Veterans face challenges finding jobs after service

Many veterans struggle to find work after leaving their military jobs, despite being qualified. A nonprofit, American Corporate Partners, is providing veterans with resources to help them find employment. Norah O'Donnell takes a look.
"CBS Evening News with Norah O'Donnell" delivers the latest news and original reporting, and goes beyond the headlines with context and depth. Catch the "CBS Evening News" weeknights at 6:30 p.m. ET on the CBS Television Network and at 10 p.m. ET on the CBS News app.
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[@adamc2378]

Why are they doing this video on generals and senior enlisted with retirement pay trying to get corporate jobs, when most veterans are young junior enlisted leaving after 1 to 2 contracts? This report should be about how unit leadership prevents separating servicemembers from attending free vocational training offered on post by forcing some BS training or detail on them. Now instead of that free 3 month welding course, which would have set you up for a job the day you left the military, you now have to waste your GI Bill and 6 months for the same certifications.

[@chrisbartkewicz5570]

Because the general public knows what a general is, they don’t know what a specialist is and the reporters probably requested a higher rank and someone who can articulate on camera to dramatically increase the cause for concern.

[@AlmaMartinez-wp8mm]

I definitely believe it's not what you know it's who you know when you get out in civilian workforce. Before I got out I earned a master's degree and still didn't land a decent job. This is why some veterans work on bases because civilian organizations and some federal aren't setup to assist in a smooth transition for veterans. Overall keep pushing forward and success will be on your horizon.

[@wwilliaml619]

I think for me the toughest thing is when all these employers in interviews go out of their way to say “thank you for your service” “we love our vets… etc etc” then I don’t either hear back or it’s a rejection letter. I also think sometimes maybe I am not good enough. It can really mess with my confidence. People have made the transition and done well. It’s just difficult and I can’t tell you how many times I have changed or tailored my resume…

[@BiGsImY]

Yep and I’m in the same boat brother. They made it seem like when employers see Veteran in your resumé then you’ll be a sure fire hire… instead they’re more like “oh okay, what else have you done”.

[@wwilliaml619]

@@BiGsImY it’s like “thank you for your service” next application please… you tailor and re-tailor your resume, had education/certifications/network and it’s more of a thing where we don’t “fit the corporate culture”. Very discouraging but again “thank you for your service”…

[@jackcarraway4707]

Hate to break it to you, but your military service is a giant red flag to us business owners.

[@wwilliaml619]

@@jackcarraway4707 thanks for the heads up

[@EddieLeal]

I'm sorry to hear you are going through that brother. Been there and still dealing with that myself. You may be aware of this already but most employers get some kind of tax credit if they hire vets. Employers can receive a tax break if new hires meet Qualified Long-term Unemployment standards. To qualify, new hires must be employed at least 27 consecutive weeks.If they work at least 120 hours, employers can claim 25% of the first-year wages paid up to $6,000. That gives them a maximum income tax credit of $1,500. If the qualified hire works at least 400 hours, employers can claim 40% of the first $6,000 in wages. That’d be a potential tax credit of $2,400. Short-term Unemployment credit: If an employer hires a veteran who’s received unemployment compensation for at least four weeks, the employer can claim 40% of the first $6,000 in wages. That would be a potential tax credit of $2,400. Wounded Warrior tax credits. They include: Employers that hire veterans with services-connected disabilities within a year of their discharge from the military can receive a tax credit of 40% of the first $24,000 in wages for a potential credit of $9,600. A similar credit is available for firms that hire a disabled veteran who has received unemployment compensation for longer than six months. The credit can be as high as $9,600 for for-profit employers and $6,240 for tax-exempts organizations. Some tax-exempt organizations can receive credit against Social Security taxes by hiring eligible veterans. Lastly, there is a Special Employer Incentive (SEI) programs for training newly-hired veterans. Under them, firms can get partial reimbursement for salary and supplies. There is no limit on how many eligible employees a firm can hire and receive credit. For instance, if you hire five veterans with service-related disabilities who’ve been unemployed at least six months, your tax credit ($9,600 x 5) would be $48,000. However, even with all of these financial incentives veterans are still having difficulty finding a decent paying job. My guess is that they may feel intimidated by our military background. It could be that HR/hiring manager is afraid we will lead a coup to overthrow their manager or even the CEO as a hostile takeover. 😉😁

[@violantederojas6188]

US Corporations make it as damned difficult for Vets to get a decent job when out of the Service.

