7 Advantages a Veteran Has in the Workplace

If you think your military experience doesn’t translate into your civilian career, think again. On the contrary as a veteran, you have several advantages in the workplace, such as tremendous loyalty, the ability to succeed in goal-oriented tasks and a strong sense of teamwork.

In fact, military experience often gives you a leg up in the world outside uniformed service. Here are things to highlight:

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Calmness under pressure

“Veterans are used to high-stakes situations,” Bryan Hancock, McKinsey senior partner and coauthor of Power to the Middle: Why Managers Hold the Keys to the Future of Work, told AARP Veteran Report. “They understand when something is truly an emergency and understand how to lead when everyone is feeling stressed.”

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This means that managers who are veterans are often best equipped to lead teams through the pressures of daily work.

A larger purpose

When you’re in uniform, there’s a clear purpose and mission. This can get lost in a civilian workplace, to the detriment of the product and the bottom line.

“In companies, managers play a critical role in providing purpose and meaning to work,” said Hancock. “Veteran managers may be particularly well-suited to help team members link their work to a broader purpose because it is a deep personal search for them as well.”

Staying the course

Maintaining focus and not being knocked off task is a valuable trait many veterans possess.

“Training and battlefield experience train leaders who are at once all about sticking with the mission,” Yuri Kruman, CEO of HR, Talent & Systems Consulting, told AARP Veteran Report. “This is a tremendous asset in the workplace where too many people abandon projects too easily and, conversely, they follow instructions blindly without speaking up.

“This naturally gives vets an advantage when it comes to leading effectively because both parts are equally important to mission/project success.”

Punctuality and organization

Structure is critical to succeeding at work and vets have already mastered this ability.

“Vets tend to bring a strong sense of order and timeliness to the work they do which always helps with strong project and people management,” said Kruman. “When managers are reliable and dependable, their team members feel more at ease knowing there's someone well-organized in charge.”