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Job Opportunities for Disabled American Veterans a disABLEDperson Inc. organization is proud to be part of an innovative video based virtual job fair September 16, 2010 for Disabled American Veterans. Job Search Television has graciously partnered with JOFDAV.com to provide their virtual job fair technology platform to disABLEDperson Inc.

If you are a veteran with a disability, come and register for Job Opportunities for Disabled American Veterans Virtual Job Fair September 16, 2010. Attend a job fair form the comfort of your home in complete anonymity, a public service to our disabled veteran community.

Register online now. You can opt to register with your email address only and stay anonymous throughout our virtual fair. Upload your resume with only your email address as an identifier. Stay anonymous until the interview.

All members of the disabled veteran’s community will be provided an opportunity to create a free Video Introduction of them through JSTN’s proprietary technology placing them ahead of the competition. To obtain this code, go to www.JOFDAV.com and click on the words “Video Introduction Code” at the top of the page.

Combat veterans face many issues when they are deployed overseas to combat duty and then return to either new or previously held positions as federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement officers. The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and law enforcement leaders across the United States recognize the need for innovative reorientation policies, procedures, and training strategies to address the highly complex transitional process these veterans face upon return.

In response to this need, the IACP has released two guides:

• Law Enforcement Leader’s Guide on Combat Veterans: A Transition Guide for Veterans Beginning or Continuing Careers in Law Enforcement and,
• Combat Veterans and Law Enforcement: A Transition Guide for Veterans Beginning or Continuing Careers in Law Enforcement.

These guides were developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), and Applied Research Associates, Inc., Klein Associates Division. To develop these guides, IACP examined the challenges veteran officers face to learn first-hand about their transition from military service to their law enforcement duties in state, local or tribal police or sheriff’s departments.

“In today’s all-volunteer military, these citizens have become the finest examples of selfless service and courage that our country has to offer,” stated IACP President Michael Carroll, Chief of the West Goshen Township, PA Police Department. “As a veteran of the US Air Force, I know that the information contained in both guides will greatly improve our veterans’ transition experience from military to law enforcement. I ask that all police chiefs ensure that these patriots are provided with the utmost support so they can serve their community as law enforcement officers.”

The Leader’s Guide is designed to provide tools and strategies to define or refine a transition/reintegration strategy that optimizes a successful transition and enhanced support for veteran officers. The Veteran’s Guide contains tips, checklists, and resources to assist law enforcement officers returning from combat deployments, while offering some useful suggestions for those veterans seeking a productive and sustainable career in law enforcement.

The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, the Honorable Dennis M. McCarthy adds, “I thank the International Association of Chiefs of Police for their efforts to address the growing employment concerns of Veterans, both those still serving in the Guard and Reserve as well as those who have completed their military service. It’s exciting to see an organization like IACP working alongside the Department of Defense Yellow Ribbon Program and Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve to advance programs for the hardworking men and women who serve our country.”

To obtain the two guides, please visit the IACP’s website.

Military veterans seeking civilian jobs and HR managers looking to recruit them will gather June 26-27 at the San Diego Convention Center in California to learn how to network with one another, translate the military and corporate lingo that separates them, and adjust to workplace cultural differences.

The military-focused program, “Military Veterans: Transitioning Skills to the New Economy” is a first for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and will debut during the SHRM 2010 Annual Conference & Exposition to address the recruitment and retention issues for U.S. military veterans.

The event is free for military personnel and veterans (preregistration required). Among HR professionals, registration for the military program is free but open only to those already registered to attend the SHRM conference at large.

Military participants include the:

• Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR);
• Veteran’s Employment & Training Service (VETS, a Department of Labor program);
• Employer Partnership of the Armed Forces; and
• Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP, a Department of Labor program)

The keynote speaker lineup will include Eric Greitens, a Navy SEAL officer, Rhodes and Truman scholar, Draper Richards Fellow, White House Fellow, and founder and chairman of The Mission Continues.

Other speakers from private-sector companies, the ESGR, the VETS, the ODEP, and the Employer Partnership of the Armed Forces will be announced as confirmed.

Phil Dyer, Deputy Director for Financial Education for MOAA, will be featured on Total Career Success, an Internet show on VoiceAmerica Talk Radio Network, at 11 a.m. Central on Monday, May 31.

The show is designed to inform and encourage listeners to achieve their career goals by featuring experts and business leaders to provide job search assistance and career advancement.