[@davidlee5805]

Finish your initial contract. Get your gi bill, go to school.

[@pjkicks7860]

They don't care about us

[@firstlast8258]

Unless it's voting time 🤓 🖕

[@JohnnyPeacenic]

I didn't see any army privates do they not count.

[@adamc2378]

Nah man, a 2 star with retirement pay is where the suffering is at 😂

[@bigamemphis10]

@@adamc2378 lol

[@hannibalkemet9824]

That two star made enough to start a business. Her retirement income is still a lot of money a month. SMH!

[@EddieLeal]

Retired military. Twenty years, I've been employed off and on for the last 10 years. Mostly in retail/sales. Not my niche. I'm 30% disabled due to knee, lower back and other medical issues. Im also 50 y/o. Been working as rideshare driver mostly to help pay bills. With rideshare companies now taking a higher percentage of the ride fair/ fees etc... it's becoming more difficult to cover overhead and still have money left over to cover cost of living expenses.

[@slidejones6033]

If you worked twenty years in the military, then live off your pension.

[@beerdragon4583]

@@slidejones6033 Not that easy, numb nuts. Twenty years will only get you 50% of your base bay. For enlisted that ranges between 1800-2600 a month. If you’re married with a wife and kids having to pay rent/mortgage, gas, utilities, food that will not cover it all. You get paid once a month. That’s it.

[@drillsergeantchild4891]

Its hard to deal with this someday because I want to go through ROTC or at least OCS in the marine corps, and to see that it will be hard to find a job kwy be tough. I know my family will be dead or won't want me in their life anymore, so it's hard to hear this fact. We need to give way more to the veterans who saved our country on the front lines. The military has members that will not hesitate to fight what you fear.

[@leathernecksapperredleg2752]

Don’t do it! It’s not worth it. I am a marine combat veteran and that means nothing here anymore. I am not sure it ever did. The public does not or want to understand us. The civilian job market has no idea and never will. If I was you, I would go to college for something else. However, ROTC will pay for your college, that is if you win their scholarship. The guys from Vietnam found out how much we really mean to this nation. Do not be fooled!

[@okisoba]

Make your connections in the civilian sector now and while you're serving, and maintain them. It is about who you know. If you have someone with clout in an industry you want to be in who can vouch for you, that counts more than experience and education in a lot of non-engineering/science/tech jobs. Unless you're a top tier student/high academic performer your experience usually counts for little, because it's hard to verify. I was considered unqualified for an entry level job where the duties were a fraction of what I did in the real world in the military. edit: my brother became a millionaire by the time he was 25, my sister is a professional engineer and also doing very well financially, but I don't regret my service. I didn't do it for the money. The reality is, people have their biases and, on top of that, most employers don't know how to really translate our experiences in the military in a civilian context. Heck, it's hard for me to translate it all. So, in your spare time, start thinking about transition well before you get out. And make connections.

[@relicpathfinder2800]

Not as many military friendly employers out there than you think. Even government agencies are topped with civilians who really don't care about your service.

[@Zebra663]

Sayin wat sorry to hear that u had this experience

[@bigamemphis10]

A 2 Star? Seriously?

[@ivan200804]

I was working as Brinks guy after service, while going to college, then I've met this chick who was working on Wall Street and she got me a job in corporate America after I finished. I'm a true jarhead. The best story though is this lance cooly who hooked up with some Arabian princess, back in 90s. In you are 0300 or 11B or any combat MOS, you are pretty much stuck with being a cop or some LEO, but f that. Glorified firewatch.

