5 ways to get the experience you need to land your first job

youg adult job searching

For young adults, getting that elusive “work experience” needed to get hired is a catch-22: how do you get experience when no one will hire you without experience?

youg adult job searchingHere are five real-world options to explore for getting experience when you’ve never had a job. The options below all help you develop your job skills, work know-how, contacts, and confidence. And having any of them on your resume can help you get hired.

Internships

An internship is a short-term job that may be paid or unpaid, that gives you experience in a real workplace. Internships can be at a company, a store, a school, a government office, or a nonprofit. To find one that’s right for you, try the following:

  • Visit an internship office at a high school, college, or employment program
  • Use an online internship finder
  • Contact the Human Resources office of a business or other workplace you’re interested in

Job shadowing

Job shadowing gives you the experience of following a person in their job for a few hours, a day, or a few days. Ask someone you or your family knows if you can observe them. You can also request a contact through a professional association or school program. Read stories of job shadowing to learn more.

Volunteer work

Volunteering is unpaid work. You can gain skills like writing, child care, teaching, coaching, fundraising, mentoring, sales, phone answering, organizing materials, construction, arts, and more. Call, email or stop in at a nonprofit or school you’d like to volunteer for, and ask about opportunities. Many provide training.

Work in your neighborhood

Did you realize you develop valuable work skills when you do small jobs for friends, family, or neighbors? You might try mowing lawns, raking leaves, doing other yard work, babysitting, taking care of pets, or helping an elderly person with chores. To get paying jobs, ask neighbors and family friends if they need help. List your services at school, put up signs on area bulletin boards, or post on a neighborhood services website.

School and community activities

Participating in clubs, sports, theater, music, dance, religious organizations, and other community activities can be fun and develop your skills. Include these on your resume. Find activities through school districts, community education, local arts groups, religious organizations, and the public library.

Learn more about how to get your first job when you visit CareerOneStop’s GetMyFuture.org, where you’ll find a list of ideas for first jobs as well as tips for filling out job applications, writing your resume, and acing an interview.

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5 ways to make your workplace inclusive for people with invisible disabilities

Worker with invisible disability at meeting

By Haleigh Duncan

Throughout the day, the majority of people are glued to screens—whether it’s their work computer, their Facebook app, or their TV. What celebrities are wearing, the newest battle scene from Game of Thrones, the optically illusory* striped dress; our culture is obsessed with consuming information visually. That can be a real problem when it comes to invisible disabilities.

Worker with invisible disability at meetingWhat do we mean by that? An increasing number of people live with disabilities that other people can’t tell they have just by looking at them. For example, someone may look young, healthy, and happy, but experience chronic pain, exhaustion, and inconvenience from living with Crohn’s Disease. An equally able-bodied-looking person might be struggling to overcome anxiety and panic attacks that periodically prevent them from participating in public activities. Many of these people do not use wheelchairs or walking canes that would visually ‘signal’ to us that they have a disability; instead, their disabilities are ‘hidden’, or invisible.

Here are five things you can do for people with invisible disabilities in the workplace—whether you’re a boss or a co-worker:

1. Never assume someone is ‘able-bodied’—and definitely don’t insist that they are.

It doesn’t matter how young or tall or muscular someone looks– anyone may have chronic pain, chronic fatigue, neurological divergence, or other inhibiting symptoms. Remember that even if someone looks happy or calm at work, people with invisible disabilities strive to maintain a persona of ‘professionalism’ even when they may be experiencing pain or discomfort. They do not usually cry, scream, or grimace because they have practiced pain management and pain tolerance– not because they don’t experience physical or mental distress.

2. Understand that accommodations are a necessity, not a privilege.

People with disabilities, invisible or otherwise, are protected under federal law. When someone with a disability requests accommodation, some people may feel like the accommodated person has received an unearned advantage. Asking for and using accommodations can be stressful, embarrassing, and ridden with guilt for many people with disabilities, who often avoid using them as much as they are able. It’s important to remember that people with invisible disabilities are at a disadvantage that is balanced by their accommodations.

