13. The Connection with Other Veterans
Most of the other items on this list have been innate, internal qualities. They’re the products of your training and experience. Here’s one that’s not: the connection you share with other veterans.
Vets will almost always make time for other vets. It’s an automatic bond that transcends nearly all other concerns. Sure, you’ll get some outliers here and there, but I’ve known veterans with six-figure salaries who’ll stop on the street (in their business suits) to talk to a homeless guy with the iconic “I SERVED” cardboard sign.
Most of the time it’s not that dramatic, obviously. But it is a bond and, in practical terms for you, a door-opener. Do you know a veteran who’s doing well in civilian employment? Send him or her a note and ask for tips! If you tell them you were in the armed forces as well, you’re vastly more likely to get a reply than you would be without that connection.
No one’s handing out freebies, but you can trade on you shared experience for a chance for some advice, some networking connections, and maybe even a job offer or interview.
It’s one of the most powerful tools a veteran has. Total strangers, whether you know them because you admire their work in a business or because you met at the VFW post, will be willing to give you the time and attention they wouldn’t spare for a civilian stranger.
Take advantage of that — and be ready to do the same for the next freshly-discharged vet looking for a foot in the door when it’s your turn.
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