December 2016 |
Transition-e-news Volume 4 Issue 125 |
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Veterans Preferences are Still Intact, but Will the Jobs be There?
by Barbara Adams, CPRW, CEIP, MFRW, MMRW, MFCA-T
The policy of providing hiring preferences for U.S. military veterans and disabled veterans is well established, but language in the pending defense authorization bill has called the policy into question. The incoming administration has also proposed a hiring freeze intended to reduce the size of the federal workforce. If you're an active member of the military who is considering a transition to federal employment, you should be aware of the potential implications. This article provides a brief overview of the long history of veterans preferences and a look at current developments that could impact your prospects for federal government employment. History of Veterans PreferencesThe idea of providing hiring preferences for members of the military who have put their lives on the line for our country dates back to the founding of our country. George Washington recognized the importance of honoring and expressing appreciation for those who had served in war: "The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." Hiring preferences for veterans were first written into law by the U.S. Congress shortly before the end of the Civil War:Persons honorably discharged from the military or naval services by reason of disability resulting for wounds or sickness incurred in the line of duty, shall be preferred for appointment to civil offices, provided they be found to possess the business capacity necessary for the proper discharge of duties of such offices. – Section 1754, Revised Statutes of the U.S, March 3, 1865.The original action wasn't prescriptive, but a series of laws and executive actions beginning in 1888 provided specific hiring preferences for military veterans who applied for federal government positions and also instructions for preferential retention when the size of the federal workforce was reduced. The policy of providing an advantage to U.S. veterans is well established, and with a few lapses, it has been reinforced by a succession of laws and policies over the past 150 years. In recent history, the Obama administration strengthened hiring preferences for veterans. On November 9, 2009, President Barack Obama signed Executive Order 13518, Employment of Veterans in the Federal Government. Obama's Veterans Employment Initiative established a Council on Veterans Employment and set out to increase opportunities for veterans seeking employment in federal service. It was a successful effort. A recent OMB report analyzes the effects of the initiative from 2011 - 2015. Over that period, the percentage of veterans in the federal workforce increased from 27.3% to 30.9% of the federal workforce. Employment of disabled veterans increased from 20.8% to 30.9%. Veterans accounted for 32.5% of federal government new hires during the period measured by the OMB study. So what's the problem?Some members of Congress feel that the preferences have gone too far. They're reacting in part to concerns from federal agencies who are experiencing difficulties finding the best-qualified individuals to fill increasingly technical positions. Opponents of the current preference system argue that it prioritizes military service above qualifications and that individuals entrenched in the bureaucracy are abusing the privilege. Ironically, amendments to the current system of preferences were proposed by Senator John McCain of Arizona, himself a distinguished veteran and Vietnam-era POW. The proposed changes to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) would abolish preferences for veterans currently employed by the federal government who apply for new positions. Incentives for new hires would remain in place. Under pressure from veterans groups, McCain recently indicated that he would seek to remove the changes from the final draft of the NDAA, which is scheduled to come before Congress in December. Proponents of military preferences argue simply that hiring concerns are a small price to pay for veterans who were willing to fight and die for our country. Given the recent election results and the advocacy for U.S. veterans by candidate Donald Trump, this sentiment is likely to prevail. A Federal Hiring Freeze may be comingWith the upcoming change of administration, a potentially more challenging problem looms for veterans seeking a military transition to federal employment. In a October 22 campaign speech at Gettysburg, PA, candidate Trump proposed a Contract With the American Voter. The second point in the document calls for a federal hiring freeze "to reduce the federal workforce through attrition." It includes most federal agencies, but exempts the military, public safety, and public health. There is rampant speculation in the media regarding the practicality of and the prospects for a wholesale government hiring freeze, but it is a concern for current military personnel who are considering a federal transition. The departments of Defense, Homeland Security, and the Veterans Administration are not likely to be affected, but a suspension of hiring