Jobs, help available for veterans

VW independent staff/submitted information

COLUMBUS — May is National Military Appreciation Month, and Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Director Matt Damschroder is reminding all active and former military members and their spouses about the many free employment services available at both OhioMeansVeteranJobs.com and their local OhioMeansJobs Center.

“Ohio is grateful to members of the military and their spouses who selflessly served our nation,” Damschroder said. “We are committed to making Ohio the most military-friendly state in the nation, and we’re proud to offer services that can help them transition to good-paying, satisfying civilian careers. Military members and their spouses can use as many of these services as they would like, on their own or with help from an employment specialist.”

At either the website or any local OhioMeansJobs Center, military members and their spouses can get help:

• Translating their military skills into a civilian resume
• Creating a transition plan
• Connecting with military-friendly employers
• Applying for jobs
• Enrolling in workshops and trainings
• Learning about federal and state benefits they may be eligible for
• Exploring new careers

To get started, veterans can log in or create a free account on OhioMeansVeteranJobs.com. When they do, they will be prompted to answer a brief questionnaire asking if they’d like to be contacted by an employment specialist. If they indicate that they would like one-on-one assistance, an employment specialist will contact them. If they decline to be contacted, they can continue accessing free employment services on their own on the website.

Ohio has more than 8,300 employers listed in its “Military-Friendly Employer Registry” at OhioMeansVeteranJobs.com. In addition, the resumes of veterans are designated with a red and blue “V,” and the resumes of military spouses are designated with a red and blue “S,” to make them stand out to military-friendly employers.

With nearly 700,000 veterans, Ohio is home to the sixth-largest veteran population in the nation.