3. Learn more.

If your coworker was comfortable enough to trust you with their disability status, or if an employee disclosed theirs to you: read up. Becoming knowledgeable about what they’re going through can help you empathize with them, collaborate with them, and understand that many people have similar experiences with their own disabilities.

4. Allow people with invisible disabilities to provide their own solutions.

No matter what you’ve heard about a given disability in the past, the best expert on someone’s disability is the person who lives with it. Your coworkers or employees will appreciate your understanding, and they will be much more productive and satisfied at work if they can implement the strategies that they know work for them. Read more about typical job accommodations.

5. Advocate. Advocate. Advocate.

Take advantage of opportunities to educate yourself whenever you can—and share your knowledge with your coworkers, especially if someone is disparaging or questioning another person’s invisible disability. If you have an invisible disability yourself, examine how that identity plays out in the workplace, and how your situation can be improved. If you’re comfortable, sharing your disability status can be a powerful way to destigmatize invisible illness and make your peers feel safe enough to be ‘out’ in the workplace.

Those living with invisible disabilities like PTSD, arthritis, epilepsy, HIV/AIDS, or another illness, would prefer to have complete control over their lives than to disclose their ability and ask for accommodation. In the end, some don’t, and some do. It’s important in these cases to be as supportive as possible and let our coworkers know that they are a valuable part of our workplace—each and every day.

For more resources on disabilities and the workplace, visit CareerOneStop’s section on workers with disabilities!

*It’s blue and black!

 

Haleigh Duncan is a web content writer for CareerOneStop. As a recent Macalester College graduate, her commitment to equity shows in all of her writing and data curation. She lives in Minneapolis with an invisible disability and a visible obsession with her cat.

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Be ready for a new career in months

Certificate

Certificate

Want to learn job skills and get ready for a new career in a hurry? Short-term training programs can be a great choice to get started in a career, and avoid the expense and time required for a longer-term education. For people who already have a degree, adding a certificate can open up new job options quickly, without losing too much income or momentum in their career.

Many short-term programs take less than one year to complete. Certificate programs may be offered on a “no credit” basis, which means you do not need to enroll in the college to take the course. They can also be taken for college credit that may later apply toward 2- or 4-year degree programs. Costs and eligibility for financial aid may vary based on whether you take the class for credit. For individuals who qualify, workforce programs may cover the costs.

Check out this sample of short-term training programs and certifications for occupations in demand by employers. Figures cited are for the United States.

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)

CNAs provide basic patient care under the direction of nursing staff. They feed, bathe, dress, groom, and move patients, and change linens. CNAs work in nursing homes, assisted living centers, hospitals, and in private homes. Training generally lasts 3-6 weeks, with clinical experience, followed by the certification exam.

  • Median salary is $25,700
  • Considered a very rapidly growing occupation, with nearly 60,000 annual job openings projected nationally

Commercial Driver

Also called heavy or tractor-trailer truck drivers, these drivers move materials across cities, states, regions, and the country. Drivers must be able to pass a written and a road test. Requirements for earning a commercial driver’s license vary by state. Vehicles typically have a capacity of at least 26,000 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW). Drivers may be required to unload trucks. You can find commercial driving schools in many areas, with training lasting between 2-6 weeks.

  • Median salary is $40,300
  • Considered a growing field, with a projected 40,450 annual job openings

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)

EMTs are often the first people at the scene of an accident. They assess injuries, administer emergency medical care, and remove people who have been trapped from vehicles, or dangerous situations. The basic level training for becoming an EMT requires 100 hours. More advanced certifications can take up to 1,000 hours of training. You must also pass a qualifying exam to enter this field.

  • Median salary is $32,000
  • Very fast growth field, with 9,800 projected job openings each year

Massage Therapist

These health care professionals perform therapeutic massages of soft tissues and joints. They may assist in the assessment of range of motion and muscle strength, or propose client therapy plans. Their work benefits many with pain- and stress-relief. Massage therapists work in fitness centers, spas, in hospitals, with chiropractors, and in their own private practices.

A license is required in most states. Training typically lasts about one year, including at least 500 hours of study and extensive clinical experience.

