Jobs for Veterans - Veteran’s Guide to Job Search in 2024

Veteran’s Guide to Job-Search - Everything You Need to Know

Let’s start with the basics. To land a job, you’ll need:

• A strong resume
• A convincing cover letter
• Strong interview game

Let’s go through each of these step-by-step.

Resume Writing for Veterans

The resume is a one-page document where you list out all your relevant work experiences

Here’s what you’d include on a typical resume…

• Contact Information - Full name, email address, phone number, and location.
• Work Experience - Your career in chronological order. Your latest job goes on top, and then you go from there.
• Education - Degree name/type, as well as major or concentration.
• Skills - Your top soft skills (leadership, critical thinking, etc.) and hard skills (operating machinery, coding languages, software know-how, etc.).

Want to learn more? Here are some of the best resources on how to create a convincing resume.

Done with your resume?

Now, we can move onto writing a cover letter.

Here’s what you need to know -

How to Write a Cover Letter

Every company you’ll ever apply for will ask for a cover letter to supplement your resume.

The cover letter is a short document (250 - 500 words) that briefly highlights your skills, and explains how your background is relevant for the position you’re applying for.

Here’s what a typical cover letter structure looks like:

And here’s what you’d mention in each of the sections:

1. Contact Details - Here, you include all the essential contact information, including your full name, phone number, email, and the current date.
2. Hiring Manager - If you can find their full name (from the job ad, About page, etc.), feel free to address them directly. If not, you can go with a simple “Dear Hiring Manager”.
3. Opening Paragraph - You’ll want your introduction to be relevant and straight to the point in order to get the manager’s attention. To do this, you can start off by saying what’s your role, years of experience, and top skill/achievement that makes you relevant for the job.
4. Body - This is where you show off your personal skills and explain why you’re the perfect fit for the job. Here, you can address some of the specific responsibilities for the job and how you have the right experience (use examples!)
5. Closing Paragraph - Finally, you wrap up your cover letter and write the call-to-action conclusion here. In the final paragraph, you wrap up any points you couldn’t in the previous paragraphs, thank the hiring manager for their time, and finish with a call-to-action.
6. Formal Salutation - Once you’re done with the final paragraph, all you have to do is write down one last “goodbye” and sign off. Some of the most popular sign-offs include “Kind regards,” and “Sincerely.”

Need more advice on how to write a cover letter? Here are a couple of resources and guides that can help you out:

Done with the cover letter?

Time for the last step of your job search: the interview.

Mastering the Interview

After creating a killer resume and a cover letter, it’s time for the final challenge:

The job interview.

Some of the most common questions you can expect are:

• Tell me about yourself.
• How did you hear about this position?
• What are your biggest strengths?
• What are your biggest weaknesses?
• Why should we hire you?

And more.

There’s also a good chance that they’ll ask you questions related to your military career, such as:

• Why did you join the military?
• What aspects of your military background prepared you for this position?
• What opportunities are you looking for now that you ended your military career?

To learn how to answer all these questions and more, check out some of these top guides:

Now that you know how to ace the application process, let’s cover some job boards...

Finding the Job - 5+ Job Board Websites

When looking at job boards, you have 2 options.

Veteran job boards - These are specifically designed to help vets find jobs, and will only have the relevant listings.

Conventional job boards - Where you’ll find just about any type of position.

Here are a few:

And of course, you can also use some of the conventional job boards:

• Monster.com - One of the most popular job boards in the US.
• Indeed - Another popular job portal.
• The Muse - Job board with a twist. The Muse comes with detailed company profiles, so you can learn what employers are all about before applying.
• LinkedIn (LI) - While not exactly a job board, you can find a ton of vet-friendly positions on LI.
• GlassDoor - You can use Glass Door to both find jobs, as well as learn about the benefits companies offer, read up employee reviews, and more.

7 Essential Job-Search Resources for Veterans

There are a ton of cool resources on the web that can help you transition into a civilian lifestyle:

8 Other Job Search Resources

Finally, here’s a bunch of other essential guides and articles if you want to learn more about the job search process.

Now, unfortunately, you might also face some challenges that come with transitioning from a military lifestyle to a civilian one.

Here’s how you can prepare.

Challenges for Veterans Transitioning to Civilian Life

Unfortunately, there are still many returning veterans who suffer from depression, PTSD, anxiety, and other mental illnesses.

PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, is a major problem for vets around the world.

Having PTSD might feel like it’s a serious obstacle that prevents you from carrying out certain duties on the job.

Symptoms may include:

• Nightmares.
• Flashbacks.
• Difficulty sleeping.
• Feeling emotionally numb, and more.

You may feel like you’re constantly on the edge, emotionally numb or disconnected, and close to panicking or exploding.

But this shouldn’t diminish what you’re capable of doing.

