Veterans make up approximately 7.6% of the American population—over 22 million people. Six million veterans are work eligible with 200,000 separating from the Services every year. Veterans live in every community in the United States, with higher concentrations in California, Florida, and Texas, and have had varying lengths of service, from a one-term commitment through retirement. National Guard and Reserve servicemembers are already integrated into many communities as business owners and employees who happen to spend one weekend a month and a few weeks a year in training with the occasional deployment or activation.
As a retired veteran myself, I have experienced firsthand some of the difficulties that are common to veterans leaving military service and entering or re-entering corporate America, such as translating my skills into civilian-friendly language. However, all of the Services require departing servicemembers, whether after two years or 20-plus years, to attend transition assistance programs with workshops on entering the civilian job market. A plethora of programs are also available that address the mental, healthcare, relocation, financial and other challenges that may arise upon leaving military service.
First, let’s address the most prevalent stereotypes about veterans:
Stereotype: Veterans are “damaged” in some way [post-traumatic stress (PTS), traumatic brain injuries (TBI), physical disabilities, military sexual trauma (MST), etc.]
Reality: Veterans are no more likely to have a propensity for PTS, TBI, depression, or other mental conditions than the average American.
Stereotype: Veterans are rigid and cannot adapt to the business world
Reality: Veterans have worked with people from a variety of backgrounds, geographic locations, and cultures and usually have experience with being part of diverse teams.
Stereotype: Veterans are not well-educated
Reality: The average veteran is slightly more educated than the average American and 160% more likely to have earned an advance degree.
Stereotype: Veterans lack initiative and must be given strict guidance in order to perform their jobs
Reality: Many veterans become entrepreneurs upon leaving the service and have supervisory experience.
Stereotype: Veterans are heroes and somehow different, or more noble, than mainstream Americans
Reality: Veterans seek out meaningful work, which is also a characteristic of younger generations and not unique to military service.
A note about female veterans: because they are an underrepresented population in the military, 9-20% across the Services, female veterans are hyper-visible while in the service. Yet, they become invisible as veterans once they leave the service. Female veterans should be accorded the same recognition of their service that male veterans receive—whatever that entails at your bank.
Once veterans take the acronyms and mystifying terminology out of their resumes, they tend to have a lot to contribute to the workplace:
Tips for hiring veterans:
Naomi Mercer was senior vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion at ABA from 2019-2024. She had recently transitioned from a 25-year military career where she served as an assistant professor in the Department of English and Philosophy at the United States Military Academy and in the Pentagon running the Army’s gender integration and religious accommodation programs. Her educational background includes a doctorate in literary studies with a minor in gender and women’s studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an executive certificate in strategic diversity and inclusion from Georgetown University’s Institute for Transformational Leadership. She is the author of the academic monograph, Toward Utopia (2015).