A number of Quora users responded to the question "What are the advantages of hiring someone who has been in the U.S. Military?" Of the responders, retired Marine sergeant and current hiring manager Jon Davis outlined ten key reasons employers should hire military veterans.
We have summarized his response below.
1. Veterans come from a previous culture built for mission accomplishment in mind.
"Few cultures have been engineered like the one military veterans have been a part of and even fewer ... focuses entirely on mission achievement, cooperation and personal development. The fact is that there is no culture in the world that shapes people in the way the military does," Davis notes.
2. Veterans have ingrained leadership talents
The average age of a Marine, Davis notes, is 19. At 20, most Marines become non-commissioned officers who are placed in leadership positions. As one advances through the military's ranks, the burden of leadership becomes greater and greater.
3. Veterans take their responsibilities seriously
"Military people get responsibility because when they were very young there were serious consequences to the decisions they made," writes Davis. Veterans have passed through trials that most people haven't, ensuring that they are responsible individuals who can successfully carry out their duties.
4. Intuition is a skill, and the military teaches it
"What many people think is that leaders are born. Not in the military. The fact is that many people in military are faced with making life and death decisions in the blink of an eye," Davis writes. Military personnel have been trained to absorb as much information as possible from a variety of sources - so as to always intuit the best choice available to them.
5. Military people will openly tell you when something is wrong
Military personnel have a questioning and honest mentality, and will not be afraid of telling bosses when an idea could use a second look.
6. Military people will get the job done
"Military people know what it means to have something that needs to be done. They have a sense of urgency and have seen the world through a big picture type mentality," notes Davis.
7. When given the necessary support, veterans are extremely capable
"When given a proper framework and adequate training [veterans] can amaze you at how hard they can work and what they can get done," Davis writes.
8. Veterans are independent
Veterans are more likely than other demographic groups to start their own businesses, and possess a resourcefulness can help companies grow quickly from the inside.
9. Military personnel know the meaning of hard work
"When on deployment we also work every day. Every single day. There are no holidays, no weekends, no birthdays. It is the same thing every day," notes Davis.
10. The government pays for veteran education
The government provides veterans with financial assistance for pursuing higher education. By hiring a veteran, companies ensure that they will have employees who can consistently improve while on the job through continuing education initiatives.