Military experience has provided veterans with training and work experience valued by many
employers. Veteran and employer, please consider these opportunities and find a way to use
the information to your best advantage. The following is a list of some of the opportunities
and strengths that many veterans have acquired and used in the uniformed services:

1. Leadership Training: The military trains people to accept and discharge responsibility for other people,
for activities, for resources, and for one’s own behavior. This training includes setting an example, giving carefully
considered directions, inspiring leadership capabilities in others, and continually motivating other personnel in the group.

2. Ability to Work as a Team Member and as a Team Leader: Essential to the military experience is the
ability to work as a member of a team. Almost all military activity is performed with the assistance, coordination and
awareness of other persons or other units. Many military personnel serve as team leaders where they have analyzed
situations and options, made appropriate decisions, given directions, followed through with a viable plan, and accepted responsibility for the outcome.

3. Ability to Get Along with and Work with All Types of People: The Government attracts all types
of Americans regardless of race, gender, economic status, age, religion, attitude, intelligence, or physical conditions.
In the Service, military personnel have worked for and with people of all types of backgrounds, attitudes and
characteristics. This experience has prepared service members and their families to work with all types of people
on a continuing basis.

4. Ability to Work Under Pressure and to Meet Deadlines: One definite characteristic of the military service is that service members must perform. They must do their job, do it right the first time and do it in a timely manner. They are continuously setting priorities, meeting schedules and accomplishing their missions. Pressure and stress are built into this, but service members are taught how to deal with all these factors in a positive and effective manner.

5. Ability to Give and Follow Directions: People in the military know how to work under supervision and can relate and respond favorably to others. They understand accountability for their actions and for their subordinates’ actions. They also understand and use discipline in their lives and when dealing with others. They have learned to respect and accept legitimate authority.

6. Drug Free: With an honorable discharge, service members are certified drug free. Employers will view
this as a distinct advantage.

7. Security Clearances: Many military personnel have achieved some level of security clearance. For many employers, an existing clearance will simplify the process of requiring a new continuing civilian clearance. This clearance can also demonstrate that an individual is recognized as a trustworthy person.

8. Systematic Planning and Organization: Most military operations require thorough planning and workload management. Carefully considered objectives, strengths and limitations of other people, resources, time schedules, supplies, logistics, and various other factors are always considered. Organization, evaluation and adjustment are continuously being assessed. The ability to participate, direct or establish systematic planning is highly valued in business.

9. Emphasis on Safety: Military safety training is among the best in the world. Service members understand
the considerable cost in lives, property and objectives when safety is ignored. Both the control and the emphasis
on safety are valued in the civilian work force.

10. Familiarity with Records and Personnel Administration: Service members are familiar with the necessity of keeping accurate records and completing all paperwork. There is always the requirement for accountability. Service members are also familiar with all facets of personnel administration.

11. Ability to Conform to Rules and Structure: In any large organization, and especially the military, there must be rules and structure to avoid chaos and internal breakdown. Individuals in the service have learned and followed rules everyday in their working environment. While in this environment, they have also learned loyalty to their units and their leaders. Companies always value employees who will be “company players” and team members that follow “the rules” of the organization.

12. Flexibility and Adaptability: All individuals in the service have learned to be flexible and adaptable to meet the constantly changing needs of any situation and mission. Last minute changes are not uncommon in any military or civilian working environment. Also based on their military background, former soldiers are able to adapt quickly to physical and safety demands.

13. Self-Direction: Many service members understand difficult and often complex issues and solve these
issues or problems on the spot without step-by-step guidance from above.

14. Educated: All military soldiers have at least a G.E.D. and the majority of them have high school diplomas.
Many have attended college to further their education.

15. Initiative: Many military personnel have the ability to originate a plan of action or task to answer and solve many unusual problems regarding supplies, logistics, resources and transportation.

16. Work Habits: People in the military stay and finish their projects and are known and are recognized for completing their missions in a timely fashion and in an effective, efficient manner. These work habits are a definite result of social maturity, integrity, determination and self-confidence that they have learned, earned and experienced in their military service. Their military background has instilled pride, enthusiasm and perseverance for their work. This constitutes their eligibility and recognition for promotion.

17. Standards of Quality and Commitment to Excellence: Service personnel are continually striving to attain and surpass their standards of quality for themselves and their units. These standards of quality are meeting their unit’s mission, training standards, physical requirements and educational goals. There is a commitment to excellence in all of these fields.

18. Global Outlook: Many people in the military have been stationed and served their country in various locations around the world. This residency and international experience have broadened their outlooks in regards to customs, economies, languages and cultures of other countries.

19. Client and Service-Oriented: Many military personnel are in the service industry. Their jobs are to facilitate, explain and expedite their patrons and clients needs, wants and actions, such as administrative, medical, dental, postal, financial and recreational.

20. Concerned About the Community and Family Environment: Service personnel have a vested interest in their areas where they reside. Many are committed to making their locations a better place to live. They are dedicated to the quality of life for their family members and their fellow residents. They participate and volunteer in youth sports, scouting activities, family and unit outings, area clean-up days, seasonal and unit parties and gatherings, and developmental programs.

21. Specialized Advanced Training: All service personnel receive advanced training in their fields. Their career fields designate a specialized focus and skill building for their individual jobs. Advanced training and cross-referenced training can be in the computerized, financial, medical, engineering, administrative, personnel, technical, mechanical, and security fields. This training can be completed in the classroom, in the office, on the location, in the laboratory, or on the job.

Remember: If you don’t say “for example” about ten times in an interview, you’re probably not going to get the job. Always back up answers with details from specific instances.

1. (a) What are your strengths? (b) What are your weaknesses? Other than your technical ability, what do you like about yourself?
2. Tell me one word to describe yourself? Why?
3. Tell me about overcoming a difficult situation? What caused you the most difficulty in a position and How did you find the solution?
4. If I called your boss, what would he/she say about you?
5. Describe a “Tough” person to work with. Why is this difficult?
6. Describe an “Easy” person to work with. Why this person? What are the consistent traits.
7. Pick a Manager from your past employment. Please tell me the positive attributes of this person.
8. Tell me about the happiest moment in your career. Be sure to delve as to why!
9. Describe a time on any job that you’ve held in which you faced problems or stresses which tested your coping skills. What did you do?
10. Give an example of a time you had to keep from finishing a task because you did not have information needed to make decision.
11. Give an example of a time in which you had to be relatively quick in coming to a decision.
12. Tell me about a time in which you had to use your verbal communication skills in order to get a point across that was important to you.
13. Tell me about a job experience in which you had to speak up in order to be sure that other people knew what you thought or felt.
14. Give me an example of a time in which you felt you were able to build motivation in your co-workers or subordinates at work.
15. Give me an example of a specific occasion in which you conformed to a policy with which you did not agree.
16. Describe a situation in which you felt necessary to be very attentive and vigilant to your environment.
17. Give an example of a time in which you had to use your fact-finding skills to gain information for solving a problem.
18. Give me an example of an important goal which you had set in the past and tell me about your success in reaching it.
19. Describe your most significant written document/report/presentation which you had to complete.
20. Give me an example of a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done.
21. Give me an example of a time when you were able to successfully communicate with a difficult person.
22. Describe a situation where you were able to effectively “read” a person and guide your actions to meet their needs.
23. What did you do in your last job in order to be effective in your organization and planning? Be specific.
24. Describe the most creative work-related project which you have carried out.
25. Describe a time in which you felt it was necessary to modify or change your actions in order to respond to the needs of another person.