Veterans' Employment Services Newsletter
IN THIS ISSUE:
February is Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month! CTE offers college students hands-on training that can be applied to real-world training and career pathways. This month, explore the variety of programs across the state that prepare you for successful career entry, advancement and/or continuing education.
Colleges and some universities across Michigan offer CTE programs that are aligned with in-demand, high-wage careers in fields such as information technology, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, and more.
If you’re interested in exploring career options, training, wages and projected openings, visit Pathfinder, Michigan’s free online career exploration tool, at Pathfinder.MiTalent.org
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The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) - administered by the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service - guarantees an employee returning from military service or training the right to be reemployed at his or her former job (or as nearly comparable a job as possible) with the same benefits.
USERRA applies to persons who perform duty, voluntarily or involuntarily, in the uniformed services - which include the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Public Health Service commissioned corps, as well as the reserve components of each of these services.
Federal training or service in the Army National Guard and Air National Guard also gives rise to rights under USERRA. In addition, under the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Response Act of 2002, certain disaster response work (and authorized training for such work) is considered service in the uniformed services.
Uniformed service includes active duty, active duty for training, inactive duty training (such as drills), initial active duty training, and funeral honors duty performed by National Guard and reserve members, as well as the period for which a person is absent from a position of employment for the purpose of an examination to determine fitness to perform any such duty.
USERRA covers nearly all employees, including part-time and probationary employees. USERRA applies to virtually all U.S. employers, regardless of size. Read more about USERRA here.
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My Next Move for Veterans is a free, online tool that gives individuals several alternatives for occupations. It provides an easy-to-read, one-page profile of each occupation, including essential knowledge, skills, abilities, and technologies, simplified salary and employment outlook information, as well as links to specific training and employment opportunities.
The site also includes the O*NET Interest Profiler to help you find out what your interest are and how they relate to work. Once you discover what you want to do, you can search careers, browse by industry, or find careers like your job in the military.
Get started at MyNextMove.org/Vets.
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Transitioning service members may understandably be upset by the idea that others' opinion may impact whether they get a job. But being mindful of how you come across to people will determine your chance at landing certain job opportunities.
Managing your reputation is not about popularity, “likes” on social media or the number of friends you have. It's about understanding the way others perceive you and aligning their perception with how you want to be seen.
Consider this: if a hiring manager senses you’re obstinate, difficult to work with or non-collaborative, they’ll likely be resistant to offering you a role managing or working with a high-functioning team. Their perception of you might be wrong, but they will (often without realizing it) base their feeling about how you fit in the organization on this perception.
Similarly, if an interviewer sees you as willing to learn, as someone who’s passionate about the work and team and eager to lead, they might offer you an opportunity to prove yourself.
Perception, beliefs, views, feelings and impressions matter to those making choices in our favor (or against). When you’re clear about how you want to be viewed by the people who matter, you can position yourself - authentically - to get their attention.
Read the full article at Military.com.
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Kyle Carlson is a U.S. Navy veteran who wanted to relocate to his hometown of Houghton, but needed to find a job in the area.
Kyle began his job search by visiting Upper Peninsula Michigan Works in Hancock. After determining his eligibility, Veteran Career Advisor (VCA) William Ennis reached out to Kyle.
After discussing Kyle’s employment goals and reviewing related programmatic information offered through the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity and Upper Peninsula Michigan Works!, Kyle and VCA William created a focused employment plan related to counselling.
Now job ready, Kyle was referred to Local Veteran Employment Representative (LVER) Kendal Kettle to explore local opportunities. With LVER Kettle's support, Kyle applied for a Family Support Specialist position with BHK Child Development. Despite working hard for that opportunity, Kyle was not selected for the position. However, he was invited to apply for a Youth Services Site Coordinator job.
Kyle applied for the Site Coordinator position was offered the job. He now works close to his hometown earning a competitive wage plus benefits!
