Photo By Sgt. Cody Quinn | Soldier and veterans talk to industry representatives during the Boots 2 Work Military...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - The Army is scheduled to reduce its force by the size of Maine’s largest city (Portland, population 66,363). If sequestration-level cuts are resumed in 2016, the Army will lose the rough equivalent of the populations of Portland and Maine’s second largest city, Lewiston (population 36,491), combined.
These Soldiers will be entering a highly-competitive job market.
“This is an employer’s market. There are so many qualified people available right now that you have to separate yourself from your peers,” said Carlos Iglesias, a representative of Worksource, an agency within the Washington Employment Security Department that assists veterans with employment/unemployment benefits and teaches job-seeking skills.
Employers view the Army’s force reduction as an opportunity.
“We realized that the military is going through a huge transition, and we recognized, what we can do, is offer jobs to folks who are coming out the military,” said Devin Craig, the district manager for Starbucks Coffee Company. “We are trying to strategically take the great talent of the military coming out, and bring them into Starbucks.”
“People coming out of the military have outstanding skills that people can only get in the military. We’re trying to selfishly take that talent for our organization to make us better,” said Craig.
The service and management job sectors are looking for employees with the type of experience that comes from being a Soldier, and there are also opportunities in the law enforcement field as well.
“They’re able to think on their feet,” said Sgt. Matthew Murphy, a liquor and tobacco enforcement sergeant with the Washington State Liquor Control Board. “Being in a law enforcement position, especially having combat experience, you have to be able to decide whether or not to take control of a subject. You have to think on the spot, right then and there.”
Soldiers’ training makes them well-suited for physical civilian jobs.
“They’re qualified. A lot of people have issues during our training academy with our physical agility test. Personnel in the military already qualify for that test. They already have that experience,” said Murphy.
While many Army specialties don’t have a ready twin in the civilian sector, the general skills acquired while being a Soldier help separate those leaving the military from their peers.
“Employers see that you’re somebody who can be depended on to come in on time, maybe staying an extra hour when asked to do so,” said Iglesias. “That’s something that a lot of civilians don’t have.”
“What they learn from the ground up about discipline, courtesy, professionalism, teamwork and how to put their country first before their own needs and desires is highly different from how the rest world works,” said Craig.
“The background of following guidelines, policies, rules, laws, things like that, the military has already ingrained their soldiers to do,” said Murphy.
Finding a job is not as simple as listing military service on a resume. To surpass their peers in the job market, Soldiers have to put in the necessary work to find employment.
“Take full advantage of your resources, everything on base and off base, to make yourself as well-researched and understand everything you can before stepping into the civilian world,” said Craig.
After performing the necessary research, the next step is the most obvious one.
“Just apply. A lot of people are scared, thinking that we won’t hire them for some reason. Just apply,” said Murphy.
Whether the Army ends up reducing its total force by 60,000 or 90,000 Soldiers, the fact remains that thousands of Soldiers will be entering the civilian workforce. The end of an Army career doesn’t mean there are no opportunities available.
“There’s always a future,” said Iglesias. “There’s life outside of the military.”
| Date Taken: | 08.27.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 08.28.2014 19:17 |
| Story ID: | 140759 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WA, US |
| Hometown: | TACOMA, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 166 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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