November marks&nbsp;<a></a><a href="https://www.military.com/military-family-appreciation-month/president-proclaims-november-as-military-family-month.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">National Veterans and Military Families Month</a>, a time dedicated to honoring the significant contributions made by American service members, their families, and their loved ones. It&rsquo;s also a great time to assess progress and areas for improvement around veteran employment, including employment of veterans with disabilities.
According to the&nbsp;<a href="https://adata.org/factsheet/employment-data-veterans-disabilities" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ADA National Network</a>, 29.6 percent of working age veterans (those 21 to 64) have a disability. In 2018, the unemployment rate of veterans with disabilities was 5.2 percent, compared to 3.5 percent for veterans without disabilities. While more and more organizations are working to increase employment opportunities for veterans with disabilities, many employers still express concern about hiring and retaining veterans with disabilities.
One&nbsp;<a href="https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/5057002/GettingHired_November2019/Pdfs/Beyond%20Yellow%20Ribbons%20JVR.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">survey</a>&nbsp;determined that when it comes to supporting veterans with disabilities, employers:
<ul>
<li>Struggle with accommodating veterans with the signature disabilities of PTSD, TBI and depression.</li>
<li>Are confused about resources related to recruiting or accommodating veterans with disabilities and therefore are not using these effectively.</li>
<li>Do not understand the disability disclosure rights of veterans with disabilities.</li>
</ul>
Service-connected vs. non-service-connected disability employment rates
There are not only disparities between the unemployment rates of veterans with disabilities compared to those without disabilities, but there is also a distinct difference in the&nbsp;<a href="https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/5057002/GettingHired_November2019/Pdfs/vet.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">employment rates</a>&nbsp;of veterans with and without service-connected disabilities. Of working-age veterans with disabilities, 10.5 percent have non-service-connected disabilities. However,&nbsp;<a href="https://adata.org/factsheet/employment-data-veterans-disabilities" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">69 percent</a>&nbsp;of veterans with a service-connected disability are employed, while only 37 percent of veterans who report having a non-service-connected disability are employed.
What&rsquo;s the difference between a service-connected and non-service-connected disability?
<a href="https://www.va.gov/opa/publications/benefits_book/benefits_chap02.asp" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Service-connected disabilities</a>&nbsp;are defined as injuries or illnesses that are incurred in or aggravated by active military service. Examples include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and depression. A non-service-connected disability is any injury or illness that was not acquired as a result of active military service. For example, a veteran who acquires diabetes or has a stroke at some point after active military service could be considered one with a non-service-connected disability.
When it comes to employment, veterans whose disabilities are acquired or aggravated during active military service prove more likely to obtain jobs than veterans who have non-service-connected disabilities.
Why is the employment rate higher for veterans with service-connected disabilities than those without?
There are two likely reasons that veterans with service-connected disabilities experience higher employment rates:
<ol>
<li>Higher prevalence of organizations focused on hiring veterans with service-connected disabilities&nbsp;&ndash; Today, many organizations have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.va.gov/careers-employment/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hiring programs</a>&nbsp;and initiatives designed to help veterans with service-connected disabilities find and retain employment. Veterans without service-connected disabilities can often be overlooked in these programs. Instead, they must rely on non-profit organizations that provide a wider scope than assisting with finding employment. This means they can get lost in the pipeline of competing priorities and services.</li>
<li>Greater incentives for hiring veterans with service-connected disabilities&nbsp;&ndash; Employers who hire and accommodate veterans with service-connected disabilities can receive tax incentives under the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/work-opportunity-tax-credit" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Work Opportunity Tax Credit</a>&nbsp;(WOTC) program. Employers can receive tax credits when they hire veterans who have completed or are receiving rehabilitative services through the state or the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). They can also receive credits for hiring veterans who are members of families who are receiving or recently received food stamps.</li>
</ol>
Hiring and supporting veterans with disabilities
Employers that focus on hiring and supporting veterans with disabilities yield countless benefits, as veteran employees prove to be strong leaders, great under pressure, detail-oriented, and much more. For ideas on how to recruit and hire veterans, check out our webinar,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gF3PwT6hTz0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Top Challenges Veteran Employees and Jobseekers Face</a>.
Have more questions on recruiting and retaining veterans with disabilities? Contact the CareerCircle team at gettinghired@careercircle.com.
Contributions to this blog were made by Andra&eacute;a LaVant of Solutions Marketing Group.&nbsp;

Discover insightful articles on building inclusive work environments and fostering diverse talent communities.

