National Hire a Veteran Day Date in the current year: July 25, 2024

Every year, approximately 200,000 men and women leave the military and return to civilian life. The transitioning process can be challenging, and one of the challenges veterans face is finding gainful employment. Even though most veterans have unique competitive skills that they can bring to civilian jobs, they often find it hard to compete for civilian positions.

There are several reasons for businesses to consider hiring veterans. The first reason that comes to mind is tax credits, but there are so many more benefits from hiring a veteran. There is a common misconception that most veterans have combat specialties but in reality about 85% of the U.S. military’s career fields have direct civilian counterparts. They include, but are not limited to, construction, engineering, cyber security, information technology, finance, medicine, and skilled trades.

Most veterans have years of on-the-job experience in their field and are used to working in all kinds of environments. They are comfortable working with many different tools and adapting to new situations on the fly. Veterans also have soft skills that most employers are searching for in new hires. They include dedication, teamwork, leadership skills, critical thinking, project planing and organization, determination to succeed, and managing others.

National Hire a Veteran Day was created in 2017 by Dan Caporale, a Marine Corps veteran and the founder of Hiring Our Heroes (HOH). Launched in 2011, HOH is a nationwide initiative that connects the military community (service members, their spouses, and veterans) with meaningful employment opportunities.

The main goals of National Hire a Veteran Day are to encourage American businesses to hire veterans with their unique skill and values and to inspire veterans to be more proactive when applying to civilian jobs. Even though it is not a federal observance, it is recognized and promoted by federal agencies such as the Department of Labor and the Department of Veteran Affairs.

How can you observe National Hire a Veteran Day? If you’re a veteran looking for a civilian job, explore employment opportunities offered by government agencies and veteran organizations that participate in National Hire a Veteran Day. If you own a business, check out the Department of Labor Employer Guide to Hiring Veterans and consider adding a veteran to your team.

If you’re neither a veteran nor an employer, you still can participate in National Hire a Veteran Day. Some ways to get involved include supporting veteran-owned businesses and businesses that employ veterans, organizing a charity event to benefit veterans and their families, volunteering at your local veterans center, sharing job resources for veterans, and spreading the word on social media with the hashtags #NationalHireAVeteranDay and #HireAVeteran.