[@Zebra663]

Thats not right...we need to help our vets get back into workforce if they choose to

[@BecauseYNot]

It’s difficult. I was homeless for quite awhile. Finally got a job with Walmart. Been there for awhile but they’ve told me I can’t be promoted to team lead because I have no employment history besides the army. I’ve tried applying elsewhere but not many other jobs available. USPS won’t even hire me

[@garouuchiha4041]

Go manufacturer or warehouse job, better and also just go back into the military but go air force.

[@garouuchiha4041]

America is a joke, veteran discrimination is real. That is why don't trust the civilian world. It's a fantasy, a lie. Go work at manufacturer or warehouse, better, and also study the asvab and go into the AIR FORCE and become entrepreneur to get a more income.

[@michaelchiang2674]

Out of service for three months, still can’t land a job. All resume sent out never got a response even with a master’s degree.

[@drew8979]

I got out after one enlistment and started working right away while on terminal leave. I then worked nights and finished my Master's Degree utilizing my GI Bill. Life is pretty good but no one is going to hold your hand when you leave the military.

[@memelord8408]

I refuse to even think about serving my family has been in the service since world War 2 well that stops here . 442nd japanese America division go for broke . And in Vietnam and gulf War Korean War Iraq . I refuse to fight until the armed forces are treated right upon exit .

[@whatevervlogs9663]

Loyalty integer and honesty doesn’t mean crap anyone thats not a solder can apply that also. People want credential in the work force.

[@thevaf2825]

"we have skills most of corporate america takes years to attain; loyalty, integrity, honesty" well, there's your problem. It's not that it takes years for corporate america to attain those skills, it's that most corporations don't value those skills. The only entity corporations are loyal to (most of the time) are their investors, and time after time they'll trample over integrity and honesty just to inflate financial figures and present higher returns than what they actually are.

[@jhnfra8260]

I did 26 honarable years there is no jobs for me. Its who you know. I survive on third world countries whith litle money I make. Avoid Florida thats the worst place for veterans. My humble advise.

[@hannibalkemet9824]

Yep, it's definitely who you know. It's a shame corporations pass up on so many good people.

[@onlythewise1]

4 year degee is nothing its experience counts

[@beerdragon4583]

Yyyup

[@cob705]

The New Great Depression is just getting started. Not good

[@JimmySentence]

I used to have a great respect for veterans. My goodness it wasnt until i interested with those who left the service more frequently that i realized most of them are unbeliavbly...ENTITLED! they talk a great game about responsibility and hard work but it seems when tou take off the uniform like they also dropped their work ethic or something and just conplain

[@68Tboy]

@JimmySentence I’ve had four jobs at once to take care of my family since leaving the military. I know quite a few that work just as hard. So yeah you may have met a few dirtbags, which are in any group, but I could pick a few select individuals that would work you into the ground.

[@leathernecksapperredleg2752]

NO! No one is waking up! Garbage! If I could go back in time I would have done something else. Don’t be fooled. No civilian company really cares, why should they?

[@firstlast8258]

Unless it's voting time 🤓 🖕

[@flyguy44man]

Human Resources 42Alpha is awful trade to translate into civilian world

[@rawdaw65]

As long as there is the 22 list . No effort has been made The only ones who have a job are those who help us get a job A service member get recycled once he gets DD214 Bye

[@jackcarraway4707]

I'm a business owner and I reject all applicants that are career military. Military has a toxic leadership problem and I refuse to bring that into my company. The rudest and worst communicators I have ever met were all military personnel.

[@wwilliaml619]

So you’re saying you know “all military leaders”? Do we in the military have toxic leadership??? There is no question we do but it’s no different than corporate American companies who have leaders who are toxic as well…

[@paulmccann-lj3ll]

This might be the worst thing I’ve read all day.

[@garouuchiha4041]

Not all are bad.

[@jackcarraway4707]

@@paulmccann-lj3ll Truth hurts.

[@jackcarraway4707]

@@garouuchiha4041 No, but I'm not taking the risk.

[@FloridaMan69.]

glad I didn't join the military

[@firstlast8258]

Gawd bless floriduh 🤓🖕