Veterans Day is a time when soldiers are honored for their services to our country. It’s nice to acknowledge these brave men and women risking their lives for the good of the United States of America, but what they really need more than anything right now is jobs.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for post-9/11 veterans is 12.1 percent, 3 percent higher than the national jobless rate. This amounts to more than 240K total unemployed post-9/11 vets.
The jobless rate is much higher for younger veterans, especially those ages 20 to 24, of which one in three are currently without work. Older veterans fare much better in the workforce, and currently have an unemployment rate of 7.7 percent, lower than the national rate.
Lack of education and inexperience are the two biggest obstacles for younger veterans. Many enlist in the military right out of high school, and return to civilian life with no “real-world” experience. Most employers typically do not consider military experience when reviewing applicants.
This transition period from military to civilian life can be tough, and many vets are worried and uncertain about their futures. The problem could continue to get worse as more soldiers are coming back fromIraqandAfghanistan. Over the next five years, one million more soldiers are expected to return from overseas and attempt to re-enter the workforce.
President Obama has recognized this growing problem and its potential to get worse in the near future. Obama recently called for initiatives to help our soldiers returning home to find jobs, including tax incentives that are part of the $447 Jobs forAmericaproposal.
Businesses that hire unemployed veterans can receive $5,600 in tax incentives, and companies that hire vets with service-related disabilities can get up to $9,600.
To further assist the nearly 850K unemployed veterans, President Obama’s call for national efforts includes:
- Vets Gold Card – a program to provide six months of personal job training for veterans.
- My Next Move – an online tool that matches military skills with civilian jobs.
- Veterans Job Bank – a search engine for veterans that features over 500K job listings.
In addition, Obama has urged American businesses to hire or train 100K vets over the next two years. So far companies have agreed to hire 25K veterans.
Statewide programs for vets have also been put into effect, including the Helmets to Hardhats construction employment placement program inNew Jersey, and the Vets to Ag initiative inMichiganthat trains vets in farming and land care.
Soldiers willingly leave their homes and families and risk their lives in order to protect our country and better theUSeconomy. For them to fight overseas and then return to American soil and have to fight for a job does not seem right.
Although veterans – younger ones especially – may lack in experience in the workforce, serving in the military provides them with skills that can easily be applied to any position, such as discipline, focus, determination and leadership.
Employers must realize the great contributions that soldiers make through their military service and make efforts to give these brave young men and women a chance to succeed in the jobs they deserve.
WORKS CITED:
Bello, Marisol. “Veterans face tough job market” USA Today News http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/story/2011-11-10/veterans-face-tough-job-market/51159930/1 Accessed 11/11/11
Boyd, Alesha Williams. “Growing number of programs across USAhelp vets to get jobs” USA Today News http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/story/2011-11-10/vets-work-programs-helmets-to-hardhats/51159446/1 Accessed 11/11/11
Springer, David. “President Obama Announces Help for Veteran Unemployment” kaaltv.com http://kaaltv.com/article/stories/S2367848.shtml?cat=10219 Accessed 11/11/11
With the national unemployment rate still hovering around 9 percent, jobs can be tough to come by. The job market has changed, and it’s no longer enough to simply fill out applications, turn in resumes and hope for the best. These days it pays to go a little further in one’s search for employment and put in some extra effort.
Volunteering can be an effective way to build one’s resume and open up doors to future employment opportunities, in addition to giving back to the community. Although the goal of finding a job is to eventually earn a living, donating one’s time and efforts to a non-profit organization can be valuable in the long run.
Working a volunteer position is a great way to get out there, meet new people and network. While looking for a job, it’s important to remember to use every opportunity to establish new connections and put the word out that a job search is underway. These days it’s all about who you know, and a fellow volunteer could easily be linked to a future employer or job opportunity.
Volunteer work looks great on a resume, and it’s a good filler for time spent out of work. Even though a position may not have been a paid one, incorporating charitable positions into work experience will show employers that even though you weren’t necessarily employed, you still used your time wisely by making a difference.
A resume is usually the first thing an employer sees about a job candidate, and showing that you are an involved and active citizen will help demonstrate to future bosses that you can help make a difference at their organization.
Unlike certain paid positions, volunteer work can give you the freedom to pick and choose what projects you would like to work on and open up new opportunities to develop your skill set. This can easily transfer over to your resume to show what you learned through charitable work.
For example, if web design is something you would like to work on and become better at, inform the leaders of your non-profit organization that you would like to work on their website. Since you don’t have t worry about being paid (or not being paid) for your work, there is more room to negotiate and be picky about what you want to work on.