Veterans with Disabilities: An Employment Outlook

Gone are the days when social media&rsquo;s sole purpose was to develop and maintain personal connections. In fact,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/more-than-half-of-employers-have-found-content-on-social-media-that-caused-them-not-to-hire-a-candidate-according-to-recent-careerbuilder-survey-300694437.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">recent research</a>&nbsp;from Career Builder proves that 70 percent of employers use social media to screen candidates during the hiring process.
As social media platforms&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/28/18116323/instagram-ai-visual-impairment-description?utm_campaign=theverge&amp;utm_content=chorus&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter" rel="noopener" target="_blank">improve their accessibility</a>, job seekers with disabilities have greater access to employment opportunities through these networks. While LinkedIn remains the primary social media platform for job seekers to look for jobs, each social network can help make you a desirable candidate for a recruiter or hiring manager. Actively developing your social media presence and showcasing your experience is a great way to build name recognition and compensate for employment gaps or lack of employment experience.
As you set goals and map out your plans for this new year, consider implementing the following practices to maximize your social media presence for a successful job search in 2024:
<ol>
<li>Complete/update your profiles&nbsp;&ndash; Quite often recruiters use social media platforms to find applicants before a job has been posted. If your profile is incomplete or doesn&rsquo;t match up to what they see in a resume, they may quickly move on. Completing and updating each section of your profile &ndash; including employment history, education, and skills &ndash; demonstrates that you&rsquo;re serious about your job search. </li>
<li>Join relevant conversations/groups&nbsp;&ndash; Across social media platforms, conversations are happening that connect to your career interest area(s). Joining and participating in relevant groups on LinkedIn and Facebook or participating in industry-specific Twitter chats will allow you to expand your networks and follow interesting discussions. This demonstrates your passion and dedication to a specific profession or field of study. There are also numerous disability-specific groups across social media platforms that often post job opportunities (i.e.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/livingwithmd/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Living with M.D.</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/259008737631118/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Blind and Visually Impaired Support Group</a>). </li>
<li>Refine your privacy settings&nbsp;&ndash; Many people dedicate time at the start of the year to &ldquo;de-clutter&rdquo; their social media, including pairing down their connections and getting rid of questionable content. It&rsquo;s also a great time to make sure that your personal social network pages are set to &ldquo;private.&rdquo; Keep in mind that this doesn&rsquo;t mean your posts can never be seen by potential employers, especially when you share mutual connections. Certain aspects of your profile may still be viewable, such as contact and basic info, work experience, and education. Use caution when posting content by asking yourself, &ldquo;Would there be concern if my employer saw this?&rdquo; </li>
<li>Inform connections of your search&nbsp;&ndash; In addition to participating in groups and industry conversations on social media, directly informing your connections that you&rsquo;re searching for a job is a great way to learn about opportunities. Ensure that your resume is uploaded online so you can share it. Platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook will allow you to house your resume within your profile. Otherwise, you may choose to send a link to your personal website where you should have a digital copy. </li>
<li>Stay current&nbsp;&ndash; Staying up-to-date on current events that support diversity and disability inclusion, including relevant awareness campaigns and commemorative months/days, can lead you to the right employer.&nbsp;Also, consider following relevant hashtags on Twitter and Facebook, as these will often lead to potential connections that you can reach out to. </li>
<li>Follow and engage with relevant employers&nbsp;&ndash; Use your social media presence to engage with potential employers, including commenting and sharing their blog posts and other activities. Additionally, lookout for media messaging that focuses on inclusive employer initiatives. By following these employer profiles, you have background and context for industry-wide priorities and can share insights and perspectives on your platforms. </li>
<li>Maintain consistency&nbsp;&ndash; When it comes to the job search, be sure not to neglect or overlook one social media platform over another. Use consistent information across your social media profiles and on your resume. This includes your employment history, skills, education, and contact information. This eliminates confusion for potential employers. </li>
<li>Add your profiles to your resume/website&nbsp;&ndash; An employer should be able to access your online profiles easily. Just as it is important to include email addresses on your job search materials (resume, website, etc.), it is equally as important to list your professional social media handles. Once again, this demonstrates your active engagement in your industry of interest and proves you have nothing to hide. </li>
<li>Perfect your profile photo&nbsp;&ndash; Pictures continue to speak volumes, and an appropriate headshot can go a long way in demonstrating your professionalism and seriousness about your job search. While it isn&rsquo;t always necessary for your profile photo to be business formal, it is important to ensure that it is high-quality (not grainy) and we recommend at least business casual. </li>
<li>Don&rsquo;t erase your profiles&nbsp;&ndash; Sometimes fears of a potential employer finding something negative or embarrassing can cause job seekers to completely erase their social media profiles. Research demonstrates that having a lack of social media presence often serves as a red flag for employers. In fact, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/more-than-half-of-employers-have-found-content-on-social-media-that-caused-them-not-to-hire-a-candidate-according-to-recent-careerbuilder-survey-300694437.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">2018 CareerBuilder survey</a>&nbsp;shared that 47 percent of employers wouldn&rsquo;t call a person for an interview if they couldn&rsquo;t find them online. To many, it lacks professionalism and insinuates that there&rsquo;s something to hide.</li>
</ol>
For more information about social media tips in finding a job, feel free to&nbsp;contact the CareerCircle team&nbsp;for more information at team@careercircle.com.
Contributions to this blog were made by Andra&eacute;a LaVant of Solutions Marketing Group.

Maximize your job search in 2024 by leveraging social media to build your professional presence and network.

