ARLINGTON, Va. - Although much of the stress associated with a National Guard deployment concludes upon redeployment, a new concern can surface as Soldiers and Airmen return to their homes. It is the angst that goes with finding a job if the returning veteran does not have one waiting.
For those Soldiers and Airmen seeking work, there is a new Internet tool, www.hireahero.org, to link military jobseekers with military-friendly employers.
"It's a site best described as where 'My Space' meets 'Monster.com' for the military community," said Dan Caulfield, the executive director of the non-profit organization Hire a Hero that operates the site. "It's a social network that enables veterans to connect with jobs."
The site www.hireahero.org is designed to match employers searching for employees with military qualities and skills with job seekers looking for careers. More than 600 businesses have participated on the job board, and more than 180,000 individuals have registered at the site. The site also allows those in the military community to expand their networking abilities, especially in the Soldiers' and Airmen's home communities.
"When someone comes back from a military deployment, they want to go back to work in their home area," said Caulfield who was a Marine Corps infantry officer from 1989-1994. "The networking features of Hire a Hero allow the Soldier or Airmen to talk to more people in their area."
Caulfield, 40, stressed that networking is an important aspect of a job search, with success rates for jobseekers increasing dramatically with increased networking. Caulfield said a recent internal www.hireahero.org survey revealed that jobseekers who networked with more than six site users had a success rate of more than 30 percent.
"We know that the more people you talk to as you look for a job the better your chances of finding a good job," Caulfield said. "We want to get you connected with people local to where you want to work."
Caulfield's ultimate goal is to eliminate the "military service penalty." He describes that as the under-employment of recently discharged veterans compared to their civilian peers who have chosen not to serve. According to the Department of Labor, the rate of unemployment for recently discharged veterans ages 20-24 was 15.6 percent in 2005, about double the non-veteran rate of 8.7 percent.
Under-employment does not just refer to unemployment statistics. Caulfield explained under-employment occurs when a veteran returns home and takes a job for which he or she is over-qualified and that the person could have landed right out of high school.
"They are being offered the bottom-level corporate jobs that pay $8-12 per hour as opposed to the $15-20 per hour jobs that they need to make it in the market today," Caulfield said.
Caulfield added that the military stereotype "“ that military people are disciplined, follow orders and understand a chain-of-command "“ can actually be detrimental in the eyes of a human resource professional.
"How does a (human resource) manager view that stereotype? As a frontline worker bee," Caulfield said.
Caulfield believes the Hire A Hero site will be especially effective for National Guard members and said much of the potential for the site will stem from its use by National Guard Soldiers and Airmen. With that goal in mind, Hire a Hero signed a memorandum of understanding May 5 with the California National Guard to work with that state's public affairs, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, and family services offices in an effort to assist in employment acquisition as well as recruiting and retention.
The initial statistics for the use of the site by California Guard members during the first three months have been impressive. According to California Army Guard Col. Charlotte Miller, 694 California employers have posted more than 20,000 potential job opportunities on the site, and 706 connections between employers and California Guard members have occurred.
"It is important to us that our Soldiers are provided with quality civilian employment opportunities," said Maj. Gen. William Wade II, the California National Guard's adjutant general. "We are excited to be the first state to take part in this initiative."
Caulfield anticipates that other states including Texas, New York, Florida and Pennsylvania will sign memorandums of understanding with Hire a Hero in the near future. Eventually Caulfield would like to sign a MOU with all 54 states, territories and the District of Columbia.
Before becoming the executive director of Hire a Hero, Caulfield was the managing director of Helmets to Hardhats, a program that has helped about 60,000 military personnel transition into the construction industry. Caulfield decided to organize Hire A Hero because it involves all industries whereas the construction industry involves about 5 percent of U.S. employment.
Caulfield said he has invested about $500,000 in the project. Lincoln Tech, a career training school, has also contributed about $500,000, he said.