Huntsville-based Still Serving Veterans helping connect veterans with employers nationwide

HUNTSVILLE – Every year about 200,000 Veterans make the transition from soldier to civilian. In 2017 ‘Hire A Veteran Day’, a national initiative, was created to remind organizations that veterans’ experiences and dedication can breathe new life into their workforce. It aims to teach the unmatched value a veteran can bring to a company.

This year “Hire a Veteran Day” will be on July 25, and Still Serving Veterans (SSV) wants to help connect veterans with employers.

Still Serving Veterans is a nonprofit organization based in Huntsville that provides veterans, their families, transitioning military and members of the National Guard and Army Reserves with employment services, including career planning, job search strategy development, and resume and interview preparations.

SSV’s career counselor Vincent Turner said veterans know how to work as a team, and they are disciplined and comfortable in diverse workplaces. They were taught strong leadership skills in the military, but they’re applicable everywhere. Veterans have specialized and technical training and they are always committed to their goals.

“Military experience enhances the ability to adapt quickly,” Turner said. “Sense of duty and the mindset to learn quickly from errors are rehearsed continually through drill and ceremony. This mindset is applicable to higher education pursuits, business development, and civilian employment.”

Founded in 2006, SSV has grown to serve veterans nationwide who are having difficulty finding and securing civilian employment after their military service. Some were having trouble communicating their military experience to civilian employers. Others would take the first offer they received after leaving the military, only to leave their new job months later because the position wasn’t the right fit.

SSV empowers veterans to successfully move into fulfilling careers through no-cost career and transition counseling services. They provide practical advice for navigating the often-challenging road to finding meaningful post-military work and building a civilian life they will love.

“The routine and good habit-forming nature of the military makes service members ideal employees,” said SSV client coordinator Steve Hartley. “This, compounded with their competitive nature, focused on getting the mission accomplished at all costs, sets them above their civilian counterparts.”

“Veterans are used to operating in difficult situations and unique conditions,” career counselor Matt Schroer added. “They are able to use a wide array of skills to achieve near impossible tasks and Veterans are more than capable of doing that for anyone’s company.”

One way to identify veteran-friendly employers is to look for the “HIRE Vets Medallion”. This Program was created by the U.S. Department of Labor to recognize employers who demonstrate an outstanding commitment to hiring and retaining Veterans. This Act further supported “National Hire a Veteran Day”. Organizations nationwide can achieve gold or platinum status; Still Serving Veterans is a 2022 Platinum award recipient and has a staff with over 80% Veteran employees.

For businesses searching for great employees, SSV can help. Still Serving Veterans can connect employers with veterans looking for their next career. They work closely with veterans and employers to find the right fit for both parties.

“When veterans come to us for career assistance, their service and discharge status is verified,” stated a press release from SSV. “Employers e-mail SSV their open positions, and where job seekers can apply for the job. SSV sends out job blasts to our roughly 2,500 Veteran job seekers weekly. We also reference these openings when we meet with our clients one-on-one.”

Anyone interested in working with SSV as an employer, or as a veteran in need of career assistance, contact 256-883-7035 or email: info@SSV.org.

For more information, visit https://ssv.org.