February Newsletter

One-Stop Online Shop: Transitioning Veterans from Military to Civilian Life

In the age of digital media, information is available at our fingertips. Type one word or even one letter in a search bar and there are hundreds of thousands of websites to explore, resources to read, and opinions to evaluate. At times, the amount of information can be overwhelming.

To combat the issue of information overload among U.S. veterans entering the civilian workforce after duty, the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University (IVMF), Hire Heroes USA, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Hiring Our Heroes initiative joined forces to create VetNet, a free, one-stop shop with online courses, videos, and resources in career building.

The VetNet site, powered by Google+, connects visitors to Google+ pages that are operated by each of the sponsoring organizations, targeting veterans in different stages of the transition process:

• Basic Training Track: Teaches interviewing and resume-writing skills to veterans interested in translating military experience for civilian employers.
  
  
• Career Connections Track: Connects the military community with industry leaders to help build a professional network, participate in Q&A sessions with CEOs, learn which companies are recruiting veterans, and hear success stories from other veterans.
  
  
• Entrepreneur Track: Provides transitioning veterans who have ideas to start their own businesses with the education and tools they need.

VetNet takes the idea of an online toolkit and makes it not only interactive, but social. Veterans have the opportunity to join Hangouts, or video conference sessions, comment on posts, ask questions, and share resources within the confines of the Google+ network.

Following the model of VetNet, there may be an opportunity for the recovery community to use the power of social networks, such as Google+, to create a one-stop-shop of online resources and support systems.

If you would like to learn how your organization can get started on Google+, visit the Google+ help center or watch this video from Socialbrite.