Thousands of Minnesota soldiers deployed in Kuwait woke up to a surprise last spring. Just weeks before the end of their tour, a group of corporate recruiters in business-casual attire showed up on base. The first-of-its kind visit was part of a new strategy to help returning service members find civilian jobs before their feet even hit U.S. soil.
More than a quarter of these 2,700 troops had no civilian jobs waiting for them at home. To help them, the Minnesota National Guard flew a specialized team from government, education and business to their military base for a week of intensive work — things like resume writing, career planning and even mock interviews.
Studies show unemployment for returning soldiers can play a role in a host of problems — like drug and alcohol abuse, family conflict and even suicide. And finding work after a tour of duty is especially tough for Guard and Reserve troops, who split their time between overseas deployments and civilian lives. It's often difficult to translate military experience to civilian skills, and employers, who don't know how long veterans will be around, may hesitate to hire them.
Best Buy recruiter Bruce Kiefner went on the trip. He says hiring more veterans is a priority for Best Buy. He went to Kuwait to help them improve their chances of being hired.
"They have that get-the-job-done attitude, and that's what has really attracted us to them. They are serious yet they have a personal side, and that's where we like to bridge that gap," Kiefner says. "We want the serious leader, but we also want someone that can take a breath and have fun with the team, and those are typically our best leaders."
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