I was talking to a veteran recently about his personal journey. After two deployments to Iraq, he attempted to find a job in the civilian world. Five frustrating months later he decided that life was better overseas, so he volunteered for a deployment to Afghanistan. This is not an uncommon phenomenon as service members get frustrated with their initial job search and oftentimes give up, re-enlist or commit to minimum wage jobs. This does not have to be the case.
Below is a testimonial from Erik, a Genesis10 Veterans Program consultant, working at a major energy company:
“Five months and 50 resumes later, I was still unemployed and starting to feel anxious. I had desirable skills and education, including military experience, yet I had been met with minimal reception from the corporate job market. Then one day my search took a new direction. I was fortunate to cross paths with a recruiter from Genesis10 who had interest in hiring veterans with GIS experience. I was skeptical, but decided to follow up. Immediately after meeting with the Genesis10 staff, I was convinced this was going to be a positive experience.
"The first major change happened when they interpreted my resume and revised my military training and experience so it would actually mean something to hiring managers. Next, they invested time and effort preparing me for the interview process. It wasn't that I interviewed poorly, I just wasn't conveying the critical information that allowed a hiring manager to make a confident decision. Genesis10 helped me identify these important experiences and build a persuasive interview around them.
"After only a few short weeks I was placed in the perfect position with a great company. This would probably be the end of most hiring stories, yet mine continues. Genesis10 invested more time with valuable training and getting me up to speed on the corporate infrastructure. And Genesis10 employees continue to maintain regular communication. I engage in status meetings with the delivery director and the Veterans director.
I never would have imagined that a consulting firm dedicated the time to and effort in its employees and the companies they work for. My experience with Genesis10 has been life-changing; I have a great job and team of employees that constantly look out for my interests. I will continue to refer friends and associates to Genesis10.”
Erik I.
Specialist, U.S. Army
Consultant, Genesis10 Veterans Program
To learn more about Genesis10's Veterans Program, please see our blog post, Obstacles Veterans Must Overcome as they Move into IT Careers.
