In my line of work I get to meet many wonderful and interesting individuals. But, not many can compare to the individuals I am passionate about helping... they are our returning Veterans.  I hear many stories on the challenges our Veterans face in the job market and how hard it is to get noticed by companies let alone get hired.  There seems to be disconnect in corporate America on what values a Veteran brings to the business above and beyond the required skills that are not found in non-veterans.

If I had the means to create a business and focus on hiring skilled Veterans I would guarantee that business would succeed with tremendous results.  How do I know this?  The word courage!

There is one word that comes to mind when I think of military/Veterans.  Courageous.  Think of the courage it takes to sign up and allow yourself to be directed by your country to serve as needed, wherever and whenever. Think of the courage it takes to go to a foreign land, leave your family and friends not knowing if you will ever see them again. Think of the courage it takes to do a patrol in your vehicle knowing that something can explode underneath you that looks harmless.  I wonder often where the courage comes from.  We know that courage comes in all shapes and sizes and you do not have to be in the military/Veteran to have courage. But I am trying to make a point here as it relates to the common courage our men and women in uniform possess.  Veterans bring a very different mindset to companies not taught in traditional schools or universities. They know mission and how to achieve it at all cost and know the sacrifices that come with it that non-veterans have yet to experience personally.

When you think of what characteristics you look for in a job candidate  is courage one of them?   I believe courage is a  key characteristic of success. The courage to meet unseen challenges and the courage to know that the mission will continue even if it is down to just one individual.  It is the mindset of do or die.  

Courageous people is what's  good for business and there are thousands of them returning home to take care of their families, too.  If you are a person in a position to make hiring decisions you need to include the recruitment of Courageous People into your strategy plan.