The Dreaded "Blackhole" Where Veteran Resumes Go To Die!
Eddie Dunn
Transforming Organizations & Talent: Award-Winning Leader Driving Culture, Performance & Business Growth
True story…years ago, I was introduced to a retiring Marine Command Sergeant Major, who insisted I needed to know everything about his long and amazing career with his 9 page resume (not a typo). He was your prototypical Marine’s Marine, neck optional, channeling his inner "Mad Dog,“ with a chest full of medals…a superhero in my book. His resume was a work of art and a source of pride. Finally, at the end of the conversation, I summed up the courage (easier to do over the phone btw) to tell him his baby was ugly. As you can imagine, he didn't take too kindly to that. I never heard from him again.
In my continuing “Alice in Wonderland” adventure of asking “WHY,” over and over again, I've come to this hard truth: Our transitioning service members, veterans and military spouses are set up for failure from the beginning – PERIOD, FULL STOP. Here are the three over arching failures as I see them:
#1: An inherent systemic failure of applying for a job, although not unique to veterans alone, is exacerbated by how underprepared many of them are to the complexity of the task…hence the “Blackhole” of frustration many experience.
#2: An inherent programs failure in a deeply fragmented ecosystem that is often confusing to our transitioning service members showing up in myriad of ways in health outcomes and employment challenges.
#3: An inherent cultural failure in perpetuating the “Broken Warrior” narrative and the unconscious bias of many employers who don’t truly understand their value.
Right at this point, you may be thinking, "Hey, what about this organization or that VSO or this government program...aren't they making a difference?" The short answer is "Yes" but it is not enough. As the old saying goes, "You can put three stripes on turd and call it Gucci, but at the end of the day, it is still a turd."
I submit, the dreaded blackhole where veteran resumes go to die, is symptomatic of a bigger issue. The system is broke. It is time to change the system.
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Commercial Truck Driver
4 年Perhaps the question of 'do we even need a system in the first place?' should be posited as well. I shouldn't be led to believe that I'm part of a privileged class that isn't subject to the same demands and turmoil of the job market as a whole. The more separation there is from the everyday civilian laboring to earn an income and the government employee drawing a salary derived from the same income, the harder it is to transition from one identity into the other.
President and Managing Partner, AJM Transport, Inc.
4 年Networking is a way better option....get out of the "patrol base" and actively recon
HR Writer | Talent Acquisition
4 年Eddie, I think you & I could talk for hours about this! I'm starting to rethink how we even have people apply for positions. Is a resume or application really the best source of information for how well a person can do the job? (short answer: no) We need to completely rethink how candidates express interest in a position and how we can match them with the spots that best fit their knowledge, skills and abilities. I think it would also help us improve our diversity, our vet hires as if we can get those with the best skill set in front of the recruiters/hiring managers, the less likely we will care about the work history. It's a long road, but I think it is the future of talent acquisition.
Gallup CliftonStrengths Coach - Activator | Responsibility | Individualization | Strategic | Relator - Be the Best Version of Yourself!
4 年Great article! Yes, I would agree the system is broken. However, it's not just the system. Transitioning service members must own their transition. They can't start thinking about civilian life 6 months prior to separating. If a resume is written well, the odds of it being seriously looked at increases. As a recruiter, I can't tell you the number of times a veteran or any other candidate blew a phone interview because they were not prepared.