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In the military, everything is clear and explicit. You know, everyone's job functions and rank at a glance, you know your responsibilities and you know what is expected of you, you returned to civilian life with years of experience, working in a tightly-knit team, your objective-driven, organized and disciplined. You know, your military skills would be a great asset to any workplace. But you don't get the impression that potential employers feel the same way.

You apply for a position that is similar to the one you perform during your 10 years of service. But because you lack a bachelor's degree or traditional work experience, HR doesn't follow up with you. Once you make it to an interview, you struggle to follow the script. You don't have years of practice making corporate small talk, and you don't know the right answers to the interview question. You're dismissed as someone who does not interview well. And interview after interview, you know, you'll be dealing with the same thing, thinly veiled questions about whether you have PTSD or anger issues, a gentle comment about how your service is admirable, but doesn't count as experience, you know the drill. Fortunately, many employers do recognize the value that veterans can bring and make an effort to hire former servicemen and women. They're excellent team players and are committed to getting the job done and doing it well. They are resilient, they quickly adapt to changing situations, and they have excellent problem-solving skills. Companies that make an effort to hire former servicemen and women and benefit from all of these skills as well as numerous tax incentives. However, a commitment to hiring veterans doesn't necessarily coincide with a commitment to building a supportive work environment.

In a survey, half the respondents reported that their colleagues make false assumptions about their dispositions or political views based on their military experience. More than one-fourth said they avoid drawing attention to the military experience for a number of reasons, such as wanting to avoid disclosing the details of their service or worrying that their colleagues will think differently of them. And one-third of those with a service-related injury or disability hid it from their colleagues. Perhaps most often, veterans report that co-workers assume an invasive level of familiarity with them, wanting to know intimate details about their service. All of these things can make a workplace uncomfortable and make veterans feel like they don't belong, and make it even harder for veterans to move forward in their career.

We'll explore these issues and much more in this module, we'll cover stereotypes about mental health issues, making accommodations for service-related disabilities. We'll discuss bias and job descriptions that make it harder for veterans to get hired. We'll explore the value that military experience can bring to the workplace. We'll also see common challenges that former military can face as they try to advance in their civilian careers. It's about being aware of the unique issues that veterans face so you can help create a more welcoming and inclusive work environment.