Why Don't Businesses Hire Veterans

[Davidson Deac II]

Most of the people I knew that went in for the training, or for the travel/adventure, or for the GI Bill. Maybe its because I was in the Navy and it was a little different, but I never met a soul that said that it was their only option. I did know a few that just wanted to get away from their hometown,

http://www.infopleas...anscensus1.html

92% of veterans have a high school diploma or better. Thats compared to only 86% of the population as a whole.

26% of veterans have a college degree. Thats compared to 28% of the population as a whole.

Veterans are not losers, at least not in any greater numbers than the rest of the population.

[Squirrel]

Money for food and free housing? Thats definitely not true. We got paid housing and food allowances based on the area we were stationed (because of the disparity in cost of living when comparing Norfolk to Honolulu), and if we ate or lived on base, they took those allowances away. Thats not free. Thats just eliminating me writing a check to the landlord.

Single room in the Barracks and 3 meals a day. Married house on base and allowance for food. But yeah off bace allowance for both. If you are not paying for it isnt it free?

My point being was Vets dont realise just how much they make when you figure in the real world that stuff comes out of your check.

But your point about certain jobs is right on I knew before I got out that I couldnt make decent money doing what I did in the Army. So before I got out I got License for a job that I knew I could make it. Still took me 4 months to find a job after I got out and this was in 1999. One reason was I was taking my time but also I didnt have good interview skills at the time.

[Scrumtrilescent]

That tends to happen when you show up to every interview drunk.

[Squirrel]

That tends to happen when you show up to every interview drunk.

I cant help there was a bar on the way and I had to stop.

[Kevin Greene]

it's all about who you blow..not what you know

What a coincidence, I have a position that just opened up.

[Chimera]

Speaking as a veteran, I got hired relatively easily. My company was a very veteran friendly company and the group I was hired into were mostly ex military anyway. I was an Intel analyst for the military and went to work for the information security group in the bank. I was somewhat fortunate in that I had experience that easily transferred.

IMO, thats the most difficult issue that veterans have. So many of their skill sets do not easily transfer. For Navy guys, things like IT/network engineers easily transfer because the military uses cisco routers and firewalls, and other equipment that is the similar to their civilian counterparts. But a gunners mate or missile technician skillset doesn't transfer so easily. Even though those guys work with some of the most advanced technology in the world, its might be hard to convince a civilian that the skills would be valuable in the civilian world.

It also depends on who you know. I turned down a few high paying jobs in Washington state when I decided to move back to NC. I knew people there and pretty much could have walked into a decent job.

ButI didn't want a high-stress job. Being in a leadership position in the military, I could pretty much make or break someone's career based on how I worded an evaluation.

When I entered the civilian workforce, I didn't want that type of pressure at all. I just wanted to sit back, chill, deal with the untold amounts of stupidity, and get paid.

Problem is... in NC, you don't seem to get paid very much for those types of jobs.

:(

[Chimera]

[Davidson Deac II]

Single room in the Barracks and 3 meals a day. Married house on base and allowance for food. But yeah off bace allowance for both. If you are not paying for it isnt it free?

My point being was Vets dont realise just how much they make when you figure in the real world that stuff comes out of your check.

But your point about certain jobs is right on I knew before I got out that I couldnt make decent money doing what I did in the Army. So before I got out I got License for a job that I knew I could make it. Still took me 4 months to find a job after I got out and this was in 1999. One reason was I was taking my time but also I didnt have good interview skills at the time.

I don't think it is free. I know that in the case of the meal allowance, if you are eating on the base (or on the ship in my case) the allowance is still there, it just goes directly to the meal fund where you are eating. You just never see it. Not sure if thats true with housing allowance though.

I was in the Navy. No single room in the barracks. I had a bunk on a ship in a room with 50 other sailors. At least for my first four years anyway. :)

[Davidson Deac II]

Problem is... in NC, you don't seem to get paid very much for those types of jobs.

:(

True, but the cost of living is generally lower here. I live near Winston and a few years ago, it was rated as having one of the lowest housing cost of any city with a population of over 200,000 in the country. :So it seems to work out well for me.

[MadHatter]

I don't think it is free. I know that in the case of the meal allowance, if you are eating on the base (or on the ship in my case) the allowance is still there, it just goes directly to the meal fund where you are eating. You just never see it. Not sure if thats true with housing allowance though.

I was in the Navy. No single room in the barracks. I had a bunk on a ship in a room with 50 other sailors. At least for my first four years anyway. :)

I think you are missing his point. Even if it is an allowance and goes directly to the meal fund or landlord, you still are not paying for something that you otherwise would have to pay for.

Job making $25k a year and getting housing allowance and meal allowance is the same as a job making $35-40k and you having to pay for those expenses yourself.

[Davidson Deac II]

I think you are missing his point. Even if it is an allowance and goes directly to the meal fund or landlord, you still are not paying for something that you otherwise would have to pay for.

Job making $25k a year and getting housing allowance and meal allowance is the same as a job making $35-40k and you having to pay for those expenses yourself.

I do understand the point, I just don't necessarily agree with it.

If my employer pays me a 100 grand a year and I pay for my own house, or 80 grand a year if they provide me with one, then I am paying 20 grand a year for it if I take them up on their offer. That is what the military does, except they don't give you a choice in most cases.

Free housing is when my mooch of a brother inlaw mooches off my sister for the last year and a half without even trying to find a job and just sits around surfing the web, and watching tv all day.

[Chimera]

True, but the cost of living is generally lower here. I live near Winston and a few years ago, it was rated as having one of the lowest housing cost of any city with a population of over 200,000 in the country. :So it seems to work out well for me.

Misleading.

North Carolina has a multi-layered tax system. You income and assets (annual vehicle taxes for example) are both taxed. You pay sales tax on food. For some reason, food in NC costs generally 150-200% more than what I was accustomed to paying. Utilities are ridiculous here. This past winter, a warm winter, I was paying nearly $300 a month to heat my modestly small home while I was paying around $140-$170 to heat a much larger house in WA during much colder winters. Property tax rates where I lived were a few cents less than here, but the property value was much higher, negating the differences.

Based on my experience, the only thing that has a lower cost in NC is car insurance.

The biggest hurdle to me moving back that way is the initial cost of moving across the country and getting re-settled. I did it in early 2011 to come this way. Its not something I want to do again soon.

[AKPantherFan]

USA JOBS Has a TON of jobs out there with veteran preference...

[Chimera]

USA JOBS Has a TON of jobs out there with veteran preference...

Your "veteran preference" for federal jobs is based on your disability. If your rating is high enough, your preference doubles.