Go Ahead, Punt on a Veteran!

The other day I was on a panel interviewing trainees, who after interning with us were making the ‘ultimate pitch’ on getting hired. A bright lot with a characteristic millennial demeanor. Some stories though, lacked focus. Like those who’d drowned in the Google infused information overload and lost sight of their project objectives mid-way. Or for instance, I remember this sharp Delhi boy, pursuing MBA (IT) – who’d set his heart strangely, on a Finance role. Clearly a diligent kid, we didn’t want to let him go. My senior colleague, a formidable hiring expert in the industry suggested we’d ‘punt on the youngster’ anyway.

That resonated with me. I was reminded of my many friends - Veterans from Defence who often reach out to discuss their prospects in the corporate world. Many face a somewhat similar dilemma – unsure where to set their hearts after the diversity of experiences, myriad roles and immense exposure that the Forces provide. In that lot, there are communication & IT engineers, paratroopers, supply chain specialists, technocrats, procurement experts and various others - sometimes even multiple specializations rolled into one. Almost all are able administrators and security experts - as leading men and managing operations in hostile environments is central to the profession.

Yet when stepping into the corporate world, aligning to a specific industry or role is an enormous challenge. Many are in their 40's and find it difficult to be absorbed into roles and levels befitting their experience. HR departments are often confused - mostly viewing Veterans as generalists and avoiding them because of their ‘outlier’ age and experience sets. In a hiring process obsessed with finding the ‘perfect-fit’, the countless cases where Veterans have performed exceedingly well when given a chance - is lost sight of. 

Personally, I’m grateful somebody bet on me years ago when I stepped out of the Army with a dream of breaking into the fledging IT industry.  And as I look around today, plenty of Veterans are shining examples proving themselves as entrepreneurs, business heads and leaders across industry sectors. Many are in roles that has little to do with their past, but given their discipline and tenacity have learnt the ropes quickly. 

While it is well known that a highly skilled talent pool steps out of the Defence services every year, I so wish there are more hiring managers who dare to ‘Punt on a Veteran’.

Note: Image courtesy bwilking/ Getty Images. These views are personal.