Lost in Translation - The overlooked value of hiring veterans: QMN038

Martial Mental Models: The Quartermaster, Monday, 17 June

(Today’s report is a 4 minute read)

BLUF: The shift in language that takes place on the military-to-civilian resume disrupts its voice, especially for those without military experience. It creates a linguistic – and therefore cultural – barrier between someone seeking an opportunity and someone providing an opportunity. The better way to translate that information is to unpack those experiences on a deeper level and develop a narrative that demonstrates universal qualities.

KSA here. I was discussing the finer points of The Quartermaster Newsletter last week over a few beers with a friend of mine, a career officer in the U.S. Army. In particular, I was describing one of the obstacles I’ve encountered when editing résumés for veterans: a shift in language – in vernacular – when it comes to describing their military service. That sudden change in language can be jarring: at the very least, it disrupts the voice in the résumé, especially for those without military experience. It creates a linguistic – and therefore cultural – barrier between someone seeking an opportunity and someone providing an opportunity, changing the flow of communication and hampering the exchange of value information, i.e.; what the jobseeker has to offer a civilian employer.

One of the reasons this happens is because there’s really no guidance for veterans from the military when it comes to life after discharge. A veteran who’s spent, say 10 years – from the age of 18 to 28 – in the Army has a very different set of experiences from a high school classmate who opted for an undergraduate degree and the workforce. When it comes to applying for jobs, that’s where things can get especially sticky. Soldiers, sailors, and Marines have all of their schools, training, qualifications, and awards in one place: their personnel file. When they’re discharged, that information ends up on form DD214, which, for civilians, might as well be written in hieroglyphics. Translating that information can either be a literal translation, in which case a veteran will lay out a barebones description of his or her job, starting with MOS (e.g., Joint Fire Support Specialist) and then providing sparse details about deployments or a rote explanation of their duties. I suspect that some of this is due to a justifiable skepticism as to whether a civilian employer will understand their military experience as well as anticipating the cultural differences in employment environments. Some of it, however, is just due to the fact that it’s tough to articulate how one’s military experience can benefit a civilian employer. 

The better way to translate that information is to unpack those experiences on a deeper level and develop a narrative that demonstrates universal qualities like problem-solving, leadership, technical abilities, crisis management, adaptability, creativity, and rapport-building. These are qualities that the military nurtures quite effectively. A Dutch study found that veterans “generally seem to be more adaptive than civilians due to military job requirements. High adaptability competency helps military to be maximally prepared to act in uncertain, dynamic and changing operational situations. Organizations should select and train military personnel on specific adaptability dimensions that are required for certain jobs.”

I would scream this from rooftops if it wouldn’t result in detention and legal entanglements. 

The onus of this can’t fall solely on the shoulders of transitioning veterans. One of the reasons I enjoy the company of my veteran friends is that they have a much broader perspective than most of the people I’ve worked with: most importantly, they don’t assume anything. My advice to civilian employers, then, is this: don’t assume that a four-year degree confers any more wisdom or value than a four-year stint in the army. Employers and HR personnel need to adapt their processes and ask questions that build rapport and examine how the qualities, and not the particular skill sets per se, of veterans can benefit their company. In order to do that, it is incumbent upon recruiters to abandon biases and stereotypes about the military. The value of adaptability competency is that it allows one to draw on lessons learned from one set of skills and apply them to an entirely different set. In one sense, it’s the fulfillment of a classical education: to be able to draw connections and better understand oneself and the world. The question has to shift from “what does ten years in Special Forces have to do with marketing and advertising?” to “how can we leverage this guy’s experiences to benefit our operation?” Seek the common denominators. Find a common language. 

Questions? Comments? Additions? Omissions? Corrections? Discussions? I’m interested in all of it. Shoot me an invitation to connect on LinkedIn. (KSA)

NOT THERE YET: Reinvigorating the Army’s Approach to Command and Control: Leading by mission command (3 min) “Leading by mission command requires a commitment to action, not just words. Developing competence, establishing mutual trust, and learning to operate from shared understanding does not start in the field. It starts in the unit area with clear commander’s intent. It is tested and refined on operations with mission orders and risk acceptance, and it culminates in action with disciplined initiative. Successful leaders instill a culture of leadership by mission command, and their units live it every day. They give subordinate leaders opportunity for frequent repetitions — repetitions in every context that pay dividends in combat when the plan is faltering or unforeseen opportunities arise and Soldiers’ lives are on the line.” (BJM)

BESET ON ALL SIDES: Making The Case For Trust-Busting Big Tech Companies (5 min) “When such companies act to restrain trade, we should legally consider them in the same way railroads, the oil and gas industry, and the sugar producers were thought of in the age of Teddy Roosevelt—that is, we should consider them to be trusts. “And these new tech monsters have a one-two punch that Standard Oil lacked,” says Reynolds, “for not only do they control immense wealth and important industries, but their fields of operation—which give them enormous control over communications, including communications about politics—also give them direct political power that in many ways exceeds that of previous monopolies.” (BJM)

Remarks Complete. Nothing Follows.

KS Anthony (KSA) & Brady Moore (BJM)