  • Median salary is $38,000
  • Very fast growing occupation, with 4,900 projected job openings annually

Fitness Trainer

Employed by fitness facilities, resorts, corporate or community based gyms, and also for private clients in homes, fitness trainers teach or coach groups or individuals in exercise activities. They demonstrate techniques and form, observe participants, and explain how to improve clients’ skills. They also create routines to keep clients on track and engaged in reaching fitness goals. Most also promote their services.

Training may be online or in training facilities, lasting from 6 weeks-6 months. Getting certified often requires passing both written and fitness skills tests.

  • Median salary is $36,200
  • Growing occupation with 7,490 openings projected each year

CISCO Certified Network Associate

This certification is earned by IT professionals to work within Cisco networks. Typically, this certification is added to the credentials of a bachelor’s degree level Network and Computer Systems Administrator. Systems Administrators install, configure, and support an organization’s local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), and Internet systems or a segment of a network system. They monitor networks to maintain service quality, and may take care of network security.

  • Median salary for network and computer systems administrators is $77,800
  • Growing occupation with 7,940 projected annual job openings

Automotive Service Technician and Mechanic

Repairing cars, motorcycles, and other vehicles to keep them in good working order is the focus of auto technicians and mechanics. In this field, you can be hired out of a training program without certification, but most employers will want their mechanics to earn certification within a short time of starting work.

  • Median salary is $37,900
  • Demand is growing, with a projected 23,720 annual job openings

Learn more

While strong demand by employers increases your chances of getting a job once you finish your training, it’s not the only factor to consider. You can research typical wages in your area, and find local training programs on CareerOneStop.

Learn more about short-term training on CareerOneStop, or search for jobs in these fields now.

 

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It’s not too early to look for holiday jobs

Sign for seasonal work

Sign for seasonal workIt’s getting to be that time of year: over the next few months, retailers and other employers are expected to hire nearly 700,000 holiday helpers.

That’s not a big change from years past, but there are three new trends that aspiring holiday workers can take advantage of.

Holiday job openings aren’t just in shopping malls

Holiday gift-shopping, decorating and entertaining remain the biggest drivers of the holiday job boon. But as our shopping habits continue to move from the traditional bricks-and-mortar venues to what some call “click-and-order,” the need for holiday help evolves as well.

This year, we can expect to see many temporary job openings in these three places:

  • Call centers (employing the people who take phone calls and process all those online purchases)
  • Warehouses (employing the people who locate, pack, and prepare to ship those items)
  • Transportation companies (employing the schedulers and drivers who deliver those packages to destinations across the country)

Not interested in those? There are plenty of other seasonal job openings, such as:

  • Ski instructors and other winter recreation helpers
  • Tax preparers and other financial associates who help people plan for year end
  • Temporary office help to cover for people taking time off over the holiday season

Employers are starting to hire earlier this year

Although the number of openings isn’t predicted to be larger than last year, many retailers have announced that they are trying to lock down their new hires earlier this year. The Associated Press reports that large retailers Macys and Target are already holding recruitment fairs across the country. Other retailers have made it easier to apply online—even on your smartphone—and earlier this year.  And CheatSheet offers this list of 11 companies already hiring for the holidays.

With a tighter labor market, pay and perks are better

The unemployment rate is down slightly from last year, and wages are up slightly, meaning fewer people may be looking for holiday work. The Associated Press notes that more retailers are offering perks such as extra pay, higher discounts, and more flexible schedules to attract workers.

What do these three trends mean for you? They mean that whether you’re interested in getting your foot in the door at a new company or simply adding a second-job paycheck to your holiday season, it’s time to get going on your holiday job search. CareerOneStop can help you brush up your resume, find openings, prepare to interview, and more.

Job accommodations bring jobs within reach

man in wheelchair at business meeting

man in wheelchair at business meetingDid you know you can request job accommodations if you have a disability?

Even if you have the skills and training to do a job, having a disability can make some jobs unattainable—or unsustainable. But job accommodations, ranging from specialized equipment to adjusting how you do your work, can bring many jobs within reach.

What are job accommodations?

