Transitioning out of the military can be difficult and a number of veterans avoid the veteran community as they transition and start their life as civilians. But when they do, they miss out on a group that can help them for the rest of their lives. The importance of utilizing your veteran status and tapping into the built-in network resources to help you throughout your career cannot be understated.
The Best Veteran Resources
The veteran community has been called an exclusive club that you earn access through your military service. If you are looking for a new career, looking for a new opportunity, or just working to build up your network these resources will help connect you with the veteran community and have you ready when you need to utilize your network.
1. Career-focused platforms
You might believe places like online platforms are just a place to create an online resume in the hopes that someone finds it and offers you a job. But the opportunity for connection is there too. The veteran community is thriving on these platforms and building your network with other veterans opens doors to opportunities. If you have a security clearance and are looking to connect with others or to find a job after transition, make sure you are using ClearanceJobs to connect with recruiters and find . While LinkedIn has its benefits, those with a clearance need to proceed with caution, as the absence of safety measures can make you the target of espionage.
2. Veterati
If you are looking for advice, look no further than Veterati. Veterati is a great resource for service members, veterans, and military spouses at any stage of life. With thousands of mentors available to talk, there is always someone one step ahead of you that can help push you in the right direction. Veterati is free and allows you to pick mentors you want to work with. You can talk to CEOs, recruiters, entrepreneurs, managers, veterans and civilians alike.
When you meet up with veterans, the conversation often leads to new open doors and opportunities. It helps build your network and connects you with others that can help you in your journey. And you can always sign up to be a mentor and help others in their life journey.
3. Vets2Industry
Vets2Industry was created by Brian Arrington as a way to help service members in transition. As he began to transition out of the military he realized the resources provided to military service members for their transition were not adequate. Vets2Industry has created an online networking platform that holds monthly events to help connect veterans with employers, recruiters, other veterans and more.
The mission behind Vets2Industry is to provide knowledge, connections, opportunities, and most importantly hope. In just over two years of being formed. Vets2Industry has formed into a powerful platform with more than 25,000 military-affiliated members with their all-volunteer team made up of more than 140 veterans and spouses. Vets2Industry is changing the way members transition out of the military.
4. Clubhouse
Have you heard of the newest social media app growing in popularity? Clubhouse is still in beta and you need a friend to get invited to the platform, but as it continues to grow and expand, it makes it easier to snag a coveted invite. And hopefully soon it will move past the beta phase. I mean, Elon Musk, practically broke the internet with his first Clubhouse event. There are only more opportunities to come.
But if you are lucky enough to be one of the registered users, you can find a number of veteran-focused groups to join on Clubhouse. The thing that makes Clubhouse a great place to connect with other veterans is the opportunity to “come to the stage” and share your thoughts and listen. And maybe it is because there is no video, but the conversations get raw and open. Shout out to the veteran storyteller groups, I have yet to be disappointed.
5. Twitter (#miltwitter)
Want to stay connected with the military community while also getting an occasional laugh? Miltwitter is a diverse group of military members sharing their thoughts and opinions and while having the block, mute and unfollow option to help lean into your particular flavor of miltwitter it is definitely a thriving military community that knows how to laugh with people who understand our situation. Miltwitter is an open forum of opinions and a place to connect and even possibly build friendships.
Veteran Resources Are Available When you Open the APp
This list is just the beginning of where to start. There are a number of other great platforms that veterans are using to connect. And as COVID restrictions begin to recede and the possibility of in-person events become part of our lives again, maybe the draw of the internet won’t be so important in building those connections. But for now, staying connected often happens through a screen. It’s important to not overlook what’s available through just a click of a button.
