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Veteran Employee Resource Group
SOC's Veterans Employee Resource Group (VERG) aims to drive initiatives and community involvement on behalf of the corporation to enhance the participation of Veterans in the Company's growth and success. VERG members are active in our communities. With a large number of employees who are former military, our Veterans group works to support and honor these employees. In addition, we provide outreach to existing Veterans who are looking to transition out of the military to a successful civilian career path. Our SOC Cares giving programs and larger company-wide initiatives, work to assist deployed soldiers and their families in partnership with various local and national organizations.
Military to Civilian Career - Transition Timeline
SOC is dedicated to providing jobs to U.S. Veterans returning home. With a workforce made up of largely military veterans, we embrace our role as a support element for the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Marines.
To help you consider your options in such an important life decision, SOC has created a guide and timeline to help existing members of the military understand important milestones in preparing the shift from a military career to a civilian career track.
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If you are considering transitioning out of the military, planning is key to help ensure a smooth transition for you and your family. Research is the first step to help guide you on this important life journey. Below are a number of first items to consider:
- The Transition Assistance Program (TAP) is available for departing service members and has worldwide employment workshops available to military service members and their spouses. Find more information http://www.dol.gov/vets/programs/tap/
- Assemble the following documents to help assess/demonstrate the skills and qualifications you bring to a potential employer:
- VMET (Verification of Military Experience and Training, DD Form 2586)
- Performance evaluations
- Military and college transcripts
- Schedule an appointment with a pre-separation counselor to map out your career path.
- Start building your network. Reach out to existing personal and professional contacts and build new connections that could serve as resources for job openings and/or referrals.
- Begin attending job fairs hosted on military bases and by USO.
- Make yourself aware of recruiters and job scams out there that require money upfront and financial investments from you as start-up fees. 10 Signs of Job Scams
- Create a profile on SOC's career page and receive periodic employment updates.
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This is a good time to start accelerating your steps to successfully transition yourself into a new career. It is important to tell your story in the right way, in a concise resume that sets you apart from the others, while highlighting pertinent skills, experience and accomplishments. In a 30-second scan, the employer should be able to understand why you are a fit to their organization. Please review our sample resume on this page.
- Resume Writing Workshops are highly recommended for transitioning military personnel. It is important to avoid military acronyms and language specific to your squad, platoon, or battalion – because the average employer may not understand what this means. Also, it is important to note, word scans used by online job application systems will scan the first 30 words and sometimes the entire document to rank the relevance of your profile using key words. This is why it is crucial to understand the organizations you are applying to, in order to tailor your resume to their needs with a language civilian employers can understand.
- Once you have a final version of your resume, create a profile on LinkedIn with professional photo. LinkedIn is also a useful resource for networking. Using LinkedIn, you may follow specific groups and potential employers that have company pages.
- Start thinking geography and relocation. Despite being open to moving anywhere for work, to help focus your job search efforts, consider narrowing your search down to your preferred top three cities.
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With 90 days to go, this is the moment employers will begin seriously considering you for career opportunities. At this stage, you should accelerate your efforts by applying for more opportunities and reaching out to your network to inform them where you are applying and what interests you.
- Look for military-friendly companies like SOC who are both familiar with the transition process and are dedicated to hiring former service members. Online you may research lists of other military-friendly employers.
- Practice your interview skills in advance and consider any interview you take (good or bad) a step forward in preparing you. Proper research and preparedness for all interviews is key to your success. Start by reviewing company websites and prepping with potential interview questions that employers will ask.
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This is a crucial time to complete all departure documents before you officially exit your military career. Be sure to request a copy of your medical records and personnel records. And, schedule your final exit physical before leaving the military.
- DD214 is possibly the most important document that you will receive when exiting the military. Without this document, you cannot apply for any VA benefits. Keep this document in a safe place.
- Make 10 certified copies of your DD214.
- Search SOC jobs and apply directly for positions.