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Attention veterans and transitioning military personnel who are looking for employment.
If you are looking for high quality talent for your company or organization then give Forward March Inc. a call today. We help companies and organizations every day find, attract, hire and retain high quality military talent. What you may not know however is that we also have veterans ready to go to work for you immediately. Forward March Inc. receives input and then pre-screens veterans daily who are looking for a veteran friendly company to start a career with. No matter your skill or education requirements for your position we can help you.
We specialize in finding high quality military talent in the following areas, just to name a few:
If you are a veteran of the United States Military or are transitioning out of the Military make sure to contact Forward March Inc. as part of your employment track.
Go here to fill out our employment information form and an FMI representative will contact you soon. If we do not have an open position with one of our customers we will work to find another company to try to place veterans with.
If you are a transitioning military person or a veteran be sure to check out our Tools and Resources page to learn more of what you can do to find and land that great career you are looking for.
Forward March Inc. also published a series of articles that will help you in preparing for your career by giving some valuable information on resumes, interviewing and social media networking. You can read those here:
Forward March Inc. has an official non-profit 501c3 part of our organization known as Forward March Inc. Operation Outreach. Under our Operation Outreach we have a variety of programs.
If you would like to be involved in any of our programs or would like to contribute in any way please Check out our page here…
First things first, we would like to thank everyone who came to our ribbon cutting ceremony yesterday. Special thanks goes out to the to the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and the outstanding Chamber Ambassadors! Thank you to all of you who share our vision of helping veterans and making San Antonio the model for military hiring and military transition!
In the life of any business there are days that mark significant milestones. When we became a member of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce we knew we would want to do an official ribbon cutting ceremony at our new offices. Yesterday the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce sent out their ambassadors to the Forward March Inc. worldwide headquarters and helped us have a very successful ribbon cutting event. The weather was perfect. The opportunity for us to share this important event is very important to us. Below are some highlights of the event. Be sure to head over to our Facebook page for a LOT more pictures.
FMI World Headquarters and our FMI Hummer await the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Ahhhh the sweet smell of success.
The Chamber Ambassadors have arrived
Its January 29th, mid 70s and just perfect weather. You have to love winter in San Antonio Texas!
Its official now!
Team FMI! We are veterans helping veterans. Thank you San Antonio Chamber of Commerce for making this day special!
Its Friday again, so break out those red shirts! R.E.D. Friday is here so remember everyone deployed!
Learn more about RED Fridays:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Support_our_troops
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Support-Our-Troops-Wear-Red-Fridays/188809874489323
Today is the big day. Come out and join us! Need a map and directions? Go here…
Stay tuned for event highlights and pics.
Our nation has made great strides in closing the veteran unemployment gap. Veteran unemployment continues to fall as more and more companies across the country are “hiring our Hero’s”, but that is only half the battle. The better half of the equation, and all too often forgotten, is the military spouse.
According to a recent study conducted by the Military Officers Association of America andSyracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families, 90% of female military spouses are underemployed or overqualified for the jobs they hold. Often times, military spouses sacrifice their own careers and continuing education to support their significant other. This involves frequent relocations, being “single parents” during numerous deployments, and routinely starting over in new houses, schools, and communities.
Although military spouses do not wear the uniform, they possess many skills today’s employers are looking for. Just as the service member, the military spouse is flexible; adaptive to change; conscious of cultural and regional differences; and are focused on getting the job done. They are a resilient and dedicated group that will add value to any organization.
When considering a military spouse hiring strategy:
While military spouse selflessly serve our nation behind the scenes, their contributions are no less important than the warfighter. It takes a team to accomplish a military operation and it takes a team to keep a military family going while that mission is being carried out.
Forward March, Inc. can assist your organization in developing an exceptional veteran hiring strategy to include attracting, hiring, and retaining military spouses. With over 110 years of combined military experience, FMI has had proven success finding the right military talent, at the right time, for the right job.
~ Article written by Jason Caswell, Forward March Inc – Director of Training and Talent Pipeline Services
Finding the right veteran talent requires a solid military talent recruiting strategy with an executable and measurable plan. Interviewing veteran and military talent requires a certain level of expertise in military skills translations, understanding military lingo, and even interpreting the DD 214. The bottom line is this; finding the right military talent for the right position requires hundreds of man-hours in the recruiting, screening, interviewing, and hiring process. Unfortunately, all that time and energy is lost when retention rates are low.
