VetJobs: A Job Board Just for Veterans and Their Families

There are many specialty job boards available based on professional and industry niche. But did you know that there is a job board dedicated solely to former members of the military, and their spouses and children? I spoke to Ted Daywalt, founder of VetJobs, to learn more about this unique job board.

Q. What is VetJobs?

A. Founded in 1999, Veterans of Foreign Wars-sponsored VetJobs has grown to be the leading military-related job board on the Internet. The jobs database is available to anyone who visits the site, but to post a resume a candidate must have been in the military, married to or a child of the military, or an employee of the Department of Defense, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Public Health Service or the Merchant Marine. Since 1999 veterans worldwide have found quality jobs with the thousands of employers who use VetJobs to reach the veteran market. VetJobs is ideal for employers who seek candidates in information technology, program and project management, consulting, sales, linguists, logistics, transportation, human resources, insurance, construction, manufacturing, engineering, finance, health care, accounting, senior executives, overseas work and candidates with security clearances.

Q. How does VetJobs work?

A. VetJobs is a traditional job board. Candidates post resumes and apply directly to employers. There is no charge for veterans or their family members to use VetJobs. Employers pay a nominal fee to post jobs, search the resume database, sponsor newsletters or post banners. VetJobs provides tremendous support for candidates in the Employment Assistance section and has a leading career test that is free for veterans and their family members.

A major reason VetJobs works so well is the site is partially owned and sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW). VetJobs is also endorsed by many other veteran service organizations including the Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), Veterans of Modern Warfare (VMW), Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH), Association of the United States Navy (AUSN), Hope4Heroes (H4H), United States Army Warrant Officers Association (USAWOA) and the Student Veterans of America (SVA).

Additionally, VetJobs is not limited to junior military officers or transitioning military. There are 21 million veterans in the United States, of which 11.6 million are currently in the work force. When you add their spouses and children, VetJobs is servicing an estimated 35 million person marketplace.

Q. What was the inspiration for VetJobs?

A. I got the idea for VetJobs when an Army sergeant major gave me a call in the spring of 1999. He had recently retired and had paid an outplacement firm $5,000 to help him find a job. The sergeant major was trying to get his money back, but could not. This incident led me to conduct extensive research on job and recruiting sites catering to the military market. The research indicated there was a gap in sites that assisted employers in identifying transitioning military and veteran candidates. In launching VetJobs, I wanted a site that assisted all ranks from E-1 to O-10, and assisted all elements associated with the military and their spouses and children. The initial site was launched on Nov. 11, 1999, Veterans Day.

Q. What’s your favorite feature on the site?

A. The Employment Assistance section is my favorite. Recognizing that not every person who uses VetJobs will find their perfect job on VetJobs, I want the candidates to be armed with the information they need to successfully find the type of job they seek. The Employment Assistance section provides a list of vetted job boards by discipline, state, comprehensive and aggregator sites. There are excellent articles written by experts on how to find jobs, conduct job searches, write resumes, pass interviews including the behavioral interview and how to manage difficult situations such as being laid off or handle a disability.

Q. Can you share a success story about someone who landed their job using VetJobs?

A. VetJobs has had thousands of success stories. A classic was a Navy spouse who got an executive job with a big box store. When her husband who had 21 years in the military learned what she was making, he retired to follow her!

A longtime member employer shared this story, “We hired our first VetJobs employee in 2003. He is still with us and loves his job. We love working with him and has become a valuable member of our team. Since then we have hired several more from VetJobs, each with their own special skills and talents. These folks present to our clients maturity, credibility and a work ethic we seldom see in the commercial world. They in turn receive respect for these qualities and their service to our country. We are pleased that we are able to provide a job where they can expand upon their military training and keep up with technology.”