Job accommodations, also called reasonable accommodations, are adjustments that allow people with disabilities to participate in a job application process, or to perform the essential functions of a job. There are a wide variety of types of accommodation, and they vary based on the type of job and a person’s unique needs.

Here are some examples:

  • Restructuring the job. Involves changing when or how tasks are performed.
  • Modifying work schedules. This may allow an employee with a disability to handle medical appointments or medication schedules, get needed rest, etc.
  • Acquiring or modifying existing equipment or devices. For example adjusting a desk height for wheelchair access, or providing an employee a mouth stick device to type on their computer.
  • Providing assistive technology or devices. Examples include computer screen readers for employees with visual impairments, or a telephone compatible with an employee’s hearing aid.
  • Adjusting or modifying tests and training materials. Includes providing materials in alternate formats, such as braille, CD or large print.

Who qualifies for job accommodations?

Employees and applicants may either qualify under a federal law, or more informally, by requesting accommodations that are acceptable to an employer. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified employees and applicants with disabilities, unless it would create an undue hardship, such as due to cost, disruption, or demands on the workplace.

However, since the ADA does not specify which types of disabilities must be accommodated, there isn’t a hard and fast list of who qualifies. You can review the ADA’s definition of what constitutes a disability and find more information from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which enforces the aspects of the ADA related to employment.

How do you request an accommodation?

An employee or job applicant is usually responsible for requesting reasonable job accommodations for a disability, but in general, the employer and individual collaborate to choose the best option and make a plan.

Although an accommodation request does not have to be in writing, it can be helpful to write up a request for clarity and to refer back to in case of questions or dispute. A letter could: specify that your request is in reference to the ADA, identify any tasks that are an issue, list accommodation ideas you and the employer have suggested, and note medical documentation you may have.

Job accommodations can not only help people with disabilities open up employment options, they can also provide employers with access to a pool of talented employees.

Learn more about accommodations and other resources for job applicants and workers who have disabilities on CareerOneStop.

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Why you need a job description for each of your positions

Job Description Writer logo

Job Description Writer logoIf you’re a small employer, or just starting out in business, you might be tempted to skip writing formal job descriptions. After all, you probably have a hundred more pressing tasks battling for your attention each day—how important can a job description really be?

Turns out, plenty important.  Having a clear, detailed, and accurate description of a position’s purpose, tasks, and essential skills and knowledge is necessary for two main reasons:

  • Nailing your job postings so you can attract the most qualified candidates; and
  • Helping you and your employees better evaluate their current performance

As Payscale.com’s Compensation Today puts it, “Whether you’re hiring someone new, evaluating a current employee or determining compensation, a job description provides consistency and clarity for everyone involved. Taking the time to write an accurate job description now will save you money, time and energy in the future.”

Of course knowing that you need top-quality job descriptions and actually getting them written are two different things. What’s a busy small-business owner to do?  CareerOneStop’s Job Description Writer is a great free tool to help you get the job done.

The Job Description Writer walks you through a step-by-step process of building a meaningful job description. Get started here, where you’ll simply enter the occupation you need a description for, and select your location.  You’ll then see a draft of a complete, fully editable job description for that occupation. You’ll see details in eight key sections:

  • Job purpose
  • Education and experience
  • Knowledge
  • Skills
  • Work context
  • Tasks
  • Activities
  • Tools and technology

Each section is pre-filled with the most common information or data for that occupation, and you have the option to customize from there.

The information used for an occupation’s purpose, knowledge, skills, work context, tasks, work activities, and tools and technology data come from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET). The Education and Experience data are from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections.

Once you see your full job description, you can customize it and then download, or just download as presented and modify from your desktop.

Ready to create a job description?  Visit CareerOneStop’s Job Description Writer.

Manufacturing careers: a whole new world

Factory worker using tablet to operate a robotic arm

Factory worker using tablet to operate a robotic armYou may have heard mention of manufacturing jobs in presidential campaign conversations. Are they just about assembly lines, staffed by workers each performing an isolated task?   Here’s a timely look at some developments in this influential industry.

