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As U.S. Forces Leave Iraq, UB Experts Can Discuss What the Future Holds for Returning Veterans

With U.S. forces leaving Iraq, experts from the University at Buffalo are available to discuss the challenges veterans face upon returning home. From job hunting in a weak economy to living with traumatic brain injury or PTSD, readjusting to life in the civilian world can be difficult.

 

DAY-TO-DAY LIVING

Employment
Holly Justice
Career Counselor
University at Buffalo Career Services
716-645-4640
hjustice@buffalo.edu
 
Justice can discuss how veterans can translate their military experience into resumes that catch the attention of civilian companies. While veterans completing enlistments come home with valuable skills, finding work can be difficult if employers don’t understand how responsibilities in Iraq and Afghanistan apply to civilian jobs, she says.
View a Q&A with Justice on veterans seeking employment: http://ubfacultyexperts.buffalo.edu/tip/145

Creating a comfortable environment at home
Danise Levine (availability may be limited)
Assistant Director
University at Buffalo Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access (IDeA Center)
716-645-4655
chsu22@buffalo.edu
 
Levine can discuss how families can improve their homes to provide comfortable living for returning veterans. Through the Wounded Warrior Home Project at Fort Belvoir, Va., she helped design two demonstration houses that address challenges that wounded veterans might face. Exterior lights provide security and comfort for soldiers with PTSD, for instance, while wider doorways make it easier for soldiers with limb amputations to get around.
Read a story on Levine’s work with veterans: http://www.buffalo.edu/ubreporter/2011_11_17/wounded_warriors
 

LIVING WITH INJURIES

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
John Violanti
Professor of Social and Preventive Medicine
University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
716-829-5367
violanti@buffalo.edu
 
Violanti can discuss the causes and symptoms of PTSD, as well as how social support from family and friends can help ameliorate the effects of the disorder. Violanti is a military veteran and a former member of the New York State Police. He studies the effect of stress in persons working in dangerous professions, such as police, firefighting and military occupations.
 
Tinnitus (The perception of sound without any acoustic stimulus)
Richard Salvi
Director of the UB Center for Hearing and Deafness, and Professor of Communicative Disorders and Sciences, otolaryngology and neurology
University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and College of Arts and Sciences
salvi@buffalo.edu
 
Salvi can discuss causes and symptoms of tinnitus, as well as advances in treatment. He organized a conference this summer that brought together the world’s leading experts on the disorder. Tinnitus, sometimes called a ringing in the ears, is the perception of sound in the absence of a corresponding external stimulus.
 
As many as half of combat soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan return home with tinnitus, making it a huge and expensive problem for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Salvi says. He has also done work on noise-induced hearing loss, a frequent cause of tinnitus.
Read a story about the tinnitus conference Salvi organized: http://www.buffalo.edu/news/12768
Read about tinnitus and Salvi’s work in the New Yorker: http://bit.ly/vhWoNM
 
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Kerry Donnelly
Clinical Assistant Professor in Psychiatry and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Counseling, School and Educational Psychology
University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and Graduate School of Education
&
Clinical Neuropsychologist
Veterans Affairs (VA) Western New York Health Care System
716-645-2484
kzd@buffalo.edu
 
Donnelly can discuss the long-term challenges and effects of TBI, a “signature injury” of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. At several Upstate New York VA medical centers, she is leading a four-year study following veterans with TBI, which can lead to deficits in memory, attention and decision-making. Veterans who have mild TBI may be overlooked by the health care system, especially when they have more obvious, visible injuries, Donnelly says.
Read a story about Donnelly’s study on TBI: http://www.buffalo.edu/news/9884
Related Topics:

economy, employment, hearing, Iraq, PTSD, tinnitus, traumatic brain injury, universal design, Veterans

‘I was an E-4.’ Cutting Jargon from Resumes Helps Veterans Find Civilian Jobs, UB Career Counselor Says

expert photo
EXPERT CONTACT :

Holly Justice

Career Counselor

University at Buffalo Career Services

716-645-4640

hjustice@buffalo.edu

Justice can talk about how veterans can translate their military experience into resumes that will catch the attention of civilian companies. While veterans completing enlistments come home with valuable skills, finding work can be difficult if employers don’t understand how responsibilities in Iraq and Afghanistan apply to civilian jobs, she says.

Q: How can a good resume help veterans re-enter the civilian work world?

A:  The challenge that veterans face is to translate military language on their resumes to something that civilians unfamiliar with the military culture will understand and appreciate. Veterans need to be descriptive in their language so that civilian employers have a better picture of the candidate’s responsibilities and accomplishments.

A resume that truly illustrates the individuals’ experience and skill sets is critical to getting an interview.

Veterans looking to enter the civilian job market have incredible skills to offer employers. They can be a great fit for companies seeking candidates who are adaptable and have great professionalism, along with leadership and management experience.

Q: What are some common mistakes veterans might make when writing a civilian resume?

A: One of the most common issues is the use of military jargon that is not familiar to civilians. Veterans may list their rank as an “E-4,”or list a military term for the unit they led.
If the civilian employer or staffing agency is unfamiliar with the military, they will not understand the level of importance of that rank, or how large the unit was or what a job actually included in its responsibilities. Instead of saying you’re an “E-4,” you probably need to include a title that describes of your role, along with information that gives a sense of your duties.
Another typical issue is how the veteran describes his or her experience and accomplishments. The military is very team- and mission-oriented. The civilian corporate world tends to be driven by profit margins and competition within the company.
Veterans must highlight the parallel experiences of customer service, team work and accomplishment that come from completing a mission.
Q: What kinds of skills might veterans highlight?
A: Leadership is important. For instance, a veteran might want to say how many people they commanded, but instead of using the word “command,” they might want to consider using a civilian term like “managed” or “led.”
At our career workshops, we don’t go in-depth with the students about every branch and every position, because there are so many. Everyone’s experience is different.
We just want to help people recognize that there are changes they can make that will improve their employment opportunity chances, and to point them to some resources that can help them make improvements.
Q: For people who can’t attend your workshop, what are some resources available to help veterans improve their civilian resumes?
A: UB Students are welcome to use the Career Services office and library, of course. Any veteran can check out some great resources online for working on their resume such as The National Resource Directory and Department of Labor’s “Hiring Our Heroes” site.
There are also many sites that assist veterans with their job search and career development, including MyNextMove for Veterans and the Transition Assistance Online program, just to name a few.
Related Topics:

careers, resumes, Veterans

Veterans and dependents eligible for education benefits

EXPERT CONTACT :

Stephen N. Wallace, PhD

Director, Veterans Affairs

University at Buffalo

716-645-2271

swallace@buffalo.edu

 

Stephen Wallace is available to discuss trends and specifics of educational benefits for military veterans, as well as spouses and dependents of those veterans. Through his work at UB's Office of Veteran Affairs, Wallace is closely involved in helping individuals secure their entitled benefits to continue their education as well as general observations about who is applying, and what kinds of study and careers they want to pursue.

The office offers a one-stop service for anyone applying for VA educational benefits," says Wallace. "Students may qualify for VA educational benefits under a number of 'GI Bills' passed by Congress."

Related Topics:

education, Iraq, military, Veterans

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