Here are some key takeaways for an effective veteran retention strategy.
Onboarding:
Effective onboarding allows new hires to get adjusted to the culture of the company and understand performance aspects of their job quickly and easily. It allows them to learn the attitudes, knowledge, skills, and behaviors required to function effectively within your organization. Effective onboarding includes:
Veteran Resource Group:
A great way to support your veteran employees is to create a veteran employee resource group. The purpose of the veteran employee resource group is to share knowledge across the organization in every aspect of recruiting, hiring, retaining and recognizing the veteran population. Here are ways the veteran resource group can help:
Support Guard and Reserve Members:
First and foremost, being a member of the National Guard or Reserve should not be a hiring deterrent. Second, the best way your organization can support your country is by supporting your National Guard and Reserve employees. It’s important to foster a culture in which your company supports and values the employment and military service of members of the Reserve Component.
It is not only the right thing to do to support guard and reserve military personnel, it’s also the law! Under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), employers have specific obligations to support their Reserve Component members.
Communication is the key to a lasting partnership between the service member, your company, and the military unit. Here are others ways to help your current guard and reserve employees:
Military veterans are a loyal, hard-working, and well trained group of individuals that will enhance an organization’s ability to accomplish its mission. But loyalty only goes so far and veterans will stay with your company if you give them a reason to stay by keeping them busy, giving them focus, and above all, purpose.
Employees turn-over is expensive, but Forward March Inc., has the solution for keeping veteran employees engaged. Companies with strong veteran cultures enjoy many benefits to include greater productivity and professionalism as well as higher referral rates. We can help your organization develop a very strong veteran culture with both new and existing veteran employees. If your organization is up to the challenge, FMI has your back!
~ Article written by Jason Caswell, Forward March Inc – Director of Training and Talent Pipeline Services
Come and join Forward March Inc. and the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce for our official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony! Meet the senior staff of FMI and mix/network with attendees. Light lunch will be served.
Please RSVP by C.O.B. Tuesday the 27th with Emma Lopez – Send Email
Feel free to contact us for any questions.
If you are transitioning out of the military and into civilian life, or if you are going to be doing so in the near future, you should start to take proactive steps to get your financial plan made. Many transitioning military personnel echo the same sentiments that are found in the general civilian population when it comes to personal financial management. Many find it a daunting task, confusing or worse they feel that it is something that they can do later.
The fact is that no matter how much income you make you cannot manage it if you do not monitor it. The sooner that someone sits down and analyzes their financial situation and takes concrete steps to design a budget and make solid financial plans the better. This applies to the single transitioner as much as the military family who has mom and/or dad transitioning to the civilian world.
Nerdwallet posted a nice little article that can help you get your financial planning started. You can read it here…
If you want to get some help and really do your financial planning right there are a variety of online tools and courses you can take. Right now Goodwill is promoting a “Tools for Financial Success” class that is FREE. Check out the information below to learn more.
Tools for Financial Success
WHEN – Thursday, January 22, 2015 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
WHERE – Veterans Assistance Center Loop 1604 and Bulverde Road
WHY – Learn how to avoid financial pitfalls during your transition.
what are the tax implications of each?
RSVP required. Seating is limited to first 35 enrollments.
Is your business model firing on all eight cylinders?
Do you see areas where you know there needs to be improvement but are not sure how to get there?
Forward March Inc. can help you navigate even the most difficult business terrain.
Forward March Inc. can create custom solutions and training programs that can help you to have a more productive, motivated, and focused staff based on a proven military leadership model and a systematic, building block approach to organizational success. FMI can assist your organization in a variety of strategic business solutions:
| • Analysis • Efficiency • Sales • Communication |
• Process Strategy • Training Change • Marketing • Customer Service |
Recently we conducted sales force training for Design Materials Inc. (DMI). In order to create a customized training program to increase their sales we analyzed, in detail, their operations. We then presented the areas of concern and created a customized training program that would address their specific needs. The custom program that we developed included:
Forward March Inc. has also conducted training for Fred Astaire Dance Studios, VTG, and many other companies. Forward March Inc. stands ready to provide outstanding Strategic Business Solutions for your company or organization. Contact us today to learn more.
