Despite their exceptional sacrifice and service to our country, many military veterans struggle to transition to civilian life. For many, the central challenge is navigating the community services that were typically provided to them while in the military. At the top of that list is finding a new post-military career, which, if difficult, can contribute to difficulties in other areas of life, including depression and homelessness.
Veterans are incredible assets that employers should actively seek out when building a team. However, part of the problem with finding a job after service is the misconception employers have about hiring veterans. Many HR leaders believe Veterinarians are rigid, “agentic” and lack emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills. They are perceived as doers, but not leaders, and are often pigeonholed into roles where they take care of things, not people. As a result, Veterinarians are 38% more likely to be underemployed. — working in roles that do not fully utilize your skills and abilities.
The reality is that these assumptions couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, the skills that we, as veterans, learn in the military make us some of the best organizational leaders and therefore people extremely well suited for entrepreneurship.
After spending 17 years in the US Air Force Reserves as a pilot, my fellow veteran co-founder, Taylor Justice, and I leveraged our military experience to start a company, Unite Us. While we It originally began coordinating the health and social care needs of veterans.Connecting them through technology to fragmented community resources to support their transition to civilian life, Unite Us has since grown across the country to serve people from all walks of life: civilians and veterans.
Veterans already possess many of the skills and attributes necessary to be a successful entrepreneur, including courage.
Our success is not unique: the data proves it CEOs with military experience are more likely to achieve strong performance than non-veteran leaders, resulting in a higher average rate of return than the S&P 500.
So what is it about military experience that lends itself so well to entrepreneurship? If you’re a veteran considering starting your own business, here’s how to put the skills you’ve learned into practice to start your own business.
- Sense of purpose. Veterans have a deep sense of connection to the mission and commitment to getting the job done. When so much is at stake in achieving the mission, we are accustomed to wearing many hats and are very adept at cross-functional operations. In the spirit of the mission, we are willing to roll up our sleeves and do whatever it takes to make it a success. When launching a startup, you will probably encounter many obstacles and challenges, from obtaining funding to building teams or developing your solutions to meet market needs. That inherent perseverance we learn through the military is incredibly valuable in meeting challenges under pressure.
- Team formation. The reality of military service is that even if not everyone agrees with the mission or tactics, you are still often tasked with rallying the troops around a shared goal. This ability to make difficult decisions, have the conviction to stick to them, and build consensus and acceptance is essential in entrepreneurship. Even with the best idea, you will find detractors. Having the ability to bring everyone together on the same page is vital to the perseverance needed to overcome those barriers.
- Endurance. In every branch of service, people must perform to the highest standards. As a pilot, you are pushed to your limits through years of training to ensure you can meet the life-or-death demands of the job. By nature, military service breeds tenacity, toughness, and intestinal fortitude, all of which are essential in entrepreneurship. Whether it’s figuring out how to navigate a burned bridge to move critical supplies or tackling a technical challenge in launching new software, veterans are conditioned to solve complex problems in real time to keep things moving forward.
- Agility. In the military, things frequently change at any moment: changes in strategy and expectations force teams to shift gears and reconfigure their priorities. Almost every mission we carried out in the war had unexpected turns and we had to change our mindset and our mission in an instant. This ability to adapt to meet changing conditions is extremely valuable when launching a new business. Our company is a great example: we started working exclusively with veterans and soon realized that the potential audience for our service was much, much larger. We were able to take the model we had established, adapt it and implement it to meet the needs of the entire nation.
- Skills beyond the tactical role. Many veterans think they should stay within the scope of their military tactical role when starting a business. But this can be a mistake and veterinarians should not limit themselves to those functions. It is highly likely that as a military member progressed in rank, he or she also developed leadership and training capabilities, coordinated deployments, and managed teams, all of which are applicable in a wide range of industries or roles. Not to mention, military members generally have no say in choosing their tactical role, as most assignments are based on needs. In my case, the work I am doing today has nothing to do with being a pilot, and I believe that our success as a company is a testament that you don’t have to stay with what you have only been. qualified to do so.
If you’re a veterinarian ready to take the leap into entrepreneurship, here are some tips to help you get off to the best start possible.
- Take advantage of veterans benefits. The Department of Defense, the Veterans Administration, and other government agencies offer programs to help you get started. He Boots to Business Program offers business ownership education and training through the Small Business Administration to transitioning service members, including National Guard and Reserve service members and their spouses. The Small Business Administration and state small business associations also offer support for veteran-owned businessesincluding contracting opportunities, business plan development, and financing through grants and special loan programs.
- Find a mentor. Because of the close camaraderie we develop in the service, veterinarians very often turn to and rely on other veterinarians for support and guidance. In my case, it was another Navy pilot who was a trusted advisor while I went to business school and beyond. It is very important to have this different perspective when starting a company, but from the perspective of someone who knows your hidden strengths and attributes and how to leverage them.
- Access your network. Military service can feel a bit isolated from the business world, so you might think you have no connections when it comes to finding a mentor, resources, partners, and more. However, we are a group of brothers, sisters and fighters, and we want to help each other succeed. Reach out to other veterinarians through LinkedIn or local groups and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Veterans already possess many of the skills and attributes necessary to be a successful entrepreneur, including courage. Starting out should be uncomfortable, test your limits and push you beyond your comfort zone. Like the satisfaction you felt from a mission accomplished, building your own successful business can be the most rewarding and satisfying career move and life experience.
