Reintegration is a term that is often used by counselors and those helping ex-military people make the transition back into civilian life, including the labor market. Looking for work is usually a trying experience for most people, but for veterans, who have been out of the labor force for several years, and who may not have skills that are currently in demand, finding employment can be even more frustrating. Finding a job is a matter of perseverance, but your strategy matters a great deal. Below are 3 tips for reintegrating into the labor market.
Recruiters
The majority of jobs in the modern labor market, especially if they are white-collar, are unlisted. That means that you are not going to find them on job aggregators or openly posted. You need to know people or know where to go to find out about potential openings. A good way to increase your odds of finding work as a veteran returning to the labor market or entering it for the first time is to enlist the help of a recruiter. There are even free recruitment services for vets to take advantage of. Inexperience and a lack of understanding are often what most hinders a person's chance of successfully navigating the labor market and hiring a person or a firm that does it for a living can increase your odds of finding something.
Digital Skills Course
Depending on how long you were enlisted, you might have missed out on some important digital skills acquisition that people currently working or studying have had to develop as a matter of course. The rate of technological change is staggering and it is easy to be left behind by it.
The programs and technologies that modern workplaces use to communicate and collaborate are varied and always changing. If you don't possess some or all of these skills, you are at a disadvantage, so it is wise to spend some time brushing up on them. There are myriad free courses online to help you do this.
Take Care of Your Mental Health
Success is usually heavily influenced by your state of mind. If you are easily discouraged, or your self-talk is self-deprecating or self-defeating, or even if you are struggling with something like PTSD and the shock of returning to civilian life, it is going to come through not only in how you present yourself but how you go about your job search as well. If you need to seek help and talk to someone, whether it is through a support group or one-on-one counseling, good self-care after you have left the military is essential for not only successfully reintegrating into the labor market but civilian life in general.
Conclusion
Trying to find a job in a global and highly competitive, steadily digitizing and automating economy is a major undertaking for a great many people, let alone veterans. In order to find gainful employment, not only do you need to treat finding a job like a full-time job, but you need to meet certain base levels of employability in this economy. This might require brushing up on important skills you are expected to have, asking for assistance from professionals who better understand the labor market and ensuring that your mental health is not an impediment to your success.
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