Yes, battlefield to board room IS in the cards for many military servicemembers after they separate. And apparently we’re not the only ones who’ve noticed! Fortune magazine has featured several stories in a recent issue, just on this topic.

Military servicemembers bring real-life leadership skills to bear in the corporate sector, which is good business. Some huge multi-national companies like Coca Cola and Walmart are even running mentor programs with and for former military!

Check it out!

• Battle-tested: From soldier to business leader
• The new warrior elite (A fantastic set of profiles on military servicemembers who moved into leadership positions or mentoring programs after service!)
• Warriors in the workplace

This April, McGraw-Hill Professional will offer live career and job search Webinars free to U.S. veterans. Presented by leading career experts and authors on topics ranging from job search to resume writing to career management, these Webinars provide returning service members with the knowledge and skills they need to begin a successful civilian career. McGraw-Hill’s free Webinars for Veterans are limited to 100 participants each, and sign-up is open to veterans now. Register today!

Friday, April 9, 1pmET: Marky Stein on “Putting Together a Fearless Resume”: What’s your edge in this competitive job market? Marky Stein, author of Fearless Resumes , will help you transform your résumé from words on paper into a vibrant self-presentation that tells prospective employers what they want to hear. You will learn how to craft a résumé that hooks prospective employers’ attention, transforms weaknesses into strengths, and gets your name on top of the résumé heap in any HR office.

Friday, April 16, 1pmET: Joe Watson on “Where the Jobs Are Now”: Unemployment numbers have you feeling down? Joe Watson author of Where the Jobs are Now shows you how to delve into the top 7 industries for stability, profitability, and job satisfaction. This webinar will give you a detailed breakdown of career opportunities in the fastest-growing industries and offers the most recent information on how to get the training you need.

Monday, April 26, 1pmET: Waldo Waldman on “Wingman Values in Workplace and Beyond”: The New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Never Fly Solo Rob “Waldo” Waldman understands one thing better than most businesspeople: You can’t reach your highest potential alone. A decorated former combat F-16 fighter pilot and now a successful entrepreneur, Waldman lives his life by this rule. In this webinar, through compelling, real-world stories, you will learn how to overcome challenges and become successful.

Can’t make one of the McGaw-Hill Webinars? MOAA career services professionals offer résumé, transition, job search, and networking advice! Stop by our Alexandria headquarters, or our office in the Pentagon. Or get in touch with our career professionals to chat about your options.

Building on its Elevate America program to provide technology training to help prepare people for 21st-century jobs, Microsoft Corp. today announced an initiative to bring together a coalition of public, private and nonprofit organizations to give veterans and their spouses the skills and resources they need to be successful in today’s civilian work force.

Microsoft will contribute $2 million in cash and up to $6 million in software over the next two years to support programs for members of the armed services and their spouses who are separating from the military and reintegrating into their civilian communities and the work force. Through a competitive funding process, Microsoft will award cash, software and other resources to eligible organizations, including veterans service organizations, work force agencies, community colleges and other nonprofit organizations.

The initiative will provide veterans and their spouses with the support they need to be successful in their transition to civilian careers, including technology skills training, job placement, career counseling and other support services such as childcare, transportation and housing. The initiative is intended to support active duty service members who are transitioning out of the military as well as members of the National Guard and Reserves who are returning to their civilian jobs.

At the NAWB Forum, Passman reported on the results of Elevate America so far:

• Twelve states have implemented the program: Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Virginia and Washington.
• To date, Microsoft has distributed more than 300,000 free training and certification vouchers to these states.
• More than 50 percent of people who received vouchers proactively took the next step — beginning a training course or taking a certification exam.
• Around 70 percent of the people who received the vouchers were unemployed.
• Sixty percent were women, and 37 percent were between 41 and 55 years of age.
• Thirty-three percent had a high school diploma or GED, and 42 percent had some postsecondary education or training (certificate, some college or four-year degree).

Organizations and veterans can find more information on this initiative by visiting http://www.microsoft.com/elevateamerica, and can get updates by following Elevate America on Twitter at http://twitter.com/elevateamerica.

Nearly 20% Indicate Increases in Compensation Due to Changing Employers

Professionals holding active federal security clearances maintained a compensatory advantage with average earnings of $92,368, according to ClearanceJobs.com, the leading online career resource for professionals with active federal security clearance. Compensation is defined as including salary, overtime, “danger pay,” and bonuses. However, 19 percent of defense industry workers who received pay increases attribute the gain to changing employers – suggesting a high turnover rate among professionals with security clearance.

