualified candidates, a more thorough interview would only prove to be fair.
Obviously, being a veteran, I personally would pull for such, but unfortunately, we're not always the best candidate.

Response by Charles Graul made Jul 7 at 2016 7:12 PM

Charles Graul — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 19:12:46 -0400

As a hiring Manager, I get lots of resumes for every position posted. That Resume is your First (and sometimes ONLY) impression moment. If it doesn't grab the attention of the person doing the hiring, you won't get any farther. Modify your resume for each job you apply for to hit the Key components of what the position requires, be concise, and make it organized. You can have all the experience, certifications and skillsets in the world - but if it's not presented right for that first impression, you will never get a callback.

Response by MAJ Brandon Outlaw,PMP made Jul 11 at 2016 9:18 AM

MAJ Brandon Outlaw,PMP — Mon, 11 Jul 2016 09:18:02 -0400

I think that the education of the candidates gets them in the door. However, many people have a high levels of education and can not perform simple task. For me, this would come down to how well each candidate presents themselves and what they can offer the organization. Next, the bottom line comes down to what the employers is looking for in the entirety of the job position and who they feel will represent that best for the organization.

Response by SSG Warren Swan made Oct 27 at 2016 2:30 PM

SSG Warren Swan — Thu, 27 Oct 2016 14:30:10 -0400

During my transition in 12, I was finishing IDES. Part of it was writing a resume and submitting it for a job that you wanted to do when you got out. I did it having no idea other than Google how to do it. The clerk took it, scanned over it, handed it back, "good job". That was it. When I was accepted into Voc Rehab, I SOON realized how "good a job" it wasn't, and it was made worse when I made my LinkedIn account. It was between these two, I had some hard learning to do quick. As part of Voc Rehab in 13, once accepted (you can get a letter telling you to show up that first day, MANY of you will go back home that day empty handed. Not everyone will make it. They tell you that once you get there). You take three hours of tests to include the Wonderlick. After I got my counselor she sent me to a class where I would learn to "talk" civilian, write a resume and actually have someone there scan it. It was run by VET TEAM on LinkedIn ) COL Jerry Galloway and SGM Burke were firm and offered DAMN good corrections. I'd seriously tell anyone transitioning go on LinkedIn and look them up. Damn good guys. I soon learned that being the NCOIC of the largest comm center in EUROPE meant nothing, JFAIRS experience meant nothing, hell rank really meant nothing. No one cared. Deployment experiences like wiring up my own TOC from nothing while being the Team Sergent? Meant nothing. What certs for your job do you have, what practical skills can you bring me, They didn't care about helping the warfighter in the HR office. It's a hard lesson to learn that you have to strip all of your militaryisms out, or turn them into civilian speak. Don't care how many missions you ran successfully, have no clue what BDA is, your awards are YOUR awards, and many again DO NOT CARE. Take your rank off. Unless you're a flag officer forget about it. Be you, and SELL you. No one else can do it better. I had to videotape myself with SGM Burke as if he was actually hiring me and watch it, taking critiques from the class. Eye to eye contact, lower the BOOM in your voice. Many of us are used to speaking in loud tones. It might get you loudly out the door. NO KNIFE HANDS....I did it not realizing it. Know a bit about the company before going in. ASK questions of the company when allowed to. After going through COL Galloway and SGM Burke in VET TEAM, I feel with more grooming, I could be the commanders personal trash picker upper and get a six figure job just off the way I could spin it. Those guys are awesome, and I seriously would recommend them to anyone. They also stay in touch with you while you're looking for work to see if you need additional help.

Response by Sgt Dallas D'Angelo-Gary made Oct 27 at 2016 6:18 PM

Sgt Dallas D'Angelo-Gary — Thu, 27 Oct 2016 18:18:04 -0400

You, know, I never faced that problem. I had worked for General Motors for two years prior to my military experience, and I went back there, and they gave me 4 years seniority for my military experience. I was given preference over a whole room-full of applicants.

