Company Helps Vets Ease Back Into Society, Find Jobs

In this economy, the job market is tough for everybody. That includes military veterans, many of whom have already returned from stints in Iraq and Afghanistan serving this country. Fortunately for those individuals, Parsippany firm MilitaryVetJobs.com exists to help them transition easily from the battlefield back into the workforce.

The online firm, a subsidiary of employment database company WorkplaceDiversity.com, gives businesses and veterans alike the chance to discover each other. Employers pay to post jobs on the site while veterans, for whom signing up is free, can post their resumes in the hope of finding a position that suits their skills.

“We try to bridge the gap between the employers and the vets,” said company spokesperson Chris Kerney. “Veterans can post resumes and have them wide open. Employers can go and look for certain skills, and vets can look for certain companies and job titles, so it works both ways.”

The site, Kerney said, continues to grow, having received 14,000 new resumes from veterans over the past six months. On average, MilitaryVetJobs.com sees around 90,000 unique page views per month, he added.

In order to find more vets to help, Kerney said the company reaches out to local and regional media entities, including online news sites, newspapers, magazines and radio stations.

“Most vets don’t know about us yet," he said. "MilitaryVetJobs.com has only been around for about a year now, and it’s started from scratch. We’re trying to get our name out there and let everyone know we’re here to help them.”

The goal is for vets to find jobs they are willing to perform.

“I’ve heard from some vets who have been offered jobs as a server in a restaurant. It’s not what they want,” he said. “They put in their time and effort over however many years learning technical experience and valuable skills.”

One challenge that faces veterans is the fact that many employers are hesitant to hire them, thinking that those who have been in war may suffere mental after-effects of combat or redeployment, Kerney noted. To prevent this hesitation, many take drastic measures.

“Some veterans I’ve spoken with have taken their military experience off of their resumes,” he said.

But MilitaryVetJobs.com offers another view. Kerney said the company believes that, given the chance, veterans will prove to be a valuable asset to the companies that hire them.

“We’re trying to educate companies on the importance of hiring veterans,” Kerney said. "They’re not clock-watchers; they’re focused on tasks and used to working in team environments.”