Veteran hiring programs are not a one-size-fits-all approach. While many employers understand their importance, they often overlook the unique challenges faced by women veterans and the unique ways in which they need support. In our latest episode of the DE Talk podcast, we sat down with Women Veterans Interactive Foundation Founder & CEO Ginger Miller to discuss just that. Here’s a preview of the conversation!
Kim Lott:
Now we also know, Ms. Ginger, women veterans often face higher unemployment rates and may encounter difficulty transitioning, like we said, their military skills into civilian jobs, either on resume or in-person during an interview. What are some of the unique challenges from your perspective that you’ve identified that women veterans encounter when they transition into the civilian workforce? And do those differ significantly from your perspective, from male veterans?
Ginger Miller:
I like to call that the great transition. And when I do briefings or whatever, I have this one slide where there’s a woman veteran and you can envision her – all these things are up in the air – and some women veterans are a single parent, it’s childcare, lack of community, dedicated program support. I got to find the next school for my kids. I got to find a home. There’s so much going on that we deal with as women veterans. It is almost like an octopus effect. But if we don’t have those dedicated programs just for us, then it becomes that great transition and how do we really focus on what it is that we really want to do versus what we got to do to survive? At what point do we garner that support for women veterans so that we can get out of survival mode? You in the military, and for those that are going off to war, you’re in survival mode. When does that ever cut off?
So, you’re doing the best you can do in the military, then you’re doing what you have to do when you get out of the military. But a lot of women veterans are single parents because of divorce, unfortunately. Childcare rates are high. So, if you don’t get an employer that has great childcare, that’s a challenge. The lack of community support to talk to another woman veteran about the challenges you may be facing. Unfortunately, we know the challenges that women veterans face in the military, some with MSPTSD, other issues that the VA can assist them with. And that is a part of the lack of community that I’m talking about, getting them connected to other resources. And then it goes back to dedicated program support, and we’ll talk about that later on. So, a lot of that when you are scrambling, and then it goes back to, wait a minute, now I got to figure out how to hit the brakes and figure out this resume thing, the interview thing. And that’s why preparation is key. So, with the programs that we have at WVI, especially with Beyond the Transition, we are trying to get women veterans into that program at least two years
Before they transition out of the military. So, now you have all of these skills and these resources that you are equipped within your toolkit. So, when you walk out of the door and you take off that uniform, you can scramble with everything else, but you are ready for that next career, that next job booth, whatever it is that you want to do, you are ready to do it.
Kim Lott:
And that loss of community, I mean, I think that’s huge, especially for women. And this is just anecdotally, I don’t see that men have that to the same degree that women have. I mean, I can roll down the street and I’m going to be able to identify a male veteran. Usually, they’re going to be wearing a hat. They’re going to be wearing something that will invite you to walk up to them and say, “Hey, what branch did you serve in?” and have some commonality, but you very rarely know of another woman veteran if you’re just walking down the street. And when you get out the military, if you don’t maintain those connections, you lose that community. You lose that identity. And that is important because we know networking is very important in order for our future success. So, being in community with other women veterans, having that connection, that’s key. That’s key for future work.
Ginger Miller:
Absolutely. And that’s what I mean by dedicated program support dedicated specifically for, earmarked for, women veterans because that loss of community is detrimental for some people. Not for everybody, but for some people.
And then, the sad part is, as women veterans, we will probably never complain because we do the best that we can, and we make it happen regardless. But then, we suffer in silence at so many different levels.
Kim Lott:
Absolutely. Now, how do factors such as discrimination or a lack of mentorship contribute to those employment barriers for women veterans? That’s a whole other piece…
What a great way to close out a month dedicated to veterans and military families! Hear Ginger’s response to this and many other great questions in the full episode. And be sure to stay tuned in the coming weeks for more new episodes focused on the HR topics that matter to you!
- DE Talk Unplugged | Empowering Women Veterans: Navigating the Transition from Service to Civilian Success - November 26, 2024
- DirectEmployers Members Honored with 2024 HIRE Vets Medallion Awards - November 7, 2024
- DE Talk Unplugged | Using Employment Networks to Connect with Individuals with Disabilities in an Ever-Changing Workforce - October 31, 2024