In a recent Wall Street Journal article, Anna Louie Sussman writes about the current era of manufacturing. She interviewed Brian Anthony, who is the director of MIT’s master of engineering in manufacturing degree, among many other roles associated with the industry. Besides winning an Emmy award for video software he helped develop, he’s also a leader in a public- and private-sector collaboration for research, innovation and workforce development launched by the Obama administration. From that position, he shared some highlights about the current state of manufacturing in the U.S.:

  • In the last several years, he has seen interest grow significantly in their manufacturing degree programs.
  • A large number of states and education institutions are collaborating to create “education factories” that give students a chance to apply their skills in real-world manufacturing scenarios.
  • In one example of an education factory project, students worked with a local company to refine a device that detects HIV, and then controls medication appropriate to the individual’s needs. This project led the company to keep their manufacturing production in the U.S. while finding ways to produce their product more economically.
  • He notes that graduates of their degree program have started at salaries averaging $100,000, working for many leading companies.
  • The importance of continuous education cannot be overstated in manufacturing. Many manufacturing career programs at 2-year colleges around the U.S. emphasize getting students in to a skill building program that fits their current needs, rather than offering only degree programs. They offer “stackable” credentials that employers recognize and value.
  • While Anthony states that manufacturing jobs will never return to a factory assembly line model, he sees a great deal of promise in other kinds of manufacturing opportunities, for example as robots automate the factory line, employees are needed to build the robots, fix them, and innovate new tasks for the robot.

Learn more from CareerOneStop’s manufacturing-related resources:

  • According to the most recently published industry data, there were 12,040,240 manufacturing jobs in the U.S., at 334,842 manufacturers, and these workers were paid a total of $736,181,809,002 in annual wages.
  • Find out which 13 of the top 50 highest paying industries (by average weekly wages) are in manufacturing.
  • Learn about advanced manufacturing training and education programs in your area.
  • Read up on the manufacturing industry in your area by selecting your state and locality, then choosing “31-33 Manufacturing” from the menu. You will find a definition of the industry, along with the number of manufacturing businesses in the U.S., your chosen state, and in your selected locality. You’ll also find total employment numbers, wages, and the change in employment numbers for recent years.
  • Connect with some of the 116 professional associations related to Manufacturing in our database.
  • Explore the idea of apprenticeship to gain skills for a manufacturing career that pays while you learn. You can use the Apprenticeship Finder to search for contacts in your state.
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10 skills to boost your paycheck

Skilled worker at a laptop

You may have heard that learning new skills is a great way to advance in your career. Having a specific skill set can help you stay in demand, make promotions more likely—and even lead to faster salary increases.

Skilled worker at a laptopBut what specific skills should you focus on? Time Inc.’s Money got together with Payscale.com to answer exactly that question. Using Payscale’s data, they analyzed 54 million employee profiles. They looked at everybody from entry-level workers to top executives, spanning 350 industries and 15,000 job titles.

Their goal was to identify the specific skills tied to the biggest pay increases.  Here’s what they found (read their full report here):

Top skills concentrated in four areas

The researchers found that the skills related to the highest pay boosts were concentrated in four general areas:

  • Data analysis
  • Business management
  • Technology
  • Strategic thinking

Top data skills (and the percent higher salaries of workers with those skills):

  • SAS (Statistical Analysis System): (6.1% higher pay)
  • Data Mining/Data Warehousing: (5.1%)
  • Data Modeling: (5%)

Top business skills (and the percent higher salaries of workers with those skills):

  • Contract Negotiation: (5%)
  • Financial Analysis: (4%)

Top tech skills (and the percent higher salaries of workers with those skills):

  • Search Engine Marketing: (5%)
  • Customer Service Metrics: (4.3%)
  • SAP Material Management: (3.9%)

Top strategy skills (and the percent higher salaries of workers with those skills):

  • Strategic Planning: (4.3%)
  • Business Analysis: (3.8%)

Ready to update your skills?  Check out CareerOneStop’s Local Training Finder or Certification Finder to find the best option for you.

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Labor laws protect vulnerable workers

Sign: Do you know your rights?

Sign: Do you know your rights?

