Vets Helping Vets

Men and women in the military proudly serve
our country every day, but when they return home to civilian life and begin to
make their way into the private sector, they often do not receive the
recognition, benefits, or services they have earned. Thankfully, there are
numerous mentoring programs that are bringing veterans together with business
professionals to help them with everything from resume writing and networking
to negotiating salary and benefits.

Mentoring programs such as American Corporate
Partners, Veterans Across America, and the BPW Foundation's Joining Forces for
Women Veterans
provide personal, one-on-one mentoring and career counseling to
help veterans transition to the civilian workforce. Many of the mentors are
veterans themselves who know the difficulties our military men and women face
entering the workforce.

"I wanted to help soldiers," says Brett
Sheats, who served in the Army as a captain in an airborne artillery unit out
of Fort Richardson, Alaska. He was working in New York City as an attorney when
he learned about American Corporate Partners (ACP). "I realized the program was
so valuable, I wanted to become part of it," he adds. Sheats now manages all
veteran outreach for ACP, which has had over 500 veterans complete its one-year
mentoring program.

"These are my sisters out there. I served with
them and I want to continue to serve them," says Lynda Davis, Ph.D., senior
vice president at ICFI and advisory council member for Joining Forces for Women
Veterans. "Having a mentor is like a continuation of the battle buddy system. There's
someone on your team, making sure they have your back, someone you can depend
on and who will not let you down."  Davis
served in the Army National Guard and the Army Reserve and has spent most of
her career working with government agencies and assisting veterans in many
different ways.  

"There are so many unwritten rules in a
corporate environment. A mentor can help explain the rules for advancement, how
to access benefits and negotiate a competitive salary," notes Davis. Mentoring doesn't
stop once a vet finds a job, the Joining Forces program helps female vets with
job retention, promotions and advancement and can even help with job
satisfaction, and job contribution. "I have been honored to mentor both women
in uniform when I was in uniform, and as a civilian - especially helping women
who were mid-career and were making the transition to civilian life," says
Davis.

Because many men and women joined the Armed
Services right out of high school, they don't have the same experiences as
others competing for the same jobs. Through mentoring, they learn such things
as what to wear on interviews and on the job, and when to discuss vacation time
and salary during the interview process.

"Pay and promotions in the military are
pretty much set in stone. In the private sector, there's a lot more
flexibility. Many of us are not prepared to negotiate," notes Davis. Having a
mentor is an informed, personalized way for veterans to role-play, investigate
opportunities and network. "All of those things give veterans a strong sense of
motivation and empowerment. They were strong in uniform and now, through
mentoring, they can see themselves with the same kind of strength," concludes
Davis.