There’s no doubt that being in the military is incredibly difficult. However, leaving the military can be tough, too, particularly when it comes to finding a job. Nearly 1 in 3 veterans say they experience under-employment, meaning they’re forced to take jobs below their skill level. Of those who do find post-military work, 44% end up leaving their first post-military job within a year because they didn’t feel like it was a good fit or because they couldn’t find a sense of purpose.
Military spouses, meanwhile, also face challenging issues, having to uproot their lives and leave their jobs when the military moves their spouse. Military spouses face a 20% unemployment rate and an approximately 35% under-employment rate.
Now Google is trying to make it easier for veterans and military spouses to find work in the civilian world. Starting today, service members can search “jobs for veterans” on Google and enter their military occupational specialty code (MOS, AFSC, NEC) to see relevant civilian jobs that require similar skills to those used in their military roles. Google is also helping veteran-owned or veteran-led businesses find new potential customers. When users look something up on Google Maps and in search on mobile devices, a “veteran-led” designation will be visible on the business description as one of its attributes.
To put their money where their search is, Google.org is also giving a $2.5 million grant to the USO to provide training and career guidance for service members and military spouses who want to earn the Google IT Support Professional Certificate, which promises a direct route to employers, and could give veterans a serious leg up in their job search.
Considering that an estimated 245,000 U.S. service members are expected to transition back into civilian life this year, every little bit helps.
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