Via Business Insider:
While veteran populations are disproportionately under-employed, they’re also disproportionately qualified for our most in-demand roles. So it raises questions about what systematic differences are present in this community that put these more qualified workers in a less marketable position.
Lt General Freakley on Veteran Unemployment – Business Insider
Points:
- “While it prepares men and women for warfare, the Department of Defense doesn’t cultivate the networking and relationship skills necessary to empower careers within the military and in post-military civilian lives.”
- “RallyPoint is the platform that can help reshape the professional networking culture of the military community, helping to empower many well-qualified service men and women.” Note: General Freakley is on the board of advisors for RallyPoint. However, his larger point remains about the need for networking.
Ponder:
- Is networking really the issue or is it a need for greater awareness that there is life after the military, and active duty people need to prepare for it? Those active duty people I know fell into these categories:
- Awareness of life after the military in time to spend the several years it takes to get a degree and do other things to prepare.
- Awareness of life after the military perhaps a year or two out, too late to complete a degree but enough time to get a certificate/certification or at least start preparing for the logistics of transition.
- Those who appeared so duty driven they kept working right up until the end and only did the minimal things to transition out. Would a networking tool like RallyPoint really be of help?
- Interestingly, those who were active in local churches off post tended to be aware there was life after the military and were able to build relationships or at least acquire knowledge to prepare for transition.