When thinking of the technology industry, IT-type jobs instantly come to mind. But this industry – just like most industries – also has many non-IT fields in areas like contracting, construction, supply, logistics, human resources, manufacturing, etc.
One fact is the tech industry likes to hire veterans. For example, David Cross, a senior vice president at the software company Oracle said in an article on Silicon Valley and the hiring of veterans, “Compared to non-veterans, veterans have the combination of technical, operational and analytical background and experiences coupled with a high level of maturity, leadership and followership that most civilian college new grads do not possess.”
The chip-maker Intel also likes hiring veterans and has pulled veterans from a range of military specialties, including infantry, finance, cybersecurity, and pilots … to name a few. Intel’s director of risk and controls for data centers and AI commented on how they use the veterans they hire, “Approximately 80% of our veterans are in our manufacturing, supply chain and operations, and technology development organizations, which are the core of Intel’s business “.
In the tech sector, many of the companies hire veterans in part based on their “transferable skills” or soft skills, and then they train them for a specific position within their company. Soft skills include:
- Communication
- Organization
- Teamwork – both lead and follow
- Dependability
- Adaptability
- Conflict resolution
- Flexibility
- Leadership
- Problem-solving
- Conflict resolution
- Creativity
- Work ethic
- Integrity
Prepare Before Getting Out
Like with most jobs these days, big tech sector companies suggest veterans identify what they want to do once out and prepare for that choice prior to separation. Between Tuition Assistance, Tuition Top-Up, the GI Bill – and given enough time – service members can usually meet the requirement of their chosen position even before getting out.
But it starts with having a path to follow far enough in advance of getting out so that they have the time to meet the requirements of a job field.
When Applying for Jobs
One area veterans frequently fail is their resume – making it too generalized. Resumes should be tailored to the position on the job posting specifically linking the relevant skills – soft and hard – along with training and experience relevant to the position.
When listing bulleted comments, be sure to quantify those comments to the extent possible. For example, you can say “Responsible for the IT design of a command center” or “Designed the IT infrastructure for a $1 billion command center, that came in 4% under budget and 3 months ahead of schedule”.
It’s important to provide a clear picture of your capabilities and your accomplishments.
To be ready for the civilian workplace, service members must plan ahead. The Military Transition Assistance Program or TAP helps service members with certain aspects of preparing for employment post-military, but in most cases they are not far enough in advance so that the person has time to be prepared to enter the civilian marketplace immediately upon separation.