“Government agencies and their contractors are vying for the same talent pool of security-cleared professionals and the poaching goes both ways,” said Evan Lesser, founder & Director of ClearanceJobs. “Continued increases in defense and homeland security needs drive both the strong job market and healthy compensation. However, government agencies and contractors should take note of the turnover issue which isn’t new, but indicates a level of competition to fill key security-cleared positions not seen in other industries.”

Domestic vs. Abroad Clearance Makes a Difference

Across the country, California, Virginia and Washington, DC earned on average at least $98,500. While cleared professionals based in Florida report average compensation of $81,034, below the average, they were the most satisfied stateside respondents with their compensation.

The top 10 highest average earnings for cleared professionals by state/district are:

2010

• California $98,968
• Virginia $98,658
• Washington, DC $98,542
• Maryland $94,398
• Ohio $90,948
• Colorado $85,395
• New Jersey $83,808
• Florida $81,034
• Alabama $79,990
• New York $77,391

Nearly one-quarter of security-cleared professionals working in the Capital region (Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia) attributed their compensation increases to changing employers, above the national average. In addition, the region boasts the richest concentration of respondents (39%) with current polygraphs creating an earnings edge.

Nationally, security-cleared professionals with current polygraphs earned approximately 20 percent more than those without a polygraph. Topping six-figures, their compensation averaged $105,785.

Please visit www.clearancejobs.com/files/salary.htm for the full survey results, including reports and analysis on compensation by location including a specific break-out of the Capital region, clearance level, polygraph level, employer type, war zone, satisfaction, job category, and salary premiums for cleared technology professionals.

Transitioning military veterans will have the chance to receive financial and career assistance in 2010 through the “Gradient Gives Back” Community Outreach Program. The program, launched by Gradient Financial Group, the country’s leading financial services firm, and Afterburner, the global leader in organizational execution, aims to help the 220,000 military veterans transitioning into civilian life this year.

Gradient and Afterburner are seeking up to 50 transitioning military veterans across the U.S. to earn a seat at one of three Veteran Transition Assistance Boot Camps. These fully-immersive, three-day courses will help transition military veterans into civilian life through Afterburner’s military-to-business vernacular training, coaching and career placement.

Top candidates from each boot camp will be vying for select positions with Afterburner’s network of Fortune 500 clients and will be awarded two years-worth of financial services from Gradient, which will include asset analysis, risk tolerance assessment, retirement planning, home mortgage origination, tax planning, and debt review and reduction strategies.

One deserving military veteran will be selected in late 2010 to receive the Ultimate Financial Gift – six months of mortgage/lease payments; waiver of home mortgage origination or refinancing fees; debt reduction; free tax planning and filing of 2010 and 2011 taxes; and career counseling and guidance!

To learn more about Gradient Gives Back Community Outreach Program or to nominate a deserving veteran in your community, visit: www.gradientgivesback.com. Follow us on Twitter @gradientgives.

The Pat Tillman Foundation has selected Cleveland State University as a new partner in the Tillman Military Scholarship program which provides educational scholarships for veterans, service members, and their families. In 2009, the Pat Tillman Foundation awarded $642,000 to the inaugural class of 52 Tillman Military Scholars pursuing education at every level from freshmen undergraduates to Ph.D. candidates.

“CSU is a leader in providing service to returning military veterans, easing their transition from military to civilian life and into the classroom. Our SERV – Supportive Education for the Returning Veteran – program is a national model for addressing the very special needs of veterans as they re-adjust to civilian life,” said Cleveland State President Ronald M. Berkman.

Nearly 300 veterans are enrolled in CSU’s Project SERV, a program that was selected as one of only 10 colleges nationwide to receive $100,000 for program excellence by the Wal-Mart Foundation in 2008.

“It is an honor to be recognized by the Pat Tillman Foundation as a partner institution. The financial needs of the returning veteran are great. Partnering with the Foundation will enable us to help more students begin or re-start their collegiate studies,” added Berkman.

CSU joins Texas A&M University, the University of Arizona, and the University of Oregon as the newest Tillman Military Scholar universities selected as partners for the 2010/2011 academic year. They join current university partners Mississippi State University, the University of Idaho, the University of Arkansas, and the University of Maryland. The Pat Tillman Foundation has chosen to partner with these institutions because they are all leaders in military support services to student veterans, active service members, and their families on campus. Each university partner also helps circulate information and educate eligible students about the Tillman Military Scholar program.