by Katrina Kibben, Social Media Marketing Manager, VisualCV
When my parents were active duty, we were moved from base to base, state to state and now that I’m in my professional life I can’t imagine the same lifestyle. Picking up everything I have to move for 6 months then packing again? Definitely not! Despite my whining back then, my parents always told me that whatever we did or wherever we moved, it was for the greater good of all the soldiers overseas and stateside so today, in advance of Memorial Day, I wanted to be sure to thank our veterans and active duty soldiers for all their hard work and sacrifice.
Unfortunately, watching the news I constantly see stories about veterans that are having difficulty transitioning to civilian jobs from active duty because of the economy. While the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the national unemployment rate is currently at 8.9 percent, according to RecruitMilitary – a company owned and operated by veterans to help military members find civilian jobs – the veteran unemployment rate is even higher and hovers at approximate 11.9 percent. Because our veterans have their own language of acronyms and unique titles to describe their skills, they are in need of tools that can help them translate their experience to the right civilian occupation to make it easy for recruiters to understand their work history and related accomplishments.
One of our members, US Army Lieutenant Colonel Deborah Richardson, is currently assigned to the Pentagon and preparing to retire from the Army after more than 25 years of service. Classified a “Program Analyst” by Army standards, LTC Richardson is searching for a senior level accounting or financial officer position, but faces the same challenge as most military veterans; how to articulate her military career in a way that recruiters without military experience can understand.
LTC Richardson explained that “Leadership and data analysis are functions anyone can understand, but it is more difficult to articulate the complexities of military pay and appropriation law, which can be filled with jargon quite unique to the military. I think VisualCV helps veterans really communicate their skills better, because it enables you to embed multiple pictures and products that enhance your accomplishments and show much more depth than a paper resume.”
With VisualCV, veterans like LTC Richardson can take control of their career management by enabling them to deliver “first interview” content to hiring managers and recruiters right from the start and communicate more than their paper resume.
The whole VisualCV Team thanks LTC Richardson and we wish her all the best in her job search (and for a great retirement party!). We know that her VisualCV will help her take the next step to a great civilian job.
Happy Memorial Day to all the veterans out there! We hope you have a great day and that your VisualCV is helping you get hired!
