5 Invaluable Traits That Veterans Bring to the Workplace

Veterans have done more than merely fill the ranks of the armed forces. When a veteran leaves the service, they bring along a set of highly-developed professional skills, some of which are invaluable to employers.

Here are five skills and traits veterans cultivated during their military service:

1. Teamwork

Every military task, starting with basic training, is accomplished as part of a team or unit. Servicemembers don’t work on their own; they coordinate with others and they understand each task they undertake in terms of how it benefits the larger goal.

As a result, veterans have a highly-developed sense of teamwork. They understand that their work affects that of others, and they seek to coordinate their efforts to reach efficient and effective results.

2. Reliability

Military service demands a high degree of reliability. When veterans re-enter the civilian workforce, they bring with them an internalized sense of the need to be dependable to their co-workers and employers. Military service also taught them the need to get the job done correctly the first time.

When given a particular task, veterans can be trusted to complete it – and they can also be trusted to seek the information they need to ensure they can do the job correctly the first time.

3. Motivation

The military demands that each servicemember contributes to the best of their ability, every day. With so many years of practice in developing this motivation, veterans enter the workforce committed to doing their work and doing it well.

As a result, engagement among veterans in the workforce is often higher than it is among lifetime civilians. Veterans’ early experience with military service has made a commitment to work a part of their approach to every job.

4. Responsibility

Military teams are interdependent. Each person is responsible both for the success of the mission and for the safety of every other member of the team.

As veterans, these workers approach their workplace teams in the same way. They see themselves as responsible to their co-workers to do their part of the job well and to provide help and support when their team members need them.

5. Resilience

Military service means tackling many jobs that are difficult, without a thought for quitting. Veterans often end up embracing resilience as a lifelong trait.

Instead of giving up or passing the buck, veterans are more likely to tackle a tough work task until the job is done. They’ll seek more information, build a team, or try new approaches, but they won’t quit.

Work With Hamilton-Ryker

At Hamilton Ryker, our recruiters seek to connect our clients to some of the best available talent. That’s why we look for backgrounds that offer a range of valuable skills and traits. Contact us today to learn more.