Investing in our Future: The Importance of Supporting Female Veterans in Their Career Journeys

03/31/2023

As part of our Women’s History Month celebrations, we turn our focus back to female veterans — our heroes at home and abroad who help nurture our families and protect our freedom. We interviewed Bridget M., Captain of the U.S. Army, on various aspects of being a servicewoman and how employers can better support female veterans as they transition to the civilian workplace. Here’s the full interview. 

• What are some of the key skills or strengths that female veterans bring to the workplace that can be leveraged by both the veteran and the employer?

Bridget: Female veterans are more assertive to fit in to the field, more determined to prove themselves, and more dedicated to self-improvement in overcoming the history of male dominance. Many of these roles are skewed in favor of brute strength; we must overcome and use our minds to demonstrate strength and display fortitude to forge our own path – the intelligent way. 

• What are some of the unique challenges that female veterans face in the workforce?

Bridget: One of the major challenges is to prove yourself in a male-dominant field while historically being stereotyped to not be qualified to fulfill certain roles or tasks. Though the military itself takes steps to overcome this barrier, individuals may maintain an outdated way of thinking. This includes the individual female who can be her toughest critic and must prove herself to her own level of expectations. The stereotypes have been in place for so long, and now that the military has made these changes to facilitate equality and inclusivity, the female creates a new level of expectation to reach beyond these stereotypes. It’s more difficult to bring your authentic self to work because of a self-imposed barrier which forces us to be more assertive and push down natural behavioral tendencies such as empathy, to adapt to a historically male-dominated field. 

• What are some specific strategies or initiatives that employers and policymakers can use to better support female veterans in their career (i.e., mentorships or addressing discrimination)?

Bridget: There are good programs out there for support; however, awareness, education, and reach are still a problem. Veterans maintain a stigma ingrained in their mind regarding mental health; they feel they can’t talk about it, or don’t want to expose a mental health issue for fear of any associated stereotypes. It’s difficult to find resources, in general, unless the individual is also neurodivergent; when you have a soldier that does have a neurodiversity combined with this stigma of not being vulnerable, too many people end up going without resources. 

As for specific strategies, I would say it’s important to make veteran hiring a priority. Have a veteran champion/support ecosystem in place for our veterans. Hosting a fundraiser with a purpose to donate the proceeds to a veteran association that’s important to your veterans/team members. Offer unimpeded flexibility, support, empathy, and understanding regarding the issues facing our vets. Make sure our female veterans in the workplace know they have a voice, and to go one step further, that their voice is being heard. They should have the ability to offer feedback and suggestions through an electronic "suggestion box." 

• How can we work together to create a more supportive and inclusive environment for female veterans in their career journey?

Bridget: There is currently a lack of professional networks to unify these soldiers and facilitate a conversation of success vs. failure and how to adapt to civilian life. Creating mentorship programs and success groups can be a powerful tool; if they exist then we only need to take that step to extend our hand and accept the guidance. Access to supportive services helps to generate a sense of purpose, as well as unity. When we exit the service, we are left feeling lost, alone, and without purpose. Helping to generate that sense of purpose is such a difficult thing, and thankfully the military is building programs to prepare soldiers for this transition. Currently, we go from Monday morning 5 a.m. physical training and reporting for duty, where everything is rigidly scheduled and planned, to Tuesday morning when we are homeless, jobless, and aimless. If a person goes for an extended period being unemployed, they become part of the statistics (including depression, homelessness, and increased risk of crisis such as suicidal ideation and suicide attempts (47.9% and 17.7%, respectively) among female veterans, according to a report published in PubMed Central. 

• What advice would you offer to female veterans who are just starting their career journey to prepare them for success in the workforce?

Bridget: Don’t be afraid to reach out to your network. Use veteran organizations, clubs, and communities. You aren’t the first person to make this transition and you won’t be the last. There are mentors out there waiting to be approached. Also, don’t be afraid to start bringing your authentic self to work; you are now in a space where individuality is welcomed; embrace it. 

• Are there any resources or support options that you would recommend to a female veteran?

Bridget: There are many organizations and entities that are supportive of our transition, no matter the stage we are in. There are companies that provide transition counseling, interview prep, resume writing — all free to the service member. There are financial institutions which offer highly discounted programs for financial and housing assistance. A good place to start is through your local chapter of U.S. Vets (https://usvets.org and https://www.militaryonesource.mil) who can provide all the above at no cost to the soldier. In addition to their own services, they will also have local partnerships in place for your area to help set you up for sustained success. 

Transitioning from serving in the military to finding meaningful civilian employment can be challenging for many veterans. However, there are resources available to help make the transition easier for veterans. Veterans bring so many qualities and skillsets to the workforce that will greatly benefit any organization they are a part of. As Women’s History Month comes to a close, we are grateful to share Bridget’s experiences and outlook on how we can show up for female veterans as they transition to the civilian workplace.