Veterans apply military skills to their careers
May 21, 2019 | By Mike Powers
Some stereotypes that follow veterans around: they’re rough, stuck in their ways, hard to work with. But the truth is that veterans and military spouses gain incredible skill sets from their time spent in the military—strengths they can transfer to careers in civilian, corporate life.
“There were some great traits and qualities and things I got from the Air Force that definitely translate to TEKsystems,” says Sherry O’Berry, human resources coordinator for TEKsystems Global Services. “We were taught that we had to serve, but it was also teaching us about leadership and I’ve found that to translate [to TEKsystems] so much. And that’s why I believe so much in servant leadership…it’s a great quality to have.”
Meghan Canty is a recruiter out of our National Recruiting Center, as well as a military spouse. “I think that military spouses bring a very specific skill set and quality to the workplace that a typical civilian wouldn’t necessarily bring. We are very quick thinkers, we are very strategic in how we are going to solve a problem. It’s a constant flow of all right, I got this, now what’s my next thing?”
We’re a very resilient people.
Christie Pusateri, Service Delivery Lead at TEKsystems
For several of the veterans featured, one major strength that was continually touched on is resiliency. “We’re a very resilient people,” says Christie Pusateri, service delivery lead.
Julie Curlick, account manager, agrees. “Definitely resiliency, and then keeping the end goal in mind,” she says. “Being OK with failing a little bit to be successful, knowing that at the end of the day, you have a mission to complete. You have someone to help get their job, someone to help transition, someone to support, because they’re supporting their families. And kind of tying that full circle—that’s definitely translated a lot.”
From teamwork to relentlessness—it’s clear that veterans, active military and military spouses bring strong transferrable qualities to their work, no matter what it is.
There are over 10 million veterans currently unemployed. If you want to diversify your workforce, that’s a world of incredible opportunity that’s right there for the taking. Learn how to hire the hero your business needs.
Mike Powers is TEKsystems’ veterans and disabilities program manager. He helps organizations hire veterans and strengthen the diversity of their talent pipeline with their unique skills.
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