--- title: "When it comes to education, here’s what I look for when hiring veterans" description: "Don’t discount military service as an educational tool. It’s a lesson both employees and employers shouldn’t forget." date: "2026-08-07" modified: "2026-08-07" authors: - name: "Justin Burgess" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/justin-burgess/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/field-guide/education-hiring-veterans/" categories: - "Education" - "Field Guide" --- # When it comes to education, here’s what I look for when hiring veterans ![U.S Army Soldiers from Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserve forces conduct STX lanes during the 1-254th Regional Training Institute, New Jersey Army National Guard’s Infantry Advanced Leaders Course, at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, April 13, 2025. ALC is a branch-specific course that provides Soldiers selected for promotion to staff sergeant the opportunity to enhance their leadership, tactical expertise, and technical skills needed to lead squad-size units. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Seth Cohen)]() *Some of the best education happens outside the classroom. National Guard photo.* Nine years ago, I took off my uniform for the last time. A decade in the Army as an infantry officer, three combat deployments, countless more to various training centers scattered around the country, and a lifetime’s worth of memories. I used a military recruiting firm and luckily ended up with an HVAC sales company that specifically targeted veterans and transitioning military personnel. Now, years later, I find myself in the position of running a large commercial division for a mechanical contractor, with full control of who to hire. While I generally can’t justify hiring vets fresh out of the service due to the technical requirements of our work, seeing military experience on a resume is always a leg up in my eyes. Bringing veterans into your organization shouldn’t be a charitable act, or some abstract nod to patriotism. The sacrifices military service requires, even for a single enlistment, can demonstrate to savvy hiring managers that this individual knows how to successfully integrate into a group and improve it at every level. The military is not a status quo organization. I like to hire veterans because, time and again, they will outperform my expectations. Whether in sales, estimating, field management, or administration, construction — my industry — is an unforgiving business. Projects have tight schedules, changing priorities, demanding customers, and little room for excuses. Success depends on people who show up every day, solve problems under pressure, and remain committed to the team when things become difficult. Those are the exact characteristics the military develops. The definition of “education” is also often misunderstood by hiring managers and prospective veteran employees alike. If I’m reading the resume of an individual with no college degree, but they have successfully earned a Ranger tab and served in the 75th Ranger Regiment, then I already know that person has been tested mentally and physically in ways generally unimagined by civilian prospects. I know they understand what mission and commanders’ intent mean. I know that when I need “X task” accomplished or the entire organization will suffer, that employee will be the one to count on and hold everything together when the pressure is turned up to 11. Some of the best education happens outside the classroom. The same applies when I know a potential candidate has served in combat. They’ve learned what real life and death stakes are, and what they’re not. As I learned many years ago from one of my own mentors while deployed downrange, “when everything is an emergency, nothing is an emergency”. With millions of dollars on the line to bring a high-visibility construction project over the finish, I can trust that person won’t crack under the pressure. They have the hard-earned life experience to truly understand when it’s time to go the extra mile and push themselves, and their teammates, or when it’s just bluster because a general contractor is behind on his scheduled activities. While not traditional examples of training or education as we often think about it, these are the aspects of military service that help make veteran candidates some of the strongest ones applying for the jobs I have open. Don’t discount military service as an educational tool. It’s a lesson both employees and employers shouldn’t forget. --- *This article is the first in an ongoing [education column under the Field Guide vertical]() on Task & Purpose. Future installments will range from explainers to granular advice columns that draw heavily on the lived experience of service members and veterans as they navigate military and Veterans Affairs education benefits, whether that's using VR&E or transferring GI Bill benefits to a dependent, or something else entirely.* *If you'd like to share your experiences for a future column, email Task & Purpose's editor-in-chief, James Clark, at James@taskandpurpose.com, with the subject line **Field Guide: Education interview.*** ## Author Justin Burgess joined the Army in 2006 as an infantry officer and served two combat tours in Afghanistan and one in Iraq. He left the military in 2016 to learn what it was like to be a civilian. Since then Justin has published [several novels]() and hundreds of articles for The Duffel Blog. When not writing or busy with his day job he likes to hunt and hike the North Georgia mountains. ### Author social links [Twitter]()