So, here’s how you can fight back.

First, see if you qualify for PTSD disability compensation. More info on that here: VA Disability Compensation for PTSD.

And if you’d like to learn more about PTSD, including the signs and other resources, you can read on that here: Overview: Recognize the Signs of PTSD.

Now, let’s briefly talk about the treatment for PTSD.

PTSD is not new, and luckily, there is more treatment available today than ever before.

The first step, and often a hard one, is recognizing the symptoms for PTSD and asking for help.

Many veterans unsuccessfully try to overcome PTSD on their own, before seeking help.

If you start to recognize some of the symptoms, don’t be afraid to seek out help as treatment is possible - and it works.

In fact, some of the most common two treatments include:

Counseling

PTSD therapy has 3 main goals:

• Improve your symptoms
• Teach you skills to deal with the symptoms
• Restore your self-esteem

Of course, individual treatment will vary from patient to patient, so highly specialized counselors can help you figure out what works for you.

Medication 

Medications help you stop thinking about and reacting to what happened - including nightmares, flashbacks, and more.

They can also help you develop a more positive outlook on life and feel overall feel better.

There are several types of drugs that help with this, but each case is different and not everyone’s PTSD is the same.

So, your doctor may prescribe medicine based on your specific symptoms or issues.

There’s a lot to cover on this topic, so if you want to read more, check out the VA PTSD Treatment page for more info.

Know Your Strengths - What Sets Veterans Apart

Veterans add incredible value to the workforce because of their unique strengths.

As a vet, you already possess some of the essential qualities companies are looking for!

Let’s take a look at how these strengths can set you apart from others.

Leadership

Military trained veterans know how to lead by example using several different styles of leadership.

This special training includes motivating others, setting examples, delegating, and giving clear and direct directions.

If you want to become a manager or a team lead, leadership skills are going to give you a huge boost.

Teamwork

Teamwork is an essential part of the military experience.

You’ve spent years working together with your unit, relying on each other to get the job done well.

So, just about any job you’re going to apply to will benefit from your strong teamwork skills.

Strong Work Ethic

Military members learn early on that failure is not an option.

So, a strong can-do attitude is part of most veterans’ work ethic. This strength is highly valued at the office, and can really help you stand out.

Working Under Pressure

Military members are used to getting work done under limited resources and constant changes.

With this responsibility comes pressure and stress.

But since veterans are used to handling these factors in a constructive way, they’re less likely to crack under pressure during stressful workdays.

Other Core Values

Veterans have a strong set of core values and ethics they learn in the military.

Most of them follow the same core principles, which include:

• Accountability.
• Loyalty.
• Respect.
• Commitment.
• Integrity.

And more.

With them, veterans understand the importance of working as a team and how to build trust.

So, the next time you’re applying for a job, think about how you can use the above skills in your resume or interview.

If done right, they can give you a competitive edge that not a lot of applicants can bring to the job.

And speaking of jobs, here’s how you can plan your career path outside the military:

7+ Best Jobs for Veterans

Haven’t decided on a job yet?

That’s fine - we’re here to help.

Once you have a clear outline of your skills, experience, and other qualities, you can look into any of the following jobs which are best suited for veterans.

Project Manager

The military is well known for producing leaders who know how to manage people and get the job done.

Coincidentally, this is the EXACT skill-set you need for a job as a project manager!

As a PM, your main responsibility is to create a plan for your team and hold everyone accountable, ensuring that they get the job done.

Average salary: $83,487 

PS - Want to get a job as a PM? Check out our sample project manager resume!

Some other managerial jobs you could try are operations manager, business manager, sales manager, hotel manager, and human resources manager.

Skilled Trades

A lot of ex-military members are good at working with their hands.

The skilled trades is a large industry where you can start working as an electrician, plumber, carpenter, welder, auto mechanic, commercial driver, aircraft mechanic, technician, and more.

Average salary: anywhere from $49,000 to $91,000.

Education

Becoming a teacher generally requires additional education.

But a lot of vets have the experience of mentoring and teaching other people during their military career.

If that sounds like you, you can look for employment in a private or public school as a high school teacher, middle school teacher, teaching assistant, kindergarten teacher, and so on.

Average salary: $49,468

PS - see our teacher resume example if you want to see what a job-winning teacher resume looks like.

Engineering

A lot of military vets have received specialized engineering training during their time in the military.

And if you worked with tech during your time, that’s even better.

The engineering field is worth a close look as you can look into roles such as an electronics engineer, mechanics engineer, technical engineer civil engineer, and so on.

Average salary: $70,038

Telecommunication and Information Technology

The military is often dependant on advanced computer systems and communication technologies.

This is why a lot of veterans gravitate towards this industry.

If you’ve worked with communication systems in the military, you might have to expand your skillset a bit and look into working as a software developer, network administrator, computer support technician, telecom technician, database administrator, and so on.

