In a speech that was the kind of pep talk you would expect for new college graduates, the first lady offered a twist — the notion that soldiers who have seen combat in Iraq and Afghanistan probably can handle a job interview at Xerox or UPS.
"Today we need you to start thinking and talking about yourselves for a change," she said. "Don't be afraid to brag a little bit about yourselves."
Obama announced the new private-sector commitments to hire veterans, including Capital One Bank's pledge to hire 55,000 veterans and their spouses, a doubling of UPS' commitment from 25,000 to 50,000 jobs and 10,000 new jobs for veterans at Xerox.
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"Today, more than 100 companies have come here for one purpose — to hire you," she said at a jobs summit here for transitioning veterans. "We've got your backs."
She urged veterans not to be shy about their experiences and what they can bring to the job.
"If you want a job, you can't be modest about your qualifications," Obama said. "Anyone out there would be lucky to have you on their team."
I guarantee you: They'll be the best employees you have.
-The Veterans Employment Center, available at www.ebenefits.va.gov, allows veterans to see the benefits they've accumulated during their service, post a resume and learn what kinds of jobs they might be able to do based on their skills.
Roughly 700,000 to 800,000 military veterans are in the job market at any given time, said Rosye Cloud, senior adviser for veteran employment with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. That number includes about 240,000 people who have become veterans since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
! Nationwide, 172,000 post-9/11 veterans were unemployed in March, down from 207,000 the year previous, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That translates to a 6.9% jobless rate, compared with 9.2% a year ago. The overall national rate was 6.7%.
The new web tool is the first of its kind from the federal government, Cloud said.
"As my husband said, 'You fought for us; you shouldn't have to fight for a job,' " the first lady said.
Earlier at the summit, Maj. Gen. James C. McConville said the Army has a responsibility to make sure its veterans can move smoothly into civilian life with good jobs.
Michelle Obama has her photo made with a soldier after speaking April 23, 2014, at veterans job summit at Fort Campbell, Ky.(Photo: Michael Clevenger, The (Louisville, Ky.) Courier-Journal)
The commanding general of the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell said his father, also a veteran, was able to "send all his kids to college and live the American dream" thanks to the G.I. Bill and steady employment.
"And that's what we owe our veterans today," McConville said.
Sgt. Clay Loymendy, 24, of Riverside, Calif., has been stationed at Fort Campbell for more than two years. He said he'll probably go to a technical school soon so he can start working in wind turbine production or as a cell tower technician.
Brig. Gen. David K. MacEwen, adjutant general of the Army, said employers should know that veterans are fit and drug free and will show up to work on time.
"I guarantee you: They'll be the best employees you have," MacEwen said.
Speakers at the forum Wednesday spoke of a period of major changes for soldiers, veterans, their families and the communities they! live in ! as the war winds down and the number of troops shrinks.
Veterans sometimes have to change their mindset when they leave the battlefield for the job market, MacEwen said.
Soldiers are accustomed to talking in terms of "we" and what their team has accomplished, but they have to make a transition to "I" and individual achievements, he said.
Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer speaks at the Ft. Campbell Veterans Jobs Summit and Career Forum. April 23, 2014(Photo: Michael Clevenger, The (Louisville, Ky.) Courier-Journal)
Eric Eversole, executive director of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's Hiring Our Heroes program, said too many veterans don't know how to make a "30-second elevator pitch" about themselves and their skills.
Veterans need to put their military service front and center on their resumes, he said.
Others at the summit included Marine Sgt. Dakota Meyer. Meyer, a Medal of Honor recipient for bravery in saving members of his team in Afghanistan in 2009, said young veterans of the post-9/11 wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have no good reason to be unemployed.
Meyer received a standing ovation from the 101st Airborne Division. But speaking from personal experience, he said not a lot of job descriptions ask for former snipers.
Meyer, who is working with the Chamber of Commerce Foundation in its outreach to veterans, said the government's launch of its integrated jobs website will help bridge that gap, translating military skills to civilian terms.
He said less than 1% of this generation has carried the burden of America's longest war. That means the civilian and military worlds have a difficult time understanding each other.
"It's something as small as in the! military! we call it a mission and in the corporate world they call it a project," he said.
Contributing: Philip Grey, The (Clarksville, Tenn.) Leaf-Chronicle; Duane Gang, The Tennessean; and The Associated Press
Fort Campbell soldiers listen to panels discussing jobs after the military at an April 23, 2014, career forum.(Photo: Michael Clevenger, The (Louisville, Ky.) Courier-Journal)
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