HAMPTON, Va. — When Michelle Whitaker shared her struggle to find work, her story sounded familiar. For months, I've been tracking solutions to the issue of military veterans and spouses facing unemployment. Whitaker, both a U.S. Army veteran and a military wife, got rejection after rejection when applying for jobs. That's even if she got a response at all.
"It can leave you feeling very demoralized sometimes, and that can be very tough to deal with," she told me recently. "The job search for me was like shouting into a void, honestly," she added.
Military
Free service connects military spouses & veterans to job opportunities
Whitaker moved to Hampton Roads for her husband's Air Force job near the end of 2023. She became one of the approximately 21% of military spouses facing unemployment. But, one phone call would be the beginning of a big change in her job search.
"The moment I picked up the phone and called the Hampton Roads Veterans Employment Center, that is the moment that everything turned around for me," she said.
I first reported on the center's job resources for spouses and veterans in January. The center offers things like weekly mini job fairs, and resume and interview coaching — both fairly common. But during the last week of February, I was invited to a fairly unique event bringing job seekers and employers together: a happy hour mixer at The Vanguard Brew Pub and Distillery in Hampton. The event was billed as a more relaxed setting for military veterans and spouses to connect with actual hiring managers, like Matt Jordan, a talent acquisition partner with HII Mission Technologies in Newport News.
"Veterans are resilient," Jordan told me.
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Navy wife shares familiar struggle of finding employment in Hampton Roads
Jordan says he's seen the struggles job seekers connected to the military face. He also knows they make great employees.
"Veterans are mission-focused, goal-oriented, they're team players," he added. "That's exactly what our company needs."
I also learned veterans make up about a third of his company's workforce. And that brings us back to Michelle Whitaker. The two met at a recent HRVEC event. After, he brought her in for an interview. Soon, Michelle will start work there as a project manager.
"It's another opportunity and chance for me to serve my fellow service members," Whitaker beamed.
She told me that's what excites her most. Whitaker also shares some advice for people just like her.
"Just like you would reach your hand out to help a battle buddy, someone is there to reach their hand out to you."
February's mixer was part of a two-day career summit that also offers LinkedIn and resume coaching, headshots and interviews. There are plans in the works for another of these events later in 2024. Learn more about the resources HRVEC offers by clicking here.
