Energy, arguably it’s the most important element of any civilization’s infrastructure. Energy companies today are booming, from the traditional oil and gas companies to the clean energy companies using wind and solar technology. While there has been a downturn in the crude oil markets other energy companies are fairing very well.

According to the latest “Electric Power Monthly” report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, which includes data through the end of 2014, some 13.91% of electricity generation in the U.S. last year was from renewable sources. (read source here)

New funds for wind, solar, biofuels and other low-carbon energy technologies gained 16 percent to $310 billion last year, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. It was the first growth since 2011, erasing the impact of lower solar-panel prices and falling subsides in the U.S. and Europe that hurt the industry in previous years. (read source here)

Industry officials and analysts forecast a continued boom in U.S. solar markets over the near term, with a projected 31 percent growth target for 2015. The growth will be fueled by falling costs for solar panels and modules, business model innovation that allows for more flexibility in ownership, favorable political and regulatory environments, and increased access to low-cost capital. (read source here) 

While there are a wide variety of technologies that drive energy production the fact every energy company must face is that the quality of their products, services and overall success is directly tied to the caliber of their employees. Great employees make great companies. Energy companies all over the world have learned that hiring top talent makes a huge difference.

Top talent for energy companies cannot be found just anywhere. If it could then being a company recruiter would be an easy job that anyone could do. Those who are involved in recruiting today know otherwise, they are always on the lookout for those “pools” of talent that they can draw from for their companies or for their clients. Successful Energy companies across the United States have found that hiring top military talent helps them meet their corporate mission objectives.

Additional Reading:  Leveraging Veteran Talent: The Opportunity for the Clean Energy Industry 

Energy companies today are looking for veteran skills such as good communication, self management, self motivation, the ability to organize or be a part of a team solution and problem solving skills… just to name a few. Former military personnel typically have the skills and work ethics that energy companies want and need.

Clean Energy companies, like their traditional energy counterparts, leverage the skills, talent and experiences of about a quarter million military personnel who transition annually from military to civilian service. Energy companies benefit also from the inherent resourcefulness and experience of just over one million members of the National Guard and Reserve. These service members are engaged in their civilian careers at the same time they serve in the military.

Cutting edge energy companies as well as other companies who are employing renewable energy recognize the value of top military talent. Tesla is aggressively recruiting military veterans for the production of their cutting edge electric car line. Tesla is by no means an anomaly when it comes to employing top military talent for mission success, companies such as First Solar have been named Military Friendly Employer by G.I. Jobs Magazine. Currently the energy companies listed on militaryfriendly.com are

• American Electric Power
• Arizona Public Service
• Baker Hughes, Inc.
• Berkshire Hathaway Energy
• BP America, Inc.
• Chesapeake Energy Corporation
• Colorado Springs Utilities
• Devon Energy Corporation
• Dominion Resources, Inc.
• Exelon Corporation
• Fugro (USA)
• Halliburton
• Pacific Gas & Electric
• Patterson-UTI Drilling Company, LLC
• PPL
• Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG)
• Shell
• Southern Company

Additional Reading: How one company is using top military talent in the clean energy industry.

The Department of Energy announced training for companies which will start them down the road to hiring military talent. DOE Announces Webinars on Hiring Veterans for Solar Energy Jobs, Tribal Energy Development Best Practices, and More.  While programs like this are very good many organizations struggle with implementing a solid military hiring strategy. This is what separates those companies who make the Military Friendly and G.I. Jobs list from the rest of the industry. Military hiring strategies can help your organization focus on the right talent, at the right time for the right job. Read more on how to develop a military hiring strategy here… 

If your company or organization is serious about employing top talent and achieving mission success Forward March Inc. (FMI) has your solution. There are lots of options when looking to an outside organization to assist with your recruiting needs but at the end of the day cost and the quality of your job candidates are most likely your top concerns. FMI makes your job of recruiting easier through a variety of services and scalable solutions we can bring to your organization.

We have the solution. Forward March Inc. (FMI) has over 35 years of collective experience helping employers and veterans connect. Our understanding of military skills translation is second-to-none. We not only understand the military branches and their skills we can help train your HR team to this as well. We have written a Military Hiring Guide that can guide your team step-by-step through the understanding of military skills and rank to finding the right military talent for your various positions you are seeking to fill.

FMI was founded to deal with the very issues we are discussing in this article. We are a company of veterans helping veterans to actually get real and meaningful careers as opposed to just throwing their resumes at potential “jobs”. We never charge a veteran and we are deeply committed to veteran retention, because its not good enough to commit to hiring a veteran, companies need to learn how to retain them. Our customized and scalable solutions can help any company or organization of any size start finding, attracting, and hiring veterans very quickly.

FMI knows EXACTLY where to find your military talent. We understand the skills translation and we have a wealth of resources for helping you to get the positions you are hiring for right in front of both veterans and transitioning military personnel.

The reason our solution is different is because we focus on strategy. A company can come to us and use our services as their one-stop-shop for finding, screening, and hiring of high quality military talent. We can also train HR teams and individuals on how to find, attract, hire and retain military talent. Companies who use both solutions very quickly begin their military hiring program and enjoy the benefit of learning how to do what we do in the process. FMI can also help your company with strategies and solutions for retaining the veterans you hire.

FMI is different because we don’t leave the solution at pipeline services and training. We also train and help build internal strategies and solutions to create a vibrant veteran culture in your company. This helps with retention and also feeds new veteran talent into your pipeline from your most trusted source, your veteran employees.

Support our troops! Give us a call today and get started on your veteran hiring strategy. Together we can change the lives of veterans, help your organization reap the rewards of hiring veterans and bring down the veteran and overall unemployment rates.

FMI is committed to our customers. We know that making the decision to hire veterans can be intimidating. Contact us for a no pressure conversation on how we can help. We can get you started hiring veterans immediately and do it at a cost you can afford!

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Are you a Veteran or are you Transitioning out of the military? Check out the links below to start your new career in the energy industry.

Energy Companies Hiring Veterans.

NextEra Energy http://www.nexteraenergy.com/careers/military.shtml

Troops To Energy Jobs   http://www.troopstoenergyjobs.com/

Veterans To Energy   http://www.veteranstoenergy.org/

GE Energy Jobs for Veterans   http://www.ge.com/careers/culture/us-veterans

Top Veteran Employers   http://www.military.com/veteran-jobs/career-advice/job-hunting/top-35-veteran-employers.html

Southern Company Veteran Jobs   http://www.southerncompany.com/about-us/careers/military/military-veterans.cshtml

Alliant Energy   http://www.alliantenergy.com/Careers/RecruitingandCareerPrograms/MilitaryVeterans/

ConocoPhillips Jobs for Veterans   http://careers.conocophillips.com/en/us-military

Chesapeake Energy Hires Veterans   http://www.chk.com/careers/our-team

Devon Energy http://www.devonenergy.com/careers/military-recruiting

Clean Energy Job Training

Training Veterans for Careers in Clean Energy   http://energy.gov/articles/training-veterans-careers-clean-energy

DOE Announces Webinars on Hiring Veterans for Solar Energy Jobs, Tribal Energy Development Best Practices, and More   http://energy.gov/eere/articles/doe-announces-webinars-hiring-veterans-solar-energy-jobs-tribal-energy-development