Category Archives: Military Resources

8 Tips for Hiring Veterans with Disabilities

Guest Blog
By: Amy Klimek

When looking for skilled workers to grow your business, consider hiring a veteran. Nearly 1 million vets are out of work in the US despite having training and abilities that make them valuable additions to any workforce. Many veterans return from duty with disabilities, but don’t let these challenges prevent you from including them in your place of business. Get informed with these tips for hiring a disabled vet.

Use Available Resources
There are many resources for veterans looking for work and those who wish to hire them. Find potential employees through websites such as the Department of Labor’s One Stop Career Center or the Wounded Warrior Project. Hire Heroes USA also works to match qualified veterans with employers seeking specific skills.

Understand the Challenges
Disabled veterans deal with both physical and mental challenges. Some may have visible disabilities such as lost limbs while others have suffered traumatic brain injury or deal with post-traumatic stress. Make sure that you understand the needs of people with these conditions before hiring a disabled vet. Doing your research fosters understanding and reduces the fear and uncertainty that many employers struggle with when faced with the idea of hiring disabled workers. Know that disabilities don’t always remain the same; conditions may get better or worse over time, and it’s important to be prepared to work with challenges that arise in the future. Read More →

Six Sigma Scholarship for Veterans Pays Off

Authored By: A.T. Houston

The Marines have a saying, Semper Fidelis, which means always faithful. Former Marine and the co-founder of Six Sigma, Dr. Mikel Harry continues to sponsor a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt scholarship program to help veterans transition to six-figure positions by offering companies their mastery of business process improvement skills.

Dr. Harry has many success stories regarding the program which commenced in early 2013. He shared a Gulf War Veteran’s letter recently on his blog,

“Within weeks of completing the certification and working with you, I accepted an offer of employment today for a full-time permanent supply chain project manager position. My starting salary is $100,000.00 per year with a $5,000.00 signing bonus, plus excellent benefits. The bar is very high, and now it is time to get to work.”

Through Leatherneck.com, Six Sigma Wings for Heroes (SSWH) is awarding scholarships to Marine veterans, reservists, active-duty personnel, and family members.

SSWH is not asking for any donations, matching contributions, or economic pledges. Rather, Dr. Harry has dedicated himself to fund the scholarships as his way of making a difference to those who have sacrificed so much for our nation.

Leatherneck.com is asking Marines to submit a personal letter via email, stating the reason(s) they want the scholarship and how they feel it would impact their chances at finding work and advance their post military careers.

Letters should be sent to SixSigmaWingsforHeroes@leatherneck.com. Leaders atLeatherneck.com and SSWH will review all submissions and award the scholarships based on the impact and creativity of the entries. The program will continue until all 300 scholarships donated have been granted.

About Six Sigma Wings for Heroes

A dimension of Six Sigma Management Institute (SSMI) is about giving back to the men and women that have safeguarded our great nation and sacrificed so much on our behalf. ​

Read More →

#ExploreVA Education and Employment Facebook Chat

Join VA, representatives from the Institute for Veterans and Military Families and Student Veterans of America, and other Veterans for a Facebook chat about VA education and employment benefits and services.

  • Hear from Veterans using VA benefits for education, training, and career advancement.
  • Learn how to tap into VA education and employment benefits.
  • Ask questions about these benefits and share post-service success stories.va_chats
  • http://on.fb.me/1t4Y7xY

To My Fellow Veterans

by Nolan Ruby

Nolan Ruby

Standing at the starting gate of a summer long overdue, (considering the winter most of us have had,) already a few picnics and barbeques into June’s extended sunny days, and just a few days away from a long weekend of cold drinks and fireworks, it’s tempting to fall into our tried and proven, comfortable routines. We move through our schedules towards the next “check in the box,” and we forget I fear that ambition and sense of wonder which caused us to request a tour of duty within the armed forces. We have a job, and it’s meeting the needs for now, so we settle, we accept, and we start to think that perhaps the most accomplished days in our lives may be behind us. We look for that feeling of achievement like we once had, only to find a world of supervisors who do not seem to understand our past success. We find a world full of cubicles and digital deadlines, and we may become disheartened.

Have you ever had these thoughts? Sir Frances Bacon once stated; “The tragedy of life is what dies inside a man while he is yet alive.” Can you relate to that? If you can, if I just explained in detail your feelings, have you settled? Do you want more? If so, how hard are you willing to work for it?
Read More →

The Value of Military Veterans in the Workplace –HRAM event in Omaha

On Tuesday, April 8th Russ had the privilege of addressing the HRAM (Human Resource Managers of the Midwest) conference in Omaha, NE. The theme of the conference centered on discovering the value of our military veteran community. Organizations quickly learned the unique talents that transitioning veterans bring to the table and the benefit that they can bring to the companies that hire them. It was fun to play an