“Hide not your talents, they for use were made. What’s a sundial in the shade?”
-Benjamin Franklin
In light of Veterans Day, we’ve taken a look at a key issue affecting workforce – that of people making the professional transition from military to civilian life.
Based on an analysis of LinkedIn profiles, here are the top Columbus area employers of former military:
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If you think the numbers above are a bit low, you’re right. At JPMorgan Chase for example, three in four U.S. employees have LinkedIn profiles. But the ratio drops closer to one in 10 for employees with a military background who have a LinkedIn profile and note that experience in the profile.
This gap is not for a lack of effort or awareness among employers. JPMorgan Chase was a founding member of the Veteran Jobs Mission in 2011, a coalition that has since grown to more than 230 private sector companies that have collectively hired more than 400,000 veterans. Other major Columbus Region employers in the coalition include AEP, Cardinal Health, Safelite and Verizon, among at least a dozen more. And, Worthington Industries plus a number of other area employers hold designations on the Military Friendly Employers list.
There are various reasons why people may not note their military experience on LinkedIn. Some employees may have lightly filled profiles to start. Others may believe that their experience isn’t relevant or aren’t aware how to add it to their profiles, and some may not have LinkedIn profiles at all.
The result is an information gap in the talent market. Only 1.5 percent of Columbus area LinkedIn profiles note military experience, compared to Census data showing veteran status for 5 percent of the metro’s population age 18 to 64. In contrast, 10 percent of recently posted Columbus area resumes on OhioMeansJobs.com note military experience, reflecting the state’s efforts to assist Ohioans transitioning from military to civilian workforce.
However, a resume is only one of a number of ways for employers and candidates to connect. In this day and age, LinkedIn and other venues both online and in the physical world provide access to employment opportunities.
Whether in business or government, we owe it to our veterans to make sure they are aware of these potential avenues to their post-military careers.
-Jung Kim
Managing Director, Business Intelligence
One Columbus
One Columbus Update
- Last week, our team and several local companies attended Thermostat Cultures Live. Thank you to host Jason Barger for a great event that brought Howard Behar and other great leaders into Columbus.
- This week, the One Columbus team is in Chicago for PLMA’s Private Label Trade Show and Dallas for Consultant Connect’s Summit.
- Economic Development 411 is two weeks away. Join hundreds of allies from across the Columbus Region on December 1 to hear about today’s challenges and opportunities in economic development. Keynote speakers will discuss the impact of disruptive technology on industry, government services, infrastructure and established ways of working.