will affect prospects in other government agencies. What Should You Do?Don't panic. There will still be federal jobs, but for now you may want to focus on departments that deal with defense and national security. President-elect Trump has frequently affirmed a desire to strengthen the U.S. military. A Restoring National Security Act is listed in his Contract with the American Voter that suggests major increases in defense and national security expenditures. The new administration's initial cabinet appointments are also proponents of military expansion. It's very likely that demand for qualified employees will continue to grow in defense-related agencies of government. The tradition of veterans preferences is firmly established, enhancing your prospects for new jobs in these agencies. (To learn more about the formula for veterans preferences, see the Feds Hire Vets website). If you're approaching military retirement, you should also consider private sector jobs. The economy continues to grow and military veterans are in demand among defense contractors and other U.S. employers. CareerPro Global is here to help with your military transition. We can assist with practical career counseling and with military to federal and military to corporate resumes. Since 1988, we've helped literally thousands of veterans to convey the value of their military careers with resumes that produce interviews and land the best positions. If you're ready to get started, we hope you'll get in touch for a free career consultation. Sources:History of Veteran Preference in Federal Employment, U.S. Civil Service Commission, October 1955. Let's Talk About Veteran Preference, Chief HRO.com, June 2016. Employment of Veterans in the Federal Executive Branch, FY 2015 Report, OMB, November 2016. Contract With the American Voter, Donald Trump Campaign Document, October 2016. Photo Credits: wikimedia.com, Creative Commons license. Barbara Adams, President and CEO of CareerPro Global (CPG), the parent company of www.careerproplus.com and www.militaryresumewriters.com, has been a member of the careers community for the past 20 years. Ms. Adams holds four prestigious industry certifications. CareerPro Global is the only ISO 9001-2008 Certified Career Service in the industry, as well as one of the fastest-growing Military, Federal, and Civilian Resume-Writing and Careers-Coaching companies. The team of Certified Professional Federal and Military Resume Writers at CPG assist thousands of clients in applying for and gaining employment each year. We can help you land your military to civilian job. |
Military spouses struggle to stay in careers despite state laws
By: Jen Fifield - Stateline.org WASHINGTON (Tribune News Service) — Patti Ruby is a rarity among military spouses. She has been able to stay in her chosen career, speech pathology, for nearly 13 years, through the birth of her three children and a cross-country move, from Virginia to California. Last week, the family moved again, to Florida. Ruby said she thought a new Florida law that provides temporary occupational licenses to military spouses would make it easy for her to get back to work. But she realized last month that she may not be eligible. Soon, she may be among the 23 percent of military spouses who are unemployed. Florida and all other states passed laws in the last five years meant to help military spouses like Ruby who already have occupational licenses to quickly get back on the job after crossing state lines. But it’s unclear if these laws have made a difference. States were selective about which privileges to provide: Some of the laws allow the state to recognize out-of-state licenses for military spouses, others allow the state to expedite the licensing process, and others allow the state to issue temporary licenses. Military spouses report having problems. About one-third work in licensed or certified professions, and about 63 percent of them said they encountered difficulties this year with licensing because of a move, according to survey results released Dec. 8 from Blue Star Families, a national nonprofit aimed at helping military families. That’s down 7 percentage points from 2014, when the organization first asked the question. The laws were driven by a White House campaign aimed at decreasing the unemployment rate for military spouses — 92 percent of whom are women — as it is significantly higher than the unemployment rate for all women over the age of 20, which is 4.2 percent. The high rate largely is a result of how often military families move, said Eddy Mentzer, a program manager for spouse education and career opportunities at the U.S. Department of Defense. They move once every two to three years, which is more than twice as often as the average family, according to a 2016 paper by the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University. The high unemployment rate takes a toll on the economy, according to advocates for military families. Difficult working conditions for military spouses lead to a social cost ranging from $710 million to $1 billion a year, according to an April report from Blue Star Families. It’s also a national security issue, Mentzer said. Keeping spouses satisfied with their careers