Photo by Benjamin Faust on Unsplash A few months ago, I was watching Bob’s Burgers on Hulu (highly recommend, btw), and I saw an ad that was a bit different from the usual cars and movies and fast food. It was this ad for Google’s new veterans search tool. Developed in part by Matthew Hudson, a former civil engineer for the US Air Force, this tool allows veterans to enter in their specific military codes when searching for jobs to help them identify civilian jobs that match the skills they developed in the military. And companies themselves can integrate this tool into their own search engines.
Hudson explains that he was motivated to tackle this project because of his own experience trying to find a job after leaving the military. He talks about the clearly delineated roles and hierarchy of the military, and how that made things even more confusing and tricky when he began to transition to civilian life. So when he got hired to work as a program manager for Google, he wanted to find a way to support other veterans going through the same experience.
Hudson explains the importance of this tool that acts as a translator between what service members know how to do and what non-military jobs require, “There isn’t a common language that helps recruiters match a veteran’s experience with the need for their skills and leadership in civilian jobs. As a result, 1 in 3 veterans—of the roughly 250,000 service members who transition out of the military each year—end up taking jobs well below their skill level.”
The reason this made such an impression on me is that this provides yet another way for young people to think about their career paths. Similar to what I wrote about last week, supporting veterans in finding good jobs when they leave the military makes the choice to join in the first place a much more positive and empowering decision. Rather than creating one path to a good job – a four-year college – our students would be much better served by having a range of options to consider. That way, they can opt for the post-high school path that’s right for them, knowing that there is a variety of supportive and satisfying jobs available to them.
I know Google doesn’t always get it right, but I’m impressed with the steps they’re taking to support and empower veterans. Good jobs should be available to everyone who puts in the time and effort to learn important skills, and that goes even more for the people who have risked their lives to protect our country and our citizens.
Hudson explains that he was motivated to tackle this project because of his own experience trying to find a job after leaving the military. He talks about the clearly delineated roles and hierarchy of the military, and how that made things even more confusing and tricky when he began to transition to civilian life. So when he got hired to work as a program manager for Google, he wanted to find a way to support other veterans going through the same experience.
Hudson explains the importance of this tool that acts as a translator between what service members know how to do and what non-military jobs require, “There isn’t a common language that helps recruiters match a veteran’s experience with the need for their skills and leadership in civilian jobs. As a result, 1 in 3 veterans—of the roughly 250,000 service members who transition out of the military each year—end up taking jobs well below their skill level.”
The reason this made such an impression on me is that this provides yet another way for young people to think about their career paths. Similar to what I wrote about last week, supporting veterans in finding good jobs when they leave the military makes the choice to join in the first place a much more positive and empowering decision. Rather than creating one path to a good job – a four-year college – our students would be much better served by having a range of options to consider. That way, they can opt for the post-high school path that’s right for them, knowing that there is a variety of supportive and satisfying jobs available to them.
I know Google doesn’t always get it right, but I’m impressed with the steps they’re taking to support and empower veterans. Good jobs should be available to everyone who puts in the time and effort to learn important skills, and that goes even more for the people who have risked their lives to protect our country and our citizens.
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