About 200,000 service members transition to civilian life each year, according to VA’s Transition Assistance Program (TAP). Unemployment and underemployment are a major concern for Veterans and soon-to-be Veterans. VA helps by providing employment resources directly and in partnership with outside organizations that serve Veterans, service members and their families.
One of those key partnerships is with Salesforce, a company that’s committed to working with VA to support quality employment by providing resources for Veterans, soon-to-be Veterans and their spouses who are looking for careers in technology. This partnership, facilitated and managed by VA’s National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships (HAP), was designed to help Veterans learn the skills necessary to find a career post-military.
Salesforce offers Trailhead, a free training platform, the Salesforce Fellowship, a program that provides Veterans, soon-to-be Veterans and spouses with paid, hands-on experience and free training resources to help Veterans and their spouses find new and fulfilling career paths through Salesforce Military.
Salesforce created two Veteran-specific training modules on its Trailhead platform: VA Benefits for Veterans and Veteran Mental Health and Resiliency Resources. These online modules are free, self-paced resources and have been completed by more than 20,000 Veterans.
- The VA Benefits for Veterans module helps Veterans understand what benefits are available to them, eligibility requirements and how to access the benefits.
- The Veteran Mental Health and Resiliency Resources module explores key facts about Veteran suicidality, expands access to mental health, substance use and suicide prevention resources and provides information on the Veteran Crisis Line, how to find a suicide prevention coordinator and the steps to take to reduce suicide risk.
“Transitioning from active duty to the civilian workforce can be challenging,” said Christine Eickhoff, HAP health system specialist. “VA and its partners have lots of resources to help overcome those challenges and be successful after leaving military service. Self-paced online training makes it easy, especially when paired with career opportunities. Plan to attend job fairs at military installations, your VA medical center or in your area through industry talent networks. Explore fellowship opportunities, take some free webinars, check out the Salesforce modules and sharpen your resume. There is a lot out there to help you.”
Translating military experience to the civilian workforce
“The skills translation piece is hard for Veterans and Transitioning Service Members (TSMs),” said Emily Carpenter, advisor at Salesforce. “Making what they’ve done in the military applicable to the civilian world can be a challenge, but Salesforces’ knowledge of the military community gives us the tools to help them understand how to tailor their resumes and translate their skills to a job they are interested in.”
In addition to the resources provided, Salesforce boasts a large ecosystem that empowers Veterans and soon-to-be Veterans to network, a crucial step in career transitions.
“The best resource TSMs and Veterans can leverage when looking for a civilian job is the military community,” said Michael Nolan, Military Recruiting program for Salesforce. “Treat the job search like a mission, trust your military brothers and sisters, and reach out to network connections for information about available roles.”
Salesforce also works with RecruitMilitary, a military-to-civilian recruiting company, to host hiring events across the country to connect Veterans, soon-to-be Veterans and their spouses to a wide range of employment and networking opportunities.
Since 2006, RecruitMilitary has held over 1,500 events in more than 100 cities, highlighted 78,000 exhibitors from over 1,500 industries and served nearly 731,000 Veterans from all service branches. To date, more than 110,000 employment offers have been made.
In June, Salesforce sponsored a RecruitMilitary hiring event where it focused on bringing awareness to its military-focused resources, including Trailhead’s VA Benefits for Veterans and Veteran Mental Health and Resiliency Resources modules. These hiring events are also a space where Salesforce can help Veterans and soon-to-be Veterans identify their interests and career goals and tailor their resumes for their target field.
“We want them to be excited to go to work every day,” said Casey Carpenter, customer service manager at Salesforce. “We help them understand what they want to do and how to translate the skills they gained in the military to the civilian world so they can be in a career they love.”
RecruitMilitary and Salesforce employment resources
- Career Fair Calendar: Provides information about upcoming job fairs.
- Live Webinars: Provide viewers with necessary knowledge and resources for a successful transition into the civilian workforce.
- Resources: Includes event preparation resources, resume building tips, placement resources and more.
- Military Trailblazer Office Hours: Recordings of Military Trailblazer that aim to help aspiring Salesforce professionals navigate the Salesforce ecosystem and increase their chances of getting hired.
VA employment resources
- Outreach, Transition and Economic Development (OTED): Helps navigate VA benefits and services, use partner resources and access necessary support throughout the military life cycle.
- Transition Assistance Program (TAP): Provides information, resources and tools to help prepare for the military-to-civilian transition.
- VA Careers: Provides VA career information, career guidance, employment benefits information, a step-by-step guide for the job application process and recruiter support.
- Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E): Job training and education resources, employment accommodations, resume development assistance and job seeking skills coaching.
- Compensated Work Therapy: A VA clinical vocational rehabilitation program that provides vocational rehabilitation services.
Get more information about Salesforce.
Get more information about the National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships.
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I’ve been in the CWT for almost two years waiting to be hired as a permanently employee. But it seems is who you know basis. I’m still waiting to be hired. This is at the New York Harbour in Saint Alban, Queens New York 11425. I started with EMS and after I saw people being hired before me I went into food and nutrition. Now my time with the CWT expired. Is this what veterans expect when they come to civilian life. Veterans should be the first to be hired.