While working a volunteer position, keep your career goals in mind and analyze what you are learning and how that can apply to your job search. Highlight any valuable skills that you pick up on your resume and always be sure to mention how you helped a non-profit organization achieve their goals through your charitable efforts.
It’s also very important to utilize any contacts made through volunteer work to the fullest while seeking paid employment. Asking fellow volunteers and organization leaders for recommendations to include in applications for jobs is quite common among charitable workers. These recommendations can be used to show employers that you are a reliable and responsible individual that cares about the community, and you can further use these to highlight your skills and potential as a future employee.
Finding a job in today’s economy is tougher than it used to be, and it’s important to explore all available avenues leading toward gainful employment. Volunteer work is beneficial for networking, building skills, enhancing a resume and keeping busy during time spent out of work.
WORKS CITED:
Ellis, Susan J. “Put Volunteer Work on Your Resume” serviceLEADER.org http://www.serviceleader.org/volunteers/resume Accessed 11/8/11
Levin-Epstein, Amy. “Volunteer Work: 5 Ways To Use It to Get a Paying Job” CBS Money Watch http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505125_162-47541606/volunteer-work-5-ways-to-use-it-to-get-a-paying-job/?tag=mwuser Accessed 11/8/11
We don’t know why we did it – perhaps it was meant to be some form of shock therapy to keep her from becoming a teen pregnancy statistic – but my wife invited her teenage cousin to the recent birth of our child. Whether it had the intended effect is yet to be seen, but one thing it did accomplish was interest her enough in the health profession to apply to volunteer at the hospital.
You see, her High School encourages its college-bound students to perform a requisite number of hours volunteering. Obviously, it’s good for college applications. But it’s also very good for the students as well.
As opposed to the sterile environment of the classroom, kids get out into the real world and see where people work and the issues associated with it. Also, as it was explained to her, it gives them unique stories to tell in admission application letters or interviews. Since the High School experience can be pretty generic, this gives kids the chance to build some stories that aren’t about clubs or classes to impress the admissions staff and stand out.
I thought that was a pretty smart idea. And there’s no reason that logic can’t apply to adults who are interviewing for jobs. Since most people these days are sticking to their fields, they’ll be telling practically the same stories to the interviewer as does the next candidate. They’ll blend instead of shine.
But volunteering gives you stories that still can relate to the job you are interviewing for, but not bore the poor person in front of you. It provides an opportunity to stand out from the rest and be remembered, which is exactly what you want to do in any interview.
So, what’s good for the High School set is good for the rest of us, it would seem. Get out and volunteer a little. It can do all sorts of good for you: body, soul and career.
Sometimes what sets apart the gainful employee from the hopeless job seeker is the interview process. Gearing oneself up for the job interview can be stressful and painstaking, but as long as the proper steps and preparations are made, the interview can be aced!
Based on reviews from prospective employers, one of the worst things an applicant can do is bring up touchy topics of conversation during an interview. This includes personal problem such as failed marriages, sexual preferences, children matters, pets and other drama.
Although skills and experience can largely factor in to the application and interview process, sometimes what a job candidate says during the interview can weigh heavily on the deciding factors of employers. Steering clear of sensitive personal information is always a good idea when chatting yourself up to prospective future employers.
How one handles themselves during a job interview can be a prime example of they will conduct their behavior at the workplace. Exhibiting confidence and positive energy can work wonders during the first initial meeting with a prospective employer.
While preparing for an interview, it’s important to list all the skills and attributes that make you a qualified and valuable candidate and evaluate which ones speak the loudest. Selling yourself is essential in today’s job market, and creating a personal brand and being able to market it is priceless.
Portfolios, resumes, pen and paper; being prepared for that next big interview is essential. First impressions are utterly important, and one false move can easily lead to disaster during an interview.
Being on time is key, and being five to ten minutes early is even better. Rushing yourself out the door will make you nervous and ill-prepared, something that interviewers can sense right off the bat.
Aside from preparing personal materials such as resumes and cover letters before a job interview, doing proper background research is important as well. The more a job applicant can find out about a business before they put themselves out there for a job, the better.
Researching the competition will provide a good background as to what types of jobs are available and how much they pay. Too often people blindly send in resumes and apply for jobs, but one thing every job applicant should realize is that the more research they do, the better off they will be in the long run.
Job interviews can be tough, but with a little preparation and progressive thinking, these situations can be mastered.
Stay positive, dress nice and relax!
