WHY EX FORCES MAKE GOOD EMPLOYEES. 1. Dependability Dependability is a key characteristic of veterans and is drilled into us day 1. When we say we are going to do something, we’re expected to follow through all the way to the end, whether the task is simple or complex. We are trained to figure it out, or use others to gain necessary input, and only seek guidance from the senior person once we have exhausted all other resources and need their expertise to complete the task. But “simple” to military can be “complex” to others. If an appointment is made two weeks from now, a phone call is not necessary to remind us or re-confirm whether or not the appointment is still valid. We will show up on time at the specified location. If something changes, we will call to let the person know. We won’t just flake and not show without proper notification. 2. Integrity It’s a big deal to lie in the military. My favourite saying is “When you lie, people die.” We are taught to take full responsibility for our actions, and if wrong, we would rather suffer the consequences of being wrong than lie and be caught. People outside of the military don’t have as many severe consequences for being untruthful, so a “little white lie” that may seem harmless to others is not so little to us. 3. Decision-Making Military personnel are conditioned to make decisions quickly. When decision-making in a two-minute time frame determines whether or not someone lives or dies, we are taught to use experience, gut and intuition. There is rarely a time that 100% of the information will be available to make a decision, so we’re taught to use what we have, make the decision and then “make it right.” We aren’t afraid to make decisions and then make corrections along the way if we encounter unforeseen challenges. 4. Looking Out for Others Camaraderie is huge. We uplift the weakest point in the chain because we can’t afford for the chain to be broken. We are all about accomplishing the mission at hand and know that it can’t be done alone — it’s all for one and one for all. Without request, we will step up to help others because we are for the mission and not personal gain. If our colleague looks bad, it’s a negative reflection on the team; and we’re more willing to go the extra mile to help fill in the gap because we feel the weak team member is a direct reflection of our performance. 5. Initiative We are conditioned to seek additional tasking, go above and beyond, and complete tasks with haste and minimal guidance or direction from our seniors. If we are clear on the task, we will drive it all the way home and surpass expectations. 6. Tenacity We can be counted on to complete complex tasks. Military members love a good challenge; the more challenging, the better. But “challenging” is relative, as most of our missions require a different mindset and skill set than that of our civilian counterparts. What may take a civilian four months to do can be done in four days by a military member. (Seriously!) (Click here to tweet this thought.) Because of this, some veterans have challenges finding mentally stimulating work in the civilian sector, so please choose a job that will challenge you. 7. Professional Presence Grooming standards are very important to military members. Clean-cut, neat hair, shaven, clothes ironed, shoes polished. We give eye contact when we talk to people, walk with great posture, remain aware of our surroundings and greet others in passing. When we separate, we carry most of these traits with us into our civilian career (with the small exception of the beard, as some men love the idea of growing beards). These are all elements that contribute to a professional appearance and presence. 8. Adaptability Most military members move every two to four years, depending on their rank and desire for upward mobility. We are well-traveled and exposed to different cultures, since living in six different Countries over a 14-year period is not uncommon. Most civilians don’t move as often or face the uncertainty of which country they’ll reside in with five months’ notice. We hope to move to Germany from UK, only to find out we got Cyprus! While working full-time, we get sometimes, very little notice to coordinate how to move a spouse, three kids, two dogs, the entire contents of a four-bedroom house and two cars to a part of the country where we don’t have any friends or family, don’t know if there are good schools and have no leads on employment opportunities for our spouse. But I wouldnt have changed this lifestyle for any other, at the time I served.
Posted on: Mon, 04 Aug 2014 21:36:10 +0000
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