Response by PFC Donnie Walters made Oct 27 at 2016 6:18 PM

PFC Donnie Walters — Thu, 27 Oct 2016 18:18:10 -0400

In my experience I had found that many employers claim to be veteran friendly. However I discovered this was not the case. As a disabled veteran with a service-connected disability the VA required me to attend several appointments. Especially when it dealt with my compensation and pension. Another issue was having to travel to an a half hours for procedure is not available at my clinic which required me to go to the closest VA Hospital. All of the summed up in too much time being unavailable for work. The Veterans Affairs has not learned yet that they are dealing with a younger population of veterans who currently must remain employed to survive. The veteran affairs clinic should have appointments in the evening times for young veterans who work through the day and are unavailable to make it to an appointment during "bankers hours". I sadly say I think most employers CS as a tax break incentive upon hiring but sustainability of employment is very sketchy. This was not only the way I felt but also the way about 10 to 12 other veterans that I worked alongside over the past 10 years.

Now those who do not have medical issues and are not needed to visit the VA clinic will certainly have better outcomes I believe. Just my feelings and opinions.

Response by PFC Ronald Maddox made Oct 27 at 2016 6:23 PM

PFC Ronald Maddox — Thu, 27 Oct 2016 18:23:11 -0400

Veterans 1st

Response by Candy Alkaabi made Oct 27 at 2016 6:24 PM

Candy Alkaabi — Thu, 27 Oct 2016 18:24:08 -0400

if I were to hire someone for a job I would most likely lean towards a vet with the education and certifications as apposed to a non vet.

Response by SFC George Smith made Oct 27 at 2016 6:48 PM

SFC George Smith — Thu, 27 Oct 2016 18:48:55 -0400

the problem is what are considering equal... because the Vet already has Qualities and Skills the non Vet and The amount Experience the Vet has, is going to out way the non vet... especially in the fundamentals of leadership and attention to details and job focus and work ethics... are going to be well instilled in the Vet...

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 27 at 2016 7:09 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 27 Oct 2016 19:09:25 -0400

Resume and MOS help. Education and Certs help a bit. Drive, leadership qualities, bearing, and the willingness to be honest (sir, this private does not know but will find out).

Really, it is a good mix of all of those PLUS a great presentation of self. If you are expecting to mail out 500 resumes to land a job, those days are fading fast. LinkedIn, social media, code repositories (for you coders) will all be checked to one degree or another *IF* your resume is not just dumped in the trash. You have 10 seconds max to make enough of an impression to have someone really look at your resume.

Response by Sgt Joseph Baker made Oct 28 at 2016 12:00 AM

Sgt Joseph Baker — Fri, 28 Oct 2016 00:00:32 -0400

I earlier posted this as a response to another Rally Point member, but at risk of sounding like a know-it-all, I am reposting this as an original response because I think this is critical information that can help people transitioning from military to civilian, so please read and pass on:

Good resume is always a plus. But, unfortunately many big companies get so many resumes, that they now only take them online, and then a software program searches for keywords that the hiring folks put into their search program. Alot of good people don't ever get seen because of this. I understand the logistics of handling 50,000 applications a month, but not always best result. THIS IS THE BEST JOB ADVICE YOU WILL FIND HERE TODAY TO GET A JOB AT A LARGE COMPANY: It is VITALLY important to find out how the company takes resumes and how they process them. If you are submitting online via the employer's webpage, it's probably software that performs first-screening. You have to get intel like a job description with key skill requirements for the job so you can make sure that you use their words as much as possible to generate hits. I know people who have actually taken a job description, copy/pasted it into the bottom of their resume under heading Keywords, but make it the tiniest font possible so it doesn't make your resume look too cluttered. The software doesn't care about font size, but it will find those tiny little words, their words from their job posting, when it scans your resume. This will often get your resume through this screening and hopefully then a human reads it.
Edit

Response by SPC Tony Means made Oct 28 at 2016 1:26 AM

SPC Tony Means — Fri, 28 Oct 2016 01:26:37 -0400

If Identical on paper the interview will tell the tale.

Response by SSG Shavonde Chase made Oct 28 at 2016 1:28 AM

SSG Shavonde Chase — Fri, 28 Oct 2016 01:28:09 -0400

I chose Education because the interview is not listed. I assumed that the resume's were pretty much identical. I think most of us would agree that experience and education are deciding factors.