Let me start by saying our country has made great strides lately on the veteran hiring front. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics for December 2014, veteran unemployment was at 4.7% slightly up from November. The highest unemployment veteran rate for 2014 was among first-termers in the 18-24 year range with their average unemployment rate being at 16.2%, so there is still much work to do.
Statistics aside, veterans are still plagued with many misconceptions that hinder the hiring process. Here are some of the myths that are impacting the overall veteran unemployment rate.
Veterans want jobs.
Veterans generally do not want “jobs”, they want careers. Former President Ronald Reagan once said, “Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don’t have that problem.” Our military members have dedicated themselves to the profession of arms. As they transition from military service, they are looking for meaningful work and a minimum wage low skilled job is not going to cut it. Veterans want to make a difference in the world and will stay with an organization that will give them the opportunity to learn and grow.
Veterans are uneducated.
Today’s Armed Forces are the most educated and technologically advanced military the world has ever seen. The days of enlisting criminals or dropouts are long gone.
The Department of Defense has set strict quality caps on who can serve in the military which has led to a 99% high school graduation rate, far exceeding that of the general population. Furthermore, veterans are 70% more likely to complete a college degree than their peers.
Veterans are not free thinkers, they just follow orders.
Some aspects of military life are well regulated, such as how long one’s hair can be, and they do occasionally march in straight lines, but the fact is, military members are trained to think on their feet and can operate effectively in the most chaotic of situations. Additionally, our Armed Forces work around the world with a social and cultural understanding of their environment that most can only imagine.
Veterans only know how to yell at people to get things done.
Forget what you learned from Hollywood. Yes, military leaders have a very important and dangerous job to do with life or death consequences, but the fact is, military leaders learn and master the art of transformational leadership.
Transformational leadership motivates the team to achieve a common goal by developing subordinates, showing genuine concern for the team, challenging people to achieve past expectations, and taking ownership for one’s actions. This is done through teaching, coaching, mentoring, and counseling, not regular yelling. Today’ military leaders lead through motivation, not fear and intimidation.
Veterans do not have applicable civilian skills.
First, less than 20% of military specialties are considered direct combat roles such as the infantry, armor, or artillery. The other 80% are in fields that have a direct correlation to the civilian job market such as medical, finance, food service, human resources, mechanical maintenance, etc. The focus here should be less on what a veteran’s job in the military was, but more on the intangibles such as team-work, loyalty, leadership, and great work-ethic. A company can train skills, but you can’t train dedication.
All veterans have Post Traumatic Stress.
Let’s put this in perspective and put all the hype aside. According to the National Institutes of Health, 26% of Americans over the age of 18, about 1 in 4, have some form of mental disorder. So, if your company has 100 employees and none of them were veterans, 25 will have some form of mental illness to include possible PTS.
PTS is an affliction that not only affects veterans, but could impact anyone who faced a traumatic life event such as an auto accident or becoming a victim of a crime. Additionally, it is estimated that only 20% of veterans returning from Iraq or Afghanistan have symptoms of PTS.
Veterans are poor and joined the military because it was their only option.
Believe it or not, the military sits firmly in the middle-class of America. The percentage of military personnel recruited from areas with the lowest of incomes is only about 7% of total enlistments. The highest percentage of military enlistments come from median household incomes nationwide.
I should not hire current members of the Guard and Reserve, they are just going to deploy.
A veteran who continues to serve their country in the Guard or Reserve should not be viewed as a liability. Yes, the possibility of a deployment is there. Yes, they are required to serve a minimum of one weekend a month and two weeks out of the year, but the knowledge, skills, and abilities that individual will bring to your organization are immeasurable. Hiring current National Guard and Reserve members is not only a good practice it is the law!
The best way to “support our troops” is to ensure they have gainful employment after their dedicated term of service. It’s time we all look past the hype, myths, and misconceptions and make hiring veterans and top priority. Let Forward March show you how to get the most out of military talent with our comprehensive HR training program and military talent pipeline services.
~ Article written by Jason Caswell, Forward March Inc – Director of Training and Talent Pipeline Services
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