helps with military retention and recruitment, he said. Military spouses are 36 percent more likely to recommend military service to others if they are able to maintain a career, according to Blue Star’s survey. If working conditions for spouses don’t improve, families will be more likely to leave the military and it will be hard to recruit new members, said Cristin Orr Shiffer, senior adviser for policy and survey with Blue Star Families. “It’s like a death spiral,” she said. Military spouses say their employment is a top concern. The unemployment rate for military spouses has gone down slightly recently, from 26 percent in 2010 to 23 percent in 2015, according to a Department of Defense report. In 29 states, the law provides for three allowances supported by the Pentagon — recognizing out-of-state licenses, issuing temporary licenses and expediting licensing. But even in those states, the laws only include spouses in certain circumstances and certain professions, and the state may not be required to provide the allowances. And in many cases, spouses don’t know the laws exist. There still is a long way to go, Mentzer said. “This is not a challenge that will go away for military spouses,” he said. In Florida, Ruby, whose husband is in the Navy, said she thought the law, which allows the state to issue temporary licenses to military spouses with a current license in another state, would help her. But the law only applies to spouses who were active in their field for the last three years. And when Ruby’s family moved to California 2 1/2 years ago, she took a year off to care for her small children while her husband was deployed overseas. She said the exception in the Florida law makes it so very few military families will qualify, because moving so often inevitably leads to gaps in employment. “You’re trying to help me out, but you’re also putting a clause on that’s a little unrealistic,” she said. Jill Qualters, a friend of Ruby’s whose husband is also in the Navy, has moved across state lines six times in the last 13 years, the last time about a month ago to Colorado. She said that although she has stayed home with her children the last seven years, she wanted to get back into her career as a school counselor once the family got to Colorado. To do so, she had to move a few weeks ahead of her family to take a test that would allow her to get her license. The test is offered only twice a year, and if she missed the November test, the next one wouldn’t have been until May. Qualters said it was hard to not only take the test in the midst of the move, but to navigate the system. “People who may not have the skills I do may just be throwing their hands up,” she said. “It just gets really frustrating. And that worries me because two-income families are the norm now.” The constant moves don’t just make it hard to stay employed, but also to get promotions and pay raises. The average income of a military spouse married to someone in active duty was $23,132, compared with $31,393 for a military spouse married to someone not in active duty, according to a 2014 report by the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University. Over the course of a 20- to 30-year career there is so much lost income, and that can be demoralizing, said Michael Richter, an attorney in New York and chairman of the New York City Bar Association’s Military Affairs and Justice Committee, which advocated for a law in the state. “These folks have made a significant sacrifice,” Richter said. “We don’t really need to add to their burden.” In September, New York became the 50th state to pass a law to help spouses get a professional license when they move, a milestone celebrated by the White House. The bill should have been approved quickly, Richter said, as it was a bipartisan issue and wouldn’t cost the state any money. Instead, it was stuck for years in the Assembly Higher Education Committee. There was hesitance in the Legislature about giving spouses a waiver because New York doesn’t typically grant exceptions for licenses, said Democratic state Assemblyman Felix Ortiz, who sponsored the bill. With so many military spouses being well-educated, the legislation will help military families by allowing them to take better jobs and make more than just minimum wage, said Ortiz, who served in the Army. Some companies make it a mission to hire military spouses because of what they bring to the job, said Andrew Schwartz, program manager of Virginia Values Veterans, a state program that encourages companies to commit to hiring veterans and spouses. One Virginia company, Liberty Source PBC, has a social mission of hiring veterans and military spouses and training them for future work. More than 70 percent of employees at the company, which provides operating services, such as office support, financial services and accounting, to other companies, are veterans or military spouses, said Ashley Dolor, military spouse ambassador for the company. Military spouses make for great employees, Dolor said, as they are used to adapting to new situations, which makes them agile to demands in the workplace. “It’s in their blood,” said Dolor, whose husband is in the military. “That’s the way they live their lives