When it comes to veteran employment, there’s often a perception gap. Veteran employment numbers have steadily improved over the past five years, and many veterans leave service thinking their prospects are great. Faced with the choice between a recent grad and a veteran with the technical experience, veterans often expect the scales to be tipped in their favor. But the employment reality often looks quite different.
Veterans don’t lack the interest, but they may lack the direction. Which is where a non-profit called The Mission Continues comes in.
“When I left active duty I thought I was going to find a really awesome job and be able to walk into any company and sell them because I’m a veteran,” said Perrin Mitchell, fellow with The Mission Continues.. “I think I sold myself a fairy tale almost, like a lot of veterans do.”
Perrin is currently working for a non-profit on Capitol Hill while building connections, gaining leadership skills, and providing valuable community service
“We’re entering into a competitive field with college students who have been working toward certain professional goals, and we haven’t been working toward those professional goals – we’ve been fighting wars. We’re not even on a level playing ground.
“It felt like combat was just easier than the civilian world, and I know that sounds crazy, but to me it just was. There are so many gray areas. My expectation was that my service would speak louder than degrees, and louder than experience, and I was sorely mistaken.”
Watch the video below to learn how The Mission Continues changed Mitchell’s prospects and helped set him on the path to a professional career.
ClearanceJobs.com is proud to be sponsoring Mitchell during his fellowship. To learn how you can help, visit The Mission Continues website.
Reporting for Duty in Your Community: ClearanceJobs Sponsors 2016 The Mission Continues Fellow from ClearanceJobs on Vimeo.
