by Cecil Dildine

Every team, office and program is facing the same challenge when trying to find the right technical expertise to fill a job vacancy: limited candidates, desire for remote work opportunities and demands for higher salaries. Then, too, many qualified candidates are either not in the market for a new position or are camouflaged by the word salad used to find them.

Many qualified candidates are either not in the market for a new position or are camouflaged by the word salad used to find them.

Those who have served in the armed forces have acquired hard and soft skills that uniquely qualify them for many job openings, especially those related to Department of Defense work. Yet, having the right certification or past job experience is not the only factor to consider when looking for your next team member. Whether operating in a civil or defense role, every team needs people with the desire to serve. Veterans possess this quality and offer other intangible benefits including leadership, adaptability, effective communication, teamwork and time management skills.

Those who have served in the armed forces have acquired hard and soft skills that uniquely qualify them for many job openings, especially those related to Department of Defense work.

The members of one of our client SISO teams, for example, are predominantly veterans (65% to be precise). Two are still serving. As a team, we apply ourselves to the technical problems at hand and seek to find new ways to innovatively approach – and solve – the cyber defense problems of tomorrow. Our sense of teamwork and focus on customer engagement quickly delivered positive results from the start.

May is National Military Appreciation Month, a time to recognize and honor all who have served our nation. It is also a great time to consider hiring a veteran. As a group, they offer immense value beyond the certifications they possess. Many have years of systems administration experience and/or the ability to operate ACAS, SPLUNK, Wireshark, eMASS or other specialized tools. Most of all, they possess a strong work ethic and understand the importance of putting one’s team before self.