Google Is Helping Veterans Find Civilian Jobs That Match Their Skills

Google has added a new feature to its search engine that makes it easier for U.S. veterans to find jobs online. Additionally, Google will now start highlighting businesses on Maps and Search listing as being veteran-owned or veteran-run.

“Starting today, service members can search 'jobs for veterans' on Google and then enter their specific military job codes (MOS, AFSC, NEC, etc.) to see relevant civilian jobs that require similar skills to those used in their military roles. We’re also making this capability available to any employer or job board to use on their own property through our Cloud Talent Solution," Google Cloud program manager Matthew Hudson said in a blog post.

“As of today, service members can enter their military job codes on any career site using Talent Solution, including FedEx Careers, Encompass Health Careers, Siemens Careers, CareerBuilder and Getting Hired.”

Hudson also shared his experience of transitioning to civilian life after serving seven years in the Air Force as a civil engineer. It was daunting for him to find a civilian job, but was fortunate enough to end up being part of Google. The new job search feature on Google should make it easier for U.S. veterans to find jobs that best suit their skill and experience. Hudson also noted that 1 in 3 veterans out of roughly 250,000 service members who transition out of the military each year end up taking jobs that are below their skill level.

There are also veterans who may want to start a business of their own. This is why Google is making it easier for customers to find businesses that are run by veterans. When users search for local businesses on Google search, the listing will show a “Veteran-Led” attribute alongside other details like “Has WiFi” or “Outdoor Sitting.”

“More than 2.5 million businesses in the U.S. are majority-owned by veterans, and one way that I stay connected to the veteran community is by supporting those veteran-owned businesses,” Google data scientist and former U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Sean O’Keefe said in a separate blog post. “It's something I can do all throughout my day, whether I'm grabbing a coffee or recommending a local restaurant to a friend.”

For transitioning military personnel, military spouses and veterans who want to develop a new skill, Google is also giving a $2.5 million grant to the United Service Organizations. The grant should enable USO to provide Google IT Support Professional Certificate training to those who are interested in applying for entry-level IT support jobs, according to TechCrunch.