New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs principal staff officer and leader of the Military Skills Council Bob Hoberman helps veterans prepare to enter the workforce.

“Our job is to look at ways of improving the ability of service members and veterans to transition them into civilian roles,” Hoberman said. “We are in an early phase of this project. We are talking to companies about the advantages of hiring veterans.”

According to Hoberman, veterans are flexible, respectful and diligent. “They are an extremely valuable source,” he said. “My job is to transition veterans to prepare them for civilian jobs.”

“Some employers are concerned that military members returning from Iraq suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder,” Hoberman said. “And it affects their ability to do their jobs. That is a gross overstatement.”

According to Hoberman, there are about 15 percent of veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and they are generally not in the job market. They are, he said, being treated by a psychiatrist.

From the company standpoint, they want somebody who can fit into specific jobs. The companies have a need, and look at the skillsets of military people with knowledge.
– Bob Hoberman , New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs principal staff officer and leader of the Military Skills Council

“We are trying to establish an attitude around companies to recognize that veterans’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes are exceptional,” Hoberman said. “When veterans come out of service, they have worked in the worst conditions possible. They work under pressure that we as civilians do not know. They want to grow and improve. They want to help a company to grow. When you look at the company, look at the pain points. What kind of money are they making? When veterans hit the floor, they are looking to find ways to improve the company.”

Employers find that if they give a veteran specific responsibilities, they will follow it to the letter, Hoberman said.

But, veterans must stop using military jargon and communicate in civilian language, he said.

“Communication is a key to success in any business,” Hoberman said.

“From the company standpoint, they want somebody who can fit into specific jobs,” he said. “The companies have a need, and look at the skillsets of military people with knowledge.”

From Hoberman’s experiences he feels that military people tend to be more disciplined than civilians. They work at a job until it is completed and often work without a clock. As part of their nature and training, they solve problems. They can be very creative. Veterans are not as rigid as companies think they are. They want to have stability and make money to support their families.

From practice to paper

Maj. Gen. Maria Falca-Dodson served in the military from 1980 to 2012, retiring as a two-star general. She was the deputy adjutant general for the state of New Jersey and a commander of the Air National Guard.

“Returning to civilian life can be disorienting,” Falca-Dodson said. “They do not know how to translate their skills. They do not know how to write down on paper what it is they did in the military that translates into a civilian job that makes them marketable.”

“They are pretty humble,” she said of veterans. “They do not know how to toot their own horn when it comes to the skills that a civilian employer may be looking for, and they do not always know what resources to tap into.”

“The biggest issue barring PTSD, is how many of us feel somewhat disconnected with civilians,” she said.

“Even though I was a Guards member, which is part of the Reserves and had civilian jobs, my life in the military is not something that is easily understood by my civilian friends.”

New Jersey is home to 423,000 veterans and some do suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. A lot of companies hire veterans, Falca-Dodson said, but veterans often feel disenfranchised in the workplace and want to do their best to serve.

Applying skills

Bruce Polkowitz is the director of development and operations at Edgewood Properties, a commercial and residential real estate developer based in Piscataway. He served four years in the U.S. Air Force.

“Our challenges are taking what [a veteran] learned in the military and figuring out how to make it applicable,” Polkowitz said.

Veterans are not used to their fullest capacity because most civilian employers have needs that are approached from a civilian perspective.

“They come with great leadership skills,” Polkowitz said. “Our veterans do not call out sick. Reliability is the number one thing about a veteran. They know how to take orders and how to manage people. That is an easy transferrable skill. When you hire a veteran, you get that out of the box.”

Polkowitz said Edgewood tries to hire veterans. “We have held veterans job fairs. We are a great employer offering many great benefits,” he said.

The company also provides incentives for veterans to live in its developments. “We offer veterans preference to live in our communities,” Polkowitz said. “Under the laws of New Jersey, veterans have the preference based upon their income.”

Edgewood Properties waives application and administration fees; reduces a security deposit of $1,000 on rents greater than $1,000 that is contingent on credit approval; keeps a priority wait list; offers flexible leases of two months to 24 months and lease-break options; reduces an early termination charge equivalent to two months’ rent with 30-days written notice; and offers a 10 percent discount on furnished apartments.

Marine Corps veteran Ray Martinelli works for the New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program, a nonprofit organization that provides training to employees of manufacturing companies.

“All of our services are open to veterans,” Martinelli said. “We do not have any that are veteran-only services. NJMEP has about five veterans in its apprenticeship cohorts and welcomes apprentices into our Opportunity Partnership Grant for dislocated workers. We have had a few veterans in our Technical Sales Opportunity Partnership Grant and helped them, along with all the others, in attaining employment.”

NJMEP assists military veterans in several ways. “We help all of our apprentices/students by training them with new skills, helping them attain relevant credentials and bridging them to employment,” Martinelli said. “We get referrals from various places. Some of them include the local Workforce Development Boards, the Veteran’s Chamber of Commerce and Bridging the Gap.”

NJMEP’s Pro Action Network connects veterans to organizations that provide additional services to help make their transition smoother, Martinelli said. These include local Workforce Development Boards and the Urban League.

The best attributes of soldiers, Martinelli said, is their overall work ethic.

“They get to work on-time every day and practice good self-management skills,” he said. “They are great team players and know how to work well under pressure. They appreciate employment and want their employer to be successful. They are always trained to be trainable.”

Companies and veterans may call the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development at (609) 292-7060 and the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs at (609) 530-4600.