While having served in the military gives you valuable skills both for life and employment, it can be difficult to adjust to a drastically new lifestyle and working structure. There are numerous ways a veteran can use their military experience to jumpstart their civilian careers, but the terrifying question always remains: why do so many veterans struggle with finding jobs? Plainly, there are a number of reasons, most of which can be described as a cultural gap between those who have experienced military life and those who have not. Fortunately, there are strategies and resources that can ease the process of finding jobs for veterans. Here in Indiana, veterans can make use of INvets.
Indiana
The first question veterans should ask themselves is whether or not they should relocate. Afterall, the distribution of jobs and positive attitudes toward veterans is uneven. For some, the grass really is greener somewhere else. INvets makes the case that Indiana is one of the best places for veterans to transition to their civilian life.
Indiana has a large job market with over 150,000 open positions. Couple that with a 3.2% unemployment rate and you have one of the best scenarios for job hunting, and that goes for anyone, not just vets. The bonus for veterans is that the culture of Indiana is generally kind and understanding towards those with military experience. Many employers will recognize the value of having served in the military. In fact, INvets alone has a great deal of partner companies that actively want veterans in their employee rosters.
Additionally, the Indiana Department of Veteran Affairs (IDVA) is a phenomenal resource for veterans. Many veterans are not aware of the scope of the benefits they have available to them, including resources that assist in finding jobs. Because of this, every county in Indiana has a County Veteran Service Officer (CVSO) that connects with veterans and makes accessing the IDVA’s resources a simpler and easier process.
Veterans Organizations
While the IDVA is a hugely beneficial resource, it is not the only one. Non-profit organizations dedicated to helping veterans offer a multitude of boons that a VA office may not. INvets is one such organization operating in Indiana. For those not living in or relocating to Indiana, there are other non-profit organizations that may offer similar services.
First of all, INvets offers help with relocation to Indiana. Our primary goal is to help as many veterans as we can. Because Indiana is a great place to do so, we do all that we can to make getting here as easy as staying here. Additionally, we connect veterans to Indiana-specific resources.
In terms of finding jobs, some of our most notable services are our education and career planning resources. Veterans may need to gain new skills, education, or training to transition to the job they want. We meet with veterans to discuss their career trajectories and how they can achieve everything they are setting out to do. Furthermore, we partner with Operation: Job Ready Veterans (OJRV) to support veterans through networking, interviews, resumes, and job application processes. For every step a veteran has to take to get a job, we are there and ready to help.
If you are a veteran living in or considering Indiana, get started with INvets today.