Honoring Veterans by Hiring Them

By Tiffany Jeong, DAS Project Manager at AT&T, Information Technician (E-5/IT2) Navy

Veterans Day is a solemn, but special time for those of us who have served and sacrificed for our nation and our freedom. I am a veteran, and I look forward to participating in celebrations that  honor those who served before and alongside me. 

As a relatively new employee, I’m proud to work for a company that makes a special effort to hire veterans.  I’ve worked at AT&T as a Project Manager for the past 6 months. Not all veterans who transition from active service to the civilian world are as fortunate as me. After the Veterans Day services and celebrations end, they’ll face the reality of the grind of searching for civilian jobs, often feeling the inadequacy that comes with dead end leads and countless interviews that fail to realize our full potential.

I know firsthand how difficult that search  can be. For many veterans, finding and succeeding in a new career can be  challenging and frustrating. It shouldn’t be that way.

Some companies are helping smooth the path for veterans. I was thrilled to learn that my company has hired more than 3,600 veterans and their family members just this year.  That’s about 72 percent of the five-year veteran hiring goal of 5,000 AT&T announced in April. AT&T made this commitment  at a White House event with Michelle Obama, Jill Biden and other companies supporting the Joining Forces Initiative. Now, AT&T has doubled its goal for hiring more people like myself — aiming to provide career opportunities to some 10,000 veterans and their family members over five years. It’s the type of goal all companies should be setting. 

AT&T also teamed with JPMorgan Chase and the 100,000 Jobs Mission to launch an online veteran talent exchangethis fall.  Active-duty members of the military and veterans can  “opt-in” to a talent-sharing database. The tool allows them to share  their career profiles  with employers that are members of the 100,000 Jobs Mission.  I think it’s a great use of technology and a great opportunity for companies beyond just AT&T to benefit from the talent veterans bring to the table.

AT&T offers new tools like the veteran talent exchange and its new career page for military spouses. Other job search resources can help, too, like our military career site and Military Skills Translator Tool.   The Military Skills Translator Tool helps veterans align their Military Occupation Code or Military Occupation Specialty to open career opportunities at AT&T. It matches their skills and talents to jobs that equate to those in the civilian sector. AT&T also has an employee resource group for veterans. It’s an incredible networking tool to stay plugged in with a community who knows and understands the special journey that veterans take as they transition into the civilian workforce. In fact, I am passing on these same resources to my brother, who just finished his service in the Marines.  In the beginning I had trouble facing the idea that I was no longer a part of something greater than myself, with AT&T I now feel like I can make a difference as a team member in a company making strides in worldwide communications.  

My company offers peace of mind for our military employees who are called to serve our country by providing them differential pay and other benefits for their families while deployed. We are also guaranteed a job when we return that is at the same level or above the job they left for deployment.

AT&T has been there to support my transition into the workforce, my career and my family from day one. I hope that other companies learn from my story and the example AT&T is setting. It’s important that they realize that during Veterans Day and beyond that there’s no better way to honor veterans than by hiring them.