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Military.com knows there is only one veteran employment project that matters - yours. So they did the research for you and figured out exactly what programs, providers, services, strategies and skills you need now to move forward on your transition.
Sign up for a FREE 60-minute transition master classes to learn:
- How transition really works for military at your career level so you feel like an insider, not an intruder.
- Exclusive secrets, skills and strategies for your career group that lead to the most interesting, best paying jobs for you.
- Recommendations for the best veteran programs and services for your experience level.
Leave the online Master Class with a clear checklist of what you need to do next so you are ready for your high-impact civilian job. Learn more at Military.com.
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Did you know you can get a copy of your DD-214 through the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency’s online portal? Before you start, make sure you have all your personal and military information ready.
The process should take you 5-10 minutes. Get started here.
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Support for all who serve
The Military Crisis Line is a free, confidential resource for all service members, including members of the National Guard and Reserve, and veterans, even if they’re not enrolled in VA benefits or healthcare. Just dial 988 then press 1 for:
- 24/7 Support
- Live Connection
- Serves Veterans, Their Families, and Friends
Learn more at VeteransCrisisLine.net.
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An up-to-date list of upcoming job and career events is available on MiTalent.org's Career Events Calendar.
Multi Employer Job Fair
March 2, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Event Address: Michigan Works! Northeast - 4595 Salling ST, Grayling, MI 49738
Forest Dunes Golf Club is hosting a Job Fair at Michigan Works in Grayling. They are hiring for multiple positions. Bring your resume and be prepared for onsite interviews.
Home Healthcare Hiring Event
March 8, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Event Address: Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works! Alma - 327 E Center St, Alma, MI 48801
Event Details: view the event flyer here
Home Healthcare will be conducting on-the-spot interviews for Home Health Caregivers. Applicants should bring a copy of their resume, state photo ID, and their social security cards.
State of Michigan Virtual Job Fair
March 15, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Event Details: register for the event here
Learn how you can start your career with the State of Michigan. Speak with recruiters from several departments looking to fill a wide variety of roles.
Michigan Department of Corrections Hiring Event
March 15, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Event Address: Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works! Mt. Pleasant - 5889 E Broadway Rd, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858
Event Details: view the event flyer here
The Michigan Department of Corrections will be conducting on-the-spot interviews for Hiring Officers, Healthcare and many more. Please bring a change of clothes for the on-site physical fitness test.
Job Fairs Count as Work Search Activity in Michigan
Registering for and attending Virtual Job Fair events supported by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity count as official work search activities required by the Unemployment Insurance Agency. Check out upcoming virtual and in-person job fairs by visiting MiTalent.org’s Career Events website.
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Be Prepared: Charge your phone and practice your elevator pitch.
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Keep an Open Mind: You never know which company has the perfect job for you.
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Work the Room: Stop by every booth and share your QR code with every organization.
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Rule of 3: Get at least three company follow-ups.
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Apply as You Network: Apply to open positions while you network with recruiters.
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Smile: Be confident. You've got this!
Welcome to the Veterans’ Employment Services (VES) Newsletter. Our mission is to assist you and your family secure meaningful careers in Michigan.
The concept of veterans helping veterans is a trademark of the VES team and one of the keys to its success. Veterans face many challenges when transitioning out of the military – finding meaningful employment should not be one of them.
- Veterans in need of employment assistance should contact the nearest Michigan Works! One-Stop Service Center by calling 800-285-WORKS (9675) or visiting MichiganWorks.org.
- More information about Veterans’ Employment Services is available at Michigan.gov/VES.
- Register today and start your job search at Pure Michigan Talent Connect at MiTalent.org.
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MORE VETERANS' RESOURCES
If you are a veteran looking for information concerning education, health care, benefits or quality of life programs, please visit the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency for more information, or call the Michigan Veteran Resource Service Center at 800-MICH-VET.
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Veterans' Employment Services is part of Workforce Development, within the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity's Office of Employment and Training. Michigan.gov/VES |
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