EXCLUSIVE: After a long time of service, many veterans return house to seek out the toughest battle isn’t on the sector — it’s within the job market.
From résumés misplaced in translation to hiring programs that overlook actual expertise, even essentially the most adorned candidates could be handed over. This Veterans Day, RedBalloon and MilitaryHire are partnering to vary that — serving to veterans discover not simply any job, however the suitable mission after the uniform.
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“It really is about understanding each unique individual and the fact that our experiences are very relevant to private industry, but we just have a difficult time matching where those experiences best belong.”
A partnership between RedBalloon.work and MilitaryHire is making it simpler for veteran candidates to seek out civilian jobs greatest match for his or her expertise and expertise. (Getty Photos)
America’s “non-woke” job board, RedBalloon, just lately acquired MilitaryHire, increasing its know-how to assist the 200,000 service members who transition to civilian life every year — in addition to the 700,000 members of the Guard and Reserve — connecting them with patriotic employment alternatives.
The brand new recruiting software program, dubbed “Fill in the Gaps,” combines synthetic intelligence (AI) with in-platform instruments that permit veteran job candidates and employers focus on potential expertise gaps, align values and discover one of the best cultural match. It addresses a serious concern amongst veterans that overly automated programs can display out certified expertise.
Early findings have proven “phenomenal” success within the platform’s trial phases, in response to the CEOs. Of 1,500 candidates, the know-how recognized solely 7% of résumés as “perfect,” with others lacking crucial expertise or relevant language within the job description. “Fill in the Gaps” then returns prompt fixes or reconsiderations, giving candidates a “second chance.”
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“Anytime I talk to a hiring manager and present somebody from the military, I try to, number one, educate, but also advocate,” Military Maj. Kelly Spisak, who additionally works in recruiting and expertise administration, stated. “I’ve been in tech at Google and Meta and Twitch … And what I’ve really recognized is there’s a large gap between the education around what the military does and how the roles translate over.”
“I always have to take this back to the Air Force core values of integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do. And so those core values have really shaped who I am, both personally and professionally. So I’ve always looked for opportunities that represented those values,” stated Air Drive veteran Tasha Beckford, who just lately landed her dream job in aerospace engineering, “that I can contribute to a mission that’s bigger than myself.”
Military Veteran Maureen Gilbert holds American flags as she marches with William E. Carter American Legion Submit of Mattapan in the course of the annual Veterans Day Parade on November 8, 2025. | Getty Photos
“They have learned skills, knowledge and abilities that honestly are hard to get in any other context. And so when an employer is focused on merit, when they’re focused on hiring the best person for the job, not someone who is checking just boxes, but actually has the work ethic, the drive, the desire and the grit to be successful, that you’re often gonna find that in the veteran community,” Crapuchettes stated. “It’s not a mercy hire, it’s a meritocratic hire.”
Whereas veterans McGarry, Spisak and Beckford are at totally different factors of their civilian careers, they share related tales of breaking via limitations and stigmas related to hiring former service members.
“There’s been a label that’s been placed on the military that we’re so different and there’s so much going on that is so unique to us, and not to them. And what I would love for people to understand is, the only difference is that they’re putting on a military uniform with literally camouflage and they’re still doing a job, right?” Spisak stated. “Sometimes, it looks a little bit different because you’re in some kind of high-stakes environment, but that just means that you’re able to work under pressure … and if anything, that is something that is really valuable to employees and other employers.”
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“Military leaders and military members, at large, have to be very adaptable. We have to improvise, we have to change how we think about things on a regular basis. So our ability to pick up new skills and to change the way that we do things is very high,” McGarry stated. “We’re okay with change, we thrive on it. It’s the ability to keep adapting and keep moving forward and get the job done no matter what it takes. And I think that’s one of those strengths that veterans have that it’d be nice if employers could see it from that perspective a little bit more.”
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“I’ve learned to focus more on the impact and not necessarily the job title,” Beckford famous. “Instead of over-relying on military or government jargon, really focusing on how I’ve led large-scale teams or drove efficiencies or improved performance in certain areas, and then most importantly, delivered results under impact … that’s really helped me to land these opportunities.”
Realizing there are numerous extra job-seeking veterans like them, RedBalloon and MilitaryHire hope their new know-how can restore humanity and function to hiring — serving to staff and employers join past algorithms and jargon.
“AI is not good at quantifying work ethic or desire or grit, or all these things that we know make great employees. And so this is this kind of pinch point that veterans are feeling and AI is responsible for a lot of it,” Crapuchettes argued. “Our [applicant tracking system] actually brings the humans together – gives a human experience to the job seeker, gives a humane experience to their recruiter, but uses AI to bring efficiency to both of them.”
“Integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do.”
– Tasha Beckford
“What we’re doing together is trying to bring humans back to the center of hiring,” Robbins chimed in. “And the feedback I always get from the veteran community with all of the AI … is a process that felt a little bit cold and distant and has become even less human. And people are really struggling with that.”
Talking on to veterans who could also be struggling to seek out their place in right this moment’s workforce, Beckford, McGarry and Spisak inspired perseverance whereas redefining success after service.
“There’s a network that you have within the military that is so valuable that you need to continue to stay connected with, but also your civilian network – you need to really tap into that and do take the risks,” Spisak suggested. “Even if it is a little bit less money or if it’s not exactly what you wanna do, sometimes getting in the door is really valuable and it’ll get you to that next position.”
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“The military trained us to be resilient. We are not new to new or challenging environments. We’ve learned to adapt and overcome. And so I would offer to extend yourselves in grace during this time of transition and acclimating to a new environment,” Beckford stated, “but this is definitely something that you can achieve successfully.”
“Everyone says that networking is so important and that’s absolutely true,” McGarry stated. “It doesn’t mean that you have to already have the certifications or be in the business that you wanna be in, you just have to start getting to know those folks so you can start to learn what’s important to them … and let’s be honest, a lot of us haven’t done the civilian job search in quite a while, so we’re a little out of practice at it … Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help. There’s tons of people out there that are willing to help if you just ask them.”
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