What if you spent years in a job gaining valuable experience and honing useful skills, yet every interview or job lead is a dead end? That's the unfortunate reality for many of today's veterans in Orange County.
According to a report by the University of Southern California School of Social Work, more than 60 percent of Orange County veterans believe employers don't understand or value their skills, almost 30 percent of post-9/11 vets are unemployed, and three-quarters earn below the California median salary.
But those stats don't add up, says Josh Newman, founder and executive director of ArmedForce2Workforce, a Southern California nonprofit that provides young veterans career-planning and job-search assistance.
"When you consider the combination of value that vets bring, recent positive trends in the economy overall and the current level of goodwill toward those who served, the rates of veteran unemployment should be close to zero," says Newman, who served as an Army officer. "Veteran hires bring a history of prior achievement, a commitment to shared values and fit well in an organizational culture."
One big problem: Persistent misconceptions about veterans that hold many back. Here are five of the most common myths — and how vets can set the record straight.
Myth: Vets are unbalanced or have control problems
Fact: This is an unfortunate stereotype, says Chase Wickersham, Director of Goodwill of Orange County's Tierney Center for Veteran Services in Tustin, which helps vets with employment and navigate various service organizations and the VA. He's heard it firsthand in focus groups aimed at understanding how employers evaluate veteran candidates.
To continue reading this article by Alicia Doyle from Goodwill of Orange County, go to: http://www.latimes.com/brandpu...-20160531-story.html
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