In honor of Labor Rights Week, we’re putting the focus on workers’ rights, which apply to everyone who works in the U.S., regardless of immigration status. Many may be surprised to learn that U.S. labor laws provide protections even to undocumented workers.

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), all people who work in the United States have a right to:

The laws are enforced without regard to an employee’s immigration status. The law affirms that employers should not have an advantage because they underpay, or do not pay, undocumented employees.

Some workers in low-wage jobs in industries like agriculture, construction, food service, residential care, and waste processing may have limited English proficiency and are often not aware of their rights. Many fear standing up for themselves and don’t realize that they have the same rights and protections as workers who do have citizenship.

But under the FLSA—or the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA) for agricultural workers—all workers in the country have rights to a safe workplace and fair wages.

The FLSA requires employers to pay covered employees a minimum wage and, in general, time and a half of an employee’s regular rate of pay for overtime hours.

The MSPA requires employers and farm labor contractors to pay the wages owed to migrant or seasonal agricultural workers when the payments are due. Understanding the laws helps workers help themselves and show others in similar circumstances how to keep themselves safe and paid a fair wage.

The FLSA in practice

To illustrate the impact of labor laws on vulnerable employees, a 2015 blog post from U.S. Department of Labor leaders details some examples of how labor laws are enforced. One successful application of the FLSA took place in the San Francisco Bay Area among residential care workers, a low-wage service industry with many foreign workers.  After repeated investigations by FLSA staff found that workers were underpaid by millions of dollars, more than 1,300 residential care workers received backpay that reflected actual earnings.

In another case, in 2015, a construction firm in Illinois hired non-English speaking employees to work on a school renovation project. Although company leaders knew that asbestos would be exposed in materials removal, a hazard to unprotected workers, they failed to warn employees of the danger, failed to train them in safe methods, and did not ensure workers used appropriate equipment to prevent asbestos exposure. They also threatened to fire workers who told safety inspectors about it. The company was issued steep fines and numerous citations.

The blog goes on to note that nationwide, investigations during the 2014 fiscal year found that as many as 270,000 workers in low-wage jobs were underpaid significantly, by more than $240 million. Through ongoing follow-up on complaints by workers, and strategic intervention by investigators, earnings continue to be recouped and delivered to underpaid workers across the U.S.

As a further outcome of efforts by FLSA investigative teams, an online tool, Workers Owed Wages, has been developed that allows workers who believe they have been underpaid to look up an employer, and find out if funds have been collected and held for them.

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4 resources for veterans starting businesses

veteran entrepreneur

Thinking of putting your military experience to work in your own business?

veteran entrepreneurVeterans have lots of knowledge, skills, and experiences that can make them ideal entrepreneurs: many have specialized expertise, persistence, an ability to take smart risks, and strong organizational and goal-setting skills.

In fact, veterans are about 45 percent more likely to become entrepreneurs than people with no active-duty military experience, according to a 2011 study from the Small Business Administration (SBA).

Veterans also have several resources to tap into for help getting started as an entrepreneur. Here are four to check out:

1) Small Business Development Centers

There are more than 900 local SBDCs throughout the United States and they offer free business advising, mentoring, and training classes to help people build businesses. A collaboration of the U.S. Small Business Administration, state and local governments, and private sector funding resources, SBDCs also offer specialized programs for veterans.

Locate an SBDC near you to learn more about their range of services, which may include:

2) GI Bill benefits

Veterans may be able to use their education benefits to pay for training on how to start or develop a small business, through the SBDCs. Find out if you might be eligible under any of these programs.

3) Small Business Administration

The SBA also has 15 organizations that serve as Veterans Business Outreach Centers. These sites provide entrepreneurial development services such as business training, counseling and mentoring, and referrals for eligible veterans owning or considering starting a small business.

4) VA assistance

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs also sponsors resources for veterans who want to start or develop their own businesses. Their Veteran Entrepreneur Portal makes it easier for small businesses to access federal services, and quickly connects veteran entrepreneurs to relevant ‘best-practices’ and information on topics such as accessing financing, business growth strategies, federal government contract opportunities for businesses, and more.

Find more tips and resources to help veterans transition to civilian careers at CareerOneStop’s Veterans ReEmployment.

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