10 Social Media Tips for Finding a New Job in the New Year

Here at CareerCircle, our goal is to change the technology industry for the better by making it more diverse and inclusive. We get there by impacting individual lives like the ones below.
Here&rsquo;s what our members have been saying recently.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">What Our Members Are Saying</h2>
One of the services that we offer to members is the chance to have a 1-on-1 call with an experienced career coach to guide you through your job search. 

<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/voqPGV5mSDg5pNSkRuQQ" alt="undefined" width="145" height="145" class="butter-float-left">
<blockquote>

</blockquote>
 &ldquo;Lena [one of CareerCircle&rsquo;s career coaches] was very knowledgeable and professional, and fit many helpful tips into our call. Her upbeat tone and friendly manner opened our rapport immediately. I was grateful and excited to work on the action items from our call and appreciate having her as a resource for questions from now on.&rdquo; - Kathryn Deeks

 
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/2gUgS9z0Q8u08f2QLhHW" alt="undefined" width="145" height="145" class="butter-float-right"> &ldquo;The career coach was wonderful and she helped me to make a very smart choice. I am so grateful for such an opportunity given to me to air out my issues and get the advice that she gave to address such a problem. Thanks a lot! I really do appreciate it!&rdquo; -&nbsp;Chizitere Izugo


 It&rsquo;s not just the career coaching we provide! We also partner with nonprofit organizations, like RISE, to support members throughout their career certificate program and then advocate for them as they begin their new career journey.
Many of our members move on to roles that dramatically change their lives, including better titles and pay. Jen and Curtis are two of those members! 
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/HeKCvBADRHKYzBilokRo" alt="undefined" width="145" height="145" style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;" class="butter-float-left"> &ldquo;I felt that Data Analytics would be a nice certificate as a way to be a provider of the data rather than a receiver, and the base pay that was presented to be associated with the certificate was appealing. I had a job gap and I felt like upskilling was a way to leverage my career. I had about a 4-year job gap and my current company found me via LinkedIn because of my resume and skills. My pay has increased 13% since my previous job. Thank you for all of the support!&rdquo; -&nbsp;Jen Kober, RISE


<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/tD8nUVcgRKOcC8dWwuCm" alt="undefined" width="145" height="145" class="butter-float-right">
 &ldquo;Taking the certificate helped me refresh my knowledge and get back on a technical path. The resources you get from the certificate and from CareerCircle after completing are so helpful. Can't wait to start my new job!&rdquo; - Curtis Johnson 
It means the world to us to be able to be a resource and advocate for our members. To learn more about what we provide, <a href="https://www.careercircle.com/blog/post/what-is-careercircle">check out our recent blog post</a>.
To join CareerCircle and get access to tools like 1-on-1 career coaching, resume builders, and more,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.careercircle.com/candidates/signup">click here</a>.&nbsp;

Here at CareerCircle, our goal is to change the technology industry for the better. We get there by impacting individual lives like these.

What Our Members Are Saying

Here at CareerCircle, our goal is to change the technology industry for the better by making it more diverse and inclusive. We get there by impacting individual lives like the ones in this post.

Learn more about free job search tools, learning opportunities, and exclusive member events.

Discover CareerCircle

Access resources to advance your job search and career growth.

Tools & Training

Explore a wide range of job opportunities that match your skills and career goals.

Search Jobs

Create a professional resume that captures the attention of top employers with our easy-to-use tool.

Resume Builder

Prepare for your next interview with our expert tips and strategies.

Interview Prep

Discover in-depth profiles of leading employers to find your ideal workplace.

Search Companies

Develop in-demand skills with curated courses for today’s job market.

Courses

Access career resources and job postings anytime, anywhere with our app.

Mobile App

Source skilled, diverse talent and build your team.

Talent Acquisition

Access skilled, diverse talent ready to excel via our AI-driven platform, virtual events, and recruitment services.

CareerCircle TalentConnect

Transform your workforce and hiring practices with targeted DEI and disability inclusion trainings.

InclusiveU

Broaden your talent pool with dedicated support for professionals with disabilities.

Getting Hired Powered by CareerCircle

Mission aligned solutions supporting Non-Profit Organizations, Educational Institutions, and Local Workforce Development Boards.

Upskilling & Job Advocacy

Upskilling solutions designed to empower members with in-demand skills training and ongoing support for successful certificate completion.

CareerReady

Job advocacy solutions to connect job seekers to inclusive employers through dedicated recruiting support.

CareerAdvocacy

Learn how we connect underserved communities with careers and build skilled, diverse talent pipelines.

About CareerCircle

Discover answers to common questions and gain insights into our goals and services.

Reach out to us for inquiries, support, or to learn more about our mission and services.

Contact

Explore our blog for latest news and trends for job seekers and employers.

Blog

Access our virtual career fairs, job seeker workshops, and employer focused webinars.

Events

Discover real-life success stories of how we’re transforming lives and building skilled, diverse talent pipelines.

Case Studies

Get the latest news and updates on our mission, partnerships, and community impact.

Staff Writer

142 Articles

Veterans with Disabilities: An Employment Outlook

10 Social Media Tips for Finding a New Job in the New Year

What Our Members Are Saying