WORKS CITED:
Doyle, Alison. “Job Interview Tips” About.com http://jobsearch.about.com/cs/interviews/a/jobinterviewtip.htm Accessed 10/31/11
Kay, Andrea. “Personal problems don’t belong in job interview” USA Today http://www.usatoday.com/money/jobcenter/workplace/kay/story/2011-10-31/leave-personal-problems-out-of-interview/51009896/1 Accessed 10/31/11
We’ve already established that volunteering is an excellent resume builder. We’ve also explored that there are different experiences for different career fields. Volunteering is becoming so vital in the search for a job that LinkedIn has added a field for listing your volunteer experience and causes you’re passionate about.
Now it’s time to explain how to find these volunteer positions.
You could use Google, but why do that when there’s volunteermatch.org, which is easy to use and very comprehensive. It’s sort of a job board for volunteer positions. When you visit the page you type in your ZIP code and a keyword or two that describes your career field.
For instance: when I put in my ZIP and “marketing” there were two pages of results, and they are all very relevant to the search term. It’s very easy to find an opportunity that will build my work experience. And it works just about as well for any keyword or career field.
Another good source is serve.gov, the official site of ‘United We Serve’. According to the site, ‘United We Serve’ is, “a nationwide service initiative that helps meet growing social needs resulting from the economic downturn.” Created as President Obama’s answer to the Peace Corps from Kennedy’s time, the organization encourages volunteerism to help rebuild the economy and a sense of national patriotism.
It’s just as easy to use, too. It has a simple search function that takes your zip code and a keyword for which cause you are passionate about.
Either of these sources will steer you in the direction of an excellent volunteer opportunity that will both enrich your resume and your soul.
Related articles
- Volunteering Will Save Your Career (Or Put You In A New One) (fastcompany.com)
- Volunteer work could turn up a new job (sfgate.com)
- LinkedIn Now Lets You Include Volunteer Experience in Your Profile (bestalan.wordpress.com)
This is an “off year” for elections, so there’s not a lot of local campaigns to volunteer for. However, next year’s presidential race is gearing up and is practically in full swing. Volunteering on a campaign often looks attractive to people, especially college kids, hoping to pad their resumes. Well, there are advantages and disadvantages to it that need to be considered.
A political campaign provides a person with loads of marketable skills from organizing to fund raising that will impress employers, that’s true. However, in a hyper-partisan world working for one candidate, especially one on a national stage, could unfairly prejudice an employer against you.
Okay, here are some of the good signals being a campaign volunteer sends: you’re willing to work for a purpose larger than yourself, you understand the larger mechanics of the world and can apply that knowledge to the business world, you’re willing to do the schlep work to get ahead, and you’ve learned the dynamics of an office setting. All of those are pluses to an employer.
But, there’s that sticky issue of politics always getting in the way. Although you’ve chosen your candidate with thought and care, that person might be at odds of the politics of the person interviewing you or the company you want to work for. And it’s not limited to party politics either. With the Democratic ticket already decided, there will be lots of mud slung and feeling crushed just within the Republican party as well, and even if you hold the same political persuasion as the interviewer, you might have backed the opposing viewpoint within your own party.
Just like in social settings, politics can be messy. Everyone holds their own set of values and beliefs incredibly dear to their heart, and although its unethical to make decisions based on a job candidate’s beliefs, this is the real world and it does happen, so you have to be careful.
You must seriously consider the type of work you want to do and if volunteering for a campaign is the best fit for that industry. Although it’s an excellent resume builder, it could be a career killer.
Related articles
- Political Training Website Launches – OnlineCandidateResources.com (prweb.com)
- Here come the campaigns! (sfgate.com)
Image by Getty Images via @daylife
If you talk to people who volunteer for causes or organizations, it’s a very good bet most will tell you that volunteering led to informal networking with any number of people and provided a chance to exercise or upgrade work skills.
But the value of volunteering is up to you. If you go to work as a volunteer thinking primarily about the chance of eventually being paid for the work, volunteering may actually turn into a wasted opportunity. Why? Your true motive will eventually find you out.
Volunteering with an open heart to help others can actually allow you to forget about your own needs — if only for a short while — while lifting your spirits during a time when self-esteem may not be too high. Getting active for something worthwhile without pay is likely to boost your self-image and refresh your confidence about completing tasks and reaching goals. It’s not all that different from how you feel when finishing a “to-do” list. A non-paying “job” well-done will matter to you — and at least a few people will notice you brought some commitment to everything you handled.