on a constant basis.” The Department of Defense recently contracted with the University of Minnesota to evaluate states’ implementation of the new laws to see where gaps exist. The study is expected to be done next year. The Pentagon also is encouraging states to pass new laws, including ones specific to occupations such as teaching and nursing that aren’t covered by most existing laws. Despite the efforts, some military families will still choose to leave the military because of the effect moves can have on a spouse’s career. Johanna Thibault’s husband just left active duty Army service primarily so the family didn’t have to move so often. “He didn’t want to watch the stress on my career anymore,” she said. Thibault, a lawyer, is the communications director for the Military Spouse JD Network, which has since 2011 been advocating for state laws that allow reciprocity of law licenses between states. So far, 22 states have passed the laws. Being a lawyer and having a spouse in the military is particularly hard, Thibault said, because of the time and cost of sitting for the bar exam, which can cost a few thousand dollars in each state. “Once you pass, it’s painful to walk away from it,” she said. It’s not uncommon for military spouses who are lawyers to live separately from their husband or wife just to maintain their career, Thibault said. A state can change that by passing a law, she said. “It will keep good marriages together,” she said. “It will keep good spouses in the workforce. And it will keep good leaders in the military.”
©2016 Stateline.org |
Today's Best Job Search Strategies© Copyright, 2016, Susan P. Joyce. All rights reserved. Because they don’t understand today’s best job search strategies, many folks are struggling, searching for jobs for many months. The reason? They focus all their efforts on applying for jobs on job boards. My advice: Stop applying for every job you find! Because —
The 5 Best Job Search Strategies TodayThe best strategy — don’t gamble on winning the job board lottery. Leverage what works best today: 1. Focus on being found.Being findable is essential for a successful job search and career, today. If you aren’t visible online, presenting a coherent professional image, you aren’t going to be considered for most professional jobs.
To be found, you must know your target job and, preferably, your target employers. Without that focus, you will be unable to find and leverage the right keywords (the words those employers use to search for someone qualified for the job you want). Without that focus (target job and employers), your job search will be much less effective. [Read To be Hired, Be Found: Your Best Keywords for more information.] 2. Choose – and consistently use – a professional version of your name.For example, let’s assume that your name is “James Earl Jones” – just like the movie star. If you use that version of your name, you won’t be easily found in Google (or Bing, DuckDuckGo, etc.) . So, change the version of your name you use professionally to minimize confusion. Become James E. Jones (or Jim Jones) so no one looking for you runs into all of the search results for James Earl Jones. Then, consistently use that version of your name for LinkedIn, resumes, applications, business cards, name tags, etc. so employers and people you meet can easily find your online professional presence. Claim that name with your LinkedIn Profile. [Read Ego Surfing or Smart Self-Defense for another perspective.] 3. Leverage LinkedIn!LinkedIn is the “happy hunting ground” for most recruiters. It’s the FIRST place most recruiters look for qualified candidates (because most job applicants aren’t obviously qualified for the jobs they apply for). If you haven’t already joined LinkedIn, stop waiting! Yes it takes time and effort to have an effective LinkedIn presence, and the longer you wait to join, the longer you will have to wait for a job offer. Spend more time being professionally active and visible on LinkedIn than you do applying for jobs. Ideally, get into the habit of spending at least 30 minutes a day on LinkedIn. Done well, your next job may find you! Then, raise your visibility inside of LinkedIn —
If you don’t have a LinkedIn Profile, set it up. NOW! Be sure to include a nice, professional headshot photo of you looking like you would in an office – no friends, pets, or anything/anyone else. Just you, looking professional. [Read To Be Hired, Be Found Where Recruiters Look for LinkedIn success tips.] 4. Clean up your online reputation.If there is content that will reflect poorly on you, remove/delete as much of it as you can, AND — Build professional visibility (using your professional name) on sites like Twitter.com, Medium.com, Google Plus, and (of course) LinkedIn. Share solid, relevant information related to your field and industry. Build a reputation, and a following, as a trusted source of good information. Visibility in those sites will push the bad stuff down off the top of the first page, gradually. [Read Online Reputation and Your Job Search for more.] 5. Practice “Defensive Googling.”Now, Google yourself to see what employers and recruiters will find. Someone else with the same name could be screwing up your job search.