Response by LTC Tom Jones made Oct 28 at 2016 8:43 AM

LTC Tom Jones — Fri, 28 Oct 2016 08:43:48 -0400

Reminds me of a terrific story (urban legend?) about a time when the "Father of the nuclear Navy," Admiral Hyman Rickover was looking to fill a pretty senior and highly sensitive position. Story goes that applicants were, at the end of the interview, asked to: "Okay, make me mad." The standard response had a lot to do with the Admiral's Mother, his infamous temperament and even his Polish--even Jewish--heritage. The exception was the gentleman who, after a long pause, stood up, walked behind the Admiral's large wooden desk and relieved the contractor's glass encased original working model of the USS Nautilus from its cradle--a piece of memorabilia valued at about $5,000. He then--quite unceremoniously and energetically--SMASHED it on the floor. Rickover was incensed; threw the man out of his office and swore he would have him arrested. Two days later, he got the job.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 28 at 2016 8:48 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 28 Oct 2016 08:48:04 -0400

All other qualifications being equal between a veteran and a non-veteran (caveat: I say this never having addressed such things myself), I would ask for the veteran's last or most recent eval, (SSNs redacted), and compare what I see in front of me now with the service member his raters saw, whether it was four months and a 214; or a 214, twelve years, eighty-five pounds, and back surgery ago.

Response by CPT Joseph K Murdock made Oct 28 at 2016 2:03 PM

CPT Joseph K Murdock — Fri, 28 Oct 2016 14:03:47 -0400

I dare corporate leadership to diversify leadership and staffs.

Response by PO2 Jerome O'Neil made Nov 3 at 2016 12:43 PM

PO2 Jerome O'Neil — Thu, 03 Nov 2016 12:43:54 -0400

None of the above. I hire the veteran. I know that at a minimum that this person isn't going to be prone to calling in sick every other day, will likely show up for work on time, and is more likely capable of handling themselves under pressure.

They don't teach that anywhere else.

Response by LCpl Brian Kirby made Nov 3 at 2016 9:38 PM

LCpl Brian Kirby — Thu, 03 Nov 2016 21:38:26 -0400

As a former region manager, and other positions responsible for recruiting, interviewing, hiring and onboarding, I will share my insight. Usually two candidates are only even via resume. That being said, if I had 2 candidates that were essentially equal on paper but one was a veteran and the other was not it was reason to interview both(providing they both met the qualifications laid out for the position they were applying). Upon interviewing I would look for a couple vital things, mainly their ability to effectively communicate(this taught me whether they could tell me why they should be hired), their ability to listen(I need to know they can not only listen to a question but truly listen and process what was said, and respond appropriately), and third major thing was their attitude(or life philosophy, I needed to know that they can work in a team, be positive even when things got difficult, ask for help when something was beyond their abilities, etc.). Typically after the interview I would have a good differentiation of the candidates, and could hire accordingly(more often it was the veteran candidates, but there were some exceptions).

Response by LT Steve Wilson made Nov 4 at 2016 2:16 AM

LT Steve Wilson — Fri, 04 Nov 2016 02:16:21 -0400

Been there and I always was happy to see a Veteran apply for the job.
They are more mature, less likely to pass the buck, and actually show up to work (and on time).
I am just glad I am double-retired because my daughter tells me the Millennials who when from college back to their mama's basement are a total nightmare.

Response by LTC Sonya Friday made Nov 14 at 2016 10:46 PM

LTC Sonya Friday — Mon, 14 Nov 2016 22:46:47 -0500

Well three of the five comments were about military. The difference will come down to the type of person they need to fill this job. Clearly it shows 43% with education and certification are the front runners for criteria, followed by Great Resume. The last three relate to military criteria so it will really depend on the individual for this selection. This is tough without knowing what the hiring manager is looking for and the type of environment this person will be expected to work in.

Response by Maj John Bell made Mar 2 at 2019 2:39 PM

Maj John Bell — Sat, 02 Mar 2019 14:39:41 -0500

I know a couple of companies, (both eco-friendly artsy fartsy millenial run) that used a point system. They use a 0.9 score multiplier score on veteran candidates, because they are "just too driven" and don't fit into the corporate culture. There was also a 0.9 multiplier applied if they were combat arms. then a daughter of a veteran who was appointed to their board. She contacted the Department of Labor. Let's just say that was the end of asking about military service.