I’ve noticed that successful volunteer work is something many people want to hear about. The reason? Volunteering for a cause you really respect is exactly the kind of thing a lot of us would like to do if we could make time to do it. But you might ask, “What if no potential employment contacts result from volunteering?” Well, no harm no foul. What’s the worst that can happen?
It’s a matter of you keeping in mind that you helped others and got some new skills — or refreshed the skills you already had. It’ll matter to you and others will remember that it did.
Related articles
- Volunteers, Ideas, Creativity and Innovation (shinygemskc.wordpress.com)
- Why Volunteers are Like Superheroes (tambaya.wordpress.com)
Alright, no more beating around the bush. Most people just want a straight answer when it comes to where the best place to volunteer for your career field. Alright, done.
Medical – Obviously you want to polish your skills when volunteering. Nursing homes are always in need of help, especially state run homes. There’s never enough money, which means there’s never enough employees. As a non-employee you might not be allowed to do too much on the patient side of things, but you might get some office time, and certainly just reading to a patient will make them happier.
Legal – Non-profit organizations are usually fighting for funding, so an experience legal clerk can certainly help with that. Fundraising is an ideal way to not only flex those career muscles, but possibly find a new career. Good fundraisers, especially for political campaigns and causes, are always in demand.
Office Professionals -Your local church is a good bet for you. Churches always appreciate help organizing events or just manning the phones.
Warehouse/Distribution – Food banks that need help moving food to the proper locations can use your expertise in logistics. If you’re someone who usually just runs a forklift, but wants to move into the organizational side of the business, this is an excellent way to earn some experience in that field.
There’s obviously more which we’ll talk about in the coming weeks. But this should give anyone a good idea of how to relate volunteer work to their career field.
Related articles
- Tips on Trading Up Careers (gigatstrading.com)
- Where to Volunteer to Improve Your Resume (gigatscommunity.com)
- Volunteer When Job Hunting (turbotax.intuit.com)
Often, when out of work, people are advised to get out and do volunteer work to fill in gaps in your employment history. The theory is that keeping active looks more attractive to an employer than does sitting around watching “The Price is Right” when you’re between jobs.
But the question they never answer is where to volunteer. Well, that’s because it really depends on your career. You want to choose a volunteer position that will both benefit from your skills in the workforce as well as augment them.
What you want to show is that you’re looking to improve yourself by learning something new. Stretch yourself with it. If you’re someone who works with their hands, then volunteer with Habitat for Humanity or another organization that builds homes. Learn a new trade while doing it and improve your chances. If you’re an electrician, learn plumbing.
If you’re an office worker, then try something clerical. For instance, if you’re primary career is marketing, then lend that skill to a church or charity organization. You’ll be able to utilize what you know, but instead of marketing a product you’ll be marketing an idea. You’d be surprised how much you learn from just marketing something slightly different.
By staying busy you won’t just improve your chances at becoming employed, but you’ll also keep from going stir crazy.
Related articles
- Volunteer When Job Hunting (turbotax.intuit.com)
- Benefits of Being A Volunteer (bhls.wordpress.com)
- Ask Slashdot: Geeky Volunteer Work? (ask.slashdot.org)
The image most people have about jobs with non-profits is that they are low to no pay. That alone keeps some very bright minds from working in charity. But there are some very good reasons to take a job in the non-profit sector.
For instance, they’re not all low pay. Some charities understand that they have to pay well to recruit top talent. Yes, these jobs will be with the big charities, and you may have to suffer through an unpaid internship to be considered for one. But on the other end of the tunnel awaits not only a job you can support your family on, but be proud to go to work at every day.
If you do find a job that doesn’t pay as well as you like, don’t worry. You’ve got to start somewhere, and a few years at a non-profit will really make your resume shine. Consider that lots of attorneys straight out of college often work for the goernment as a way to get a leg up in the major law firms where the real money is made. They’re just not doing good, they’re making invaluable contacts that will help them when they move up.
And the same happens with charities. Once you get a few years in with one of them, you’ll make great contacts that may lead to bigger and better things.
But above all else, do you really need to make a lot of money? As you’ll learn at the charity, it’s not how much you bring in that counts, it’s how well you spend what you have. You may be surprised to find out that you’ll learn a whole new perspective on life and continue on at the “low paying” job simple because you get more out of it than money.
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- More than 2,000 charities and community groups face cuts (thtf.wordpress.com)
- Great opportunity for charities (raceonline2012.wordpress.com)
- Cause Marketing: Doing the Right Thing for Your Restaurant and Community (gourmetmarketing.net)