Average salary: $78,607

Healthcare

Worked as a medic in the military? You can continue down that path in the healthcare industry.

Options include registered nurse, occupational therapy assistant, dental hygienist, dental assistant, emergency medical technician, surgical technologist, and more.

Average salary: $37,000-50,000

Customer Service

As a customer service representative, you’d be the first impression a customer has with the company you’re affiliated with.

This is where your communication skills can come in handy if you decide to work as a customer service representative, customer care agent, customer service specialist, customer service manager, call center agent, or something else.

Average salary: $41,332

PS - Check out our customer service resume if you need help creating a resume in this industry.

Now, you might have noticed that some of the above jobs sound pretty technical and probably require a great deal of training.

But don’t worry - you won’t have to invest all of your savings if you want to learn a new skill or do an apprenticeship program.

If you’re a veteran, here’s where the G.I. Bill comes in handy.

The G.I. Bill & Education - What You Need to Know

The G.I. Bill is a benefit program designed to help veterans cover the costs of their education or training.

To be eligible for the G.I. Bill, you must have served at least 90 days (after September 10, 2001) and received an honorable discharge.

And to qualify for the full benefit, you must have served at least 3 years of active duty after September 10, 2001.

Check out the G.I. Bill eligibility chart for more details on the program and the percentage of maximum benefit payable.

For the most part, your G.I. bill monthly payment rate is determined by the type of school you go to and where it’s located:

If you go to a public school, all tuition and fee payments will be covered for an in-state student.

And if it’s a private or a foreign school, you may be eligible up to $24,476 per academic year at most.

For approved programs, the G.I. Bill typically provides up to 36 months (3 years) of education benefits, and you also may be eligible to receive:

• A monthly housing allowance.
• Books and study supplies.
• A one-time rural benefit for certain veterans.

Because there are a lot of variables here, be sure to check out the G.I. Bill Payment Rates page for more info.

Finally, the type of training and assistance you can cover with the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill include:

• Correspondence training.
• Entrepreneurship training.
• On-the-job training.
• Tutorial assistance.
• Vocational/technical training.
• Licensing and certification reimbursement.
• Institutions of higher learning undergraduate and graduate degrees.
• Flight training.

And more.

As a reference point, it can take up to 2-3 years to become a registered nurse, and you can start computer programming in as little as 1 year.

However, if you’re a veteran and struggling with reemployment due to a service-connected disability, then the next section can help you out.

Vocational Rehabilitation Program for Veterans

Vocational rehabilitation programs are designed to help veterans with disabilities find suitable jobs.

If you’re a veteran who has a VA disability (Veterans Affairs), you may be entitled to vocational rehabilitation and reemployment services.

These services may include:

• Counseling.
• Training.
• Education.
• Job placement assistance.
• On-the-job training (OJT), apprenticeships, and non-paid work experience.
• Financial assistance for post-secondary training at a trade school.

And more.

To be eligible for the VR&E (Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment) program, you must:

• Have received an honorable discharge.
• Be currently eligible for a G.I. Bill (read above) or other educational benefits.
• Have a service-connected disability rating of at least 10% or a memorandum rating of at least 20% from the VA (Veterans Affairs).

If that is the case and you are indeed eligible for an evaluation under the program, you must complete an application and meet with a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC).

From there, you and the VRC will continue counseling to determine the track of services needed and develop a strategy that addresses your specific rehabilitation and employment needs.

Check out the official Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) page for more info and how to apply.

Key Takeaways

To recap, transitioning from a military to a civilian lifestyle might sound hard at first.

There might be potential challenges you’ll face as a veteran, but as long as you keep the following tips in mind, you should be fine:

• First, figure out what are your top skills and what type of careers you’d excel in.
• Consider how your military background can fit within your resume, cover letter, and interview (check out our resources to help with this!).
• Look out for potential roadblocks: PTSD can be a serious threat. But there are treatments available - so, don’t be afraid to seek out help.
• With that said, as a veteran, you also bring some unique strengths to the workplace - from being a natural leader to an unmatched work ethic.
• Once you have an outline of your skills and have an idea of what you want to do, consider some of the best veteran jobs we’ve mentioned before.
• Finally, if you’re having some trouble with your reemployment due to a service-connected disability, see if you’re eligible for the VR&E program and how the reemployment services can help you out.

All in all, the job-hunt process as a veteran might sound daunting, but as long as you stick to it - it’ll pay off in the end!

If you’re looking for extra career resources, be sure to check out our career blog for the latest advice and more actionable guides.

Recommended reading:

• How to Write a Career Change Resume in 2024 [9+ Examples]
• 7+ Vital Tips to Consider Before Emailing a Resume to an Employer
• Best Skills for the Fastest Growing Industries [+Infographic]