29 Hard Truths About Getting Your First Civilian Job

Hard truth is better than kind fiction when it comes to veteran jobs and spouse employment. While empathy and encouragement are needed by job seekers, that stuff doesn't actually help you get a job. Hard truth, honest feedback and solid training help veterans and spouses get jobs.

Who better to ask for those hard truths than our fellow veterans and spouses? To save you the trouble (and possible embarrassment), I attended WEST 2024 -- one of the largest defense industry conferences in the country, hosted by the U.S. Naval Institute and AFCEA -- last week.

I talked to veterans and hiring managers employed in the defense industry at companies such as Raytheon, Ultra Maritime, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin and Booz Allen Hamilton. I wanted to know what kind of hard truths they had to learn during their own job hunt and what they wanted to pass along to help you move forward. Here is what they had to say:

1. Getting your first job after the military has an element of luck. The harder you work, the luckier you get.