If you can, remove the embarrassing things, change the settings on your Facebook account to private, ask friends to remove (or un-tag you) from their less-than-idea posts. Anything else embarrassing will hopefully be pushed down in search results by your other positive social media visibility. [For more, read Ego Surfing or Smart Self-Defense.] For More About Today’s Successful Job Search StrategiesYou Are Being Watched! And Judged! Why Submitting a Resume Isn’t Enough and What to Do Critical NEW Job Search Skill: Reputation Management (or Recovery) The New Rules for Successful Job Search Today Improve Your Job Search Process Finding a Job Without a Job Board About the Author… Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. Susan is a two-time layoff “graduate” who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. In 2011, NETability purchased WorkCoachCafe.com, and Susan has been editor and publisher of WorkCoach since then. Susan also edits and publishes Job-Hunt.org, is a Visiting Scholar at the MIT Sloan School of Management, and a columnist on HuffingtonPost. Follow Susan on Twitter at @jobhuntorg and on Google+ |
Congress passes gutted veterans reform billBy: Nikki Wentling - Reprinted with permission ©2016 Stars and Stripes WASHINGTON — In the last hours of the 114th Congress, lawmakers settled on a veterans reform bill that includes only pieces of what the Department of Veterans Affairs and several veterans groups were hoping to accomplish by the end of the year. "[It] doesn't accomplish enough for America's veterans," Sherman Gillums Jr., director of Paralyzed Veterans of America, said of the bill titled the Jeff Miller and Richard Blumenthal Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2016. Rene Campos, a leader within Military Officers Association of America, said it "scratches the surface." The legislation named for the leaders of the Senate and House veterans affairs committees — Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and retiring Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla. — was sent to President Barack Obama after the Senate approved it on Saturday morning. Pieces of the 57-page bill were taken from the 400-page Veterans First Act, which the Department of Veterans Affairs and veterans groups collaborated to create. The Veterans First Act passed the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee unanimously in June, and then stalled. "While we are pleased to see the 11th-hour movement, we are disappointed to see the most critical elements of the Veterans First Act stripped away," Gillums said in an emailed statement. One noted omission from the bill is a revamped appeal process for veterans' disability claims. VA Secretary Bob McDonald, some lawmakers and veterans groups have called the current appeals process outdated, complicated and broken. Appeals take an average of five years to resolve, according to VA data. During a public discussion at the Center for New American Security on Tuesday, McDonald said Congress was acting as a "barrier" to reform the process. "We need that legislation in order to ultimately have the ability to continue the transformation," he said. "I've been told by some members of Congress that my wish to get this legislation passed wasn't going to happen so they could wait for the new Congress to come, so they could take credit." The Miller-Blumenthal bill does include a temporary increase from seven to nine judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. But Campos said it wasn't enough. "The whole system needs modernization, needs reformed," she said. Campos and Gillums said they had also advocated for an expansion of services for family caregivers, which was included in the Veterans First Act but not in the bill that is now awaiting the president's signature. "We will advocate for its resurrection in the next Congress," Gillums said. The bill does contain a measure allowing VA health care providers to work flexible hours, which McDonald has said would help the VA in hiring qualified staff. Vietnam Veterans of America also praised lawmakers for including a mandate for the VA to work with the National Academy of Medicine in researching the descendants of veterans who were exposed to a toxic environment during their service. "It will lay the groundwork for the research we need on the health of our children and grandchildren, who we believe have been impacted by exposures during our military service," said VVA president John Rowan.
wentling.nikki@stripes.com |
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