Essential Nontechnical Skills Service Members Gain During On the Job Experience: A Resource for Leaders and Hiring Managers
Abstract
This reference card is based on research found in What Veterans Bring to Civilian Workplaces: A Prototype Toolkit for Helping Private-Sector Employers Understand the Nontechnical Skills Developed in the Military. During their military careers, service members gain something many civilians lack - extensive experience with not only technical skills but also essential nontechnical skills that employers value and seek out, such as leadership, decision-making, persistence, and communication. However, understanding the nontechnical skills that veterans possess can be challenging because the terminology used in military and civilian workplaces can be so different. This guide identifies many essential nontechnical skills that enlisted members from the Army and Marine Corps combat arms occupations develop through on-the-job experience. This knowledge will help you better evaluate resumes, conduct interviews, and make informed hiring decisions by increasing your awareness of what veterans, beyond those in combat arms occupations, have to offer your organization. The table below maps veterans' on-the-job experience to 19 nontechnical skills that employers want and need. This guide also offers an overview of the nontechnical skills that veterans may have gained in the military, specific examples of how military service members use these skills on the job, answers to commonly asked questions, and web addresses for in-depth materials. A comprehensive toolkit, available at www.rand.org/t/TL160-1, contains more detail and examples of how service members gain essential workplace skills through professional military training, education, and on-the-job experience.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2017
- Accession Number
- AD1086736
Entities
Organizations
- RAND Corporation