Start the new year with resources and tools that can help land a job in tech when transitioning to the civilian workforce.
As we jump into 2025, the tech employment industry is showing an inclination toward recovery after an interesting 2024. Even as artificial Intelligence roles top every list for “best jobs” or “in-demand skills,” tech and engineering jobs are evolving, with a strong focus on both the tech and soft skills that candidates can bring to new positions. New opportunities are emerging each day for veterans to put the training they have to work and where they can apply these skills in roles that have room to grow. Here are some job search tips for veterans in 2025.
Highlight your adaptability
This mindset is particularly important when a job description doesn’t seem like an exact fit. Sometimes, it’s the way the job description is written, in a very narrow format with no seeming wiggle room. Here is where a seasoned recruiter can help.
Often, the recruiter can work with hiring managers to understand the expectations of a role further and determine flexibility for candidates, like veterans, who have potential. For instance, could the person start in the role and take a quick tech course to get them up to speed? Could knowledge of one networking system be easily transferred to the hiring company’s infrastructure with some coaching and training?
Veterans are a particularly unique talent group because of the life skills and structure they are accustomed to and the ability to work in fast-paced, pressured circumstances. Learning quickly is a skill they have mastered.
Make the most of available certification resources
Tech is taking a turn, and experience and skills are starting to supersede formalized education. As a veteran, there are many programs to enroll in that can help you boost skills quickly to gain the credentials needed for roles that don’t require degrees.
Programs like DoD SkillsBridge, Hiring our Heroes, and HeadLamp put veterans on the path to attaining the skills they need for their next role. Many jobs fall within the technology and engineering staffing industry where non-degree training can apply, including:
- Cybersecurity
- Data management and analytics
- IT Support
- Programming
- Electrical designers
- Instrument and Testing Technicians
- Quality Control Inspectors
Seek out companies that prioritize veterans
As Forbes notes, surveys show that our veterans are highly regarded. However, hiring companies still don’t often understand the skills that veterans can apply in the civilian world. Many feel that military personnel will always be best suited for public sector, government-related jobs. And while in many instances, those roles might be a good fit, the skills veterans can bring to the private sector are often universally sought after: leadership, collaboration, problem-solving, and worldly knowledge, to name a few.
Fortunately, despite any hesitance to hire, there are companies across the US that actively pursue and prioritize veterans as great hires, and the list is growing. Large Fortune 500 companies seek out veterans regularly, and more staffing firms work with the veteran community to help make these connections. Programs like SSi’s ServiceStrong are dedicated to helping veterans on their path to meaningful employment and have enlisted the help of veterans themselves to lead the program. Working with someone who understands your needs and can identify with your stage in life can sometimes make all the difference. Plus, leading tech staffing firms like SSi continue to create partnerships with veteran resources and programs and bring awareness to veteran candidates.
Pay attention to resume and interview details
It’s easy to say, ‘Prepare your resume,’ but sometimes knowing where to start is difficult! A great way is to use the resources at hand – resume writing camps, career fairs, and online tools — which can often help you get started building a foundational resume with the basics.
The next step is to craft your resume for the job you want and to match the skills that particular job listings require. It’s no longer a one-sized resume application process; with the growth in scanning tools like the ATS and the highly competitive market, resumes need to hark back to the job posting, including inputting the relevant keywords and skills.
It’s also important to bring your reader along in your story so that they understand how you can help solve their problem. Focusing on results, outcomes, and solutions you have implemented is more important than rote responsibilities.
You can further refine your resume, complete with how you translate your military skills to the job at hand, with the help of recruiters and staffing coaches.
Interview prep
When you land the interview after a successful application process, remember practice makes perfect. Work with trusted individuals and other veterans to bounce ideas off of and simulate interview scenarios.
Organizations like Veterans Bridge Home, designed to help veterans and their families become part of civilian communities again, have dedicated resources to helping veterans on their career paths. With regular volunteers, community events, and preferred partnerships, VBH is rich with support for our veteran communities.
Stay positive!
Finally, don’t get discouraged, and keep at it. If there’s one thing veterans show us time and again, it is their persistence and resilience, and searching for your dream job is important. Remember, there is help out there, and we are doing our part to ensure you know about and can readily access the resources and tools you deserve.