Job Search Myths Every Veteran Should Stop Believing: Myth #1

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Job Search Myths Every Veteran Should Stop Believing: Myth #1

By Laura Schmiegel, SVP Strategic Partnerships, Orion Talent

This post is the first within our Job Search Myths Every Veteran Should Stop Believing series, where we break down the assumptions that hold military talent back and share practical steps that lead to stronger career outcomes.

Myth 1: Employers Do Not See Your Leadership

Reality: Employers Already See Your Leadership, But They Need to See Your Skills

For more than a decade, the veteran employment conversation has focused on one consistent message: “Employers need to recognize veterans’ leadership skills.” It is a reassuring idea, but it is also outdated. The real challenge for veterans today is not leadership recognition, it is skills translation.

What Veterans Believe

In Orion Talent’s internal survey of more than 30,000 veterans, 31 percent said the skill employers most often overlook is leadership and collaboration. This was the largest response by far. It echoes research from organizations such as the Institute for Veterans and Military Families, where veterans frequently say they feel underemployed because employers do not appreciate their leadership experience.

It is easy to understand this perspective. Military service creates strong leaders. But the assumption that leadership is the barrier misses the true issue.

What Employers Actually Say

Every major study of employer attitudes tells a very different story. Employers consistently say that veterans bring leadership, teamwork, reliability, and adaptability at levels unmatched by other talent pools.

The RAND Corporation found that leadership and teamwork are the most frequently cited advantages employers see in veterans. SHRM research shows that employers rate veterans highly for teamwork, reliability, and adaptability.

In short, the market already respects your leadership. The disconnect is not about perception. It is about precision.

The Real Gap: Skills Translation

When employers say they struggle to hire veterans, they rarely mean they doubt leadership. They mean they cannot easily match a veteran’s experience to the technical or functional requirements of a specific job.

This is why so many veterans feel “underemployed.” They have not simply changed companies. They have changed industries. Anyone who changes industries experiences a temporary dip in earnings while they build new-domain experience. Research from IVMF and RAND shows that veteran earnings typically recover within three to five years. Veterans who move into roles closely aligned with their military skills often see little or no dip at all.

Employers hire for specific roles with specific requirements. To help them fully understand your background, they need a clear picture of the skills that directly connect to their needs.

The Orion Insight

Employers already see your leadership. Orion helps them see your skills.

Our technology translates your military background into measurable competencies that align with real job descriptions. Our veteran recruiters then coach you on how to communicate those skills in civilian language. The result is that employers do not just see a strong leader. They see a strong candidate who brings the capabilities needed to deliver results.

Where Muster Fits In

For veterans who are exploring opportunities with small and mid-sized employers, clear skills translation matters even more. These companies value leadership, reliability, and teamwork, but they often do not have large recruiting teams or military programs that help them interpret military experience.

Muster strengthens this connection by presenting your background in a skills-first format that small employers understand. Instead of focusing only on your leadership, Muster helps highlight the specific abilities and strengths that show how you can contribute to their team from day one.

Action Steps for Veterans

There are several ways to close the gap faster and communicate your value clearly:

Do not fight the wrong battle. Leadership is not in question. Focus on clarity, not validation.
Align your skills to the job. The closer your experience fits the role, the stronger your offer and long-term trajectory.
Translate your experience. Replace rank-based descriptions with outcomes, responsibilities, and the results you delivered.
Build civilian-friendly proof. Hybrid skill-building, certifications, and project work can shorten the learning curve and strengthen your profile.
Think in career phases. Map your next three moves instead of focusing only on your next job. Intentional planning changes the trajectory of your early career years.

Bottom Line

Employers already value your leadership. What they need is a clear connection between that leadership and the work they need done. When you translate your military background into role-specific skills and measurable outcomes, employers can understand your full value and make stronger hiring decisions.

For veterans with technical training or experience in roles such as engineering, maintenance, electronics, or other skilled technical fields, registering for Orion Talent’s technical placement services is the strongest path forward. These roles require deeper matching and a specialized assessment of your technical background.

For veterans whose strengths align to operations, logistics, customer support, production, quality, or supervisory roles, Muster provides an easier way to explore opportunities with small and mid-sized employers who value your leadership, reliability, and ability to learn quickly.

Both paths help bridge the gap between what you have done and what employers need, and each one is designed to support your success based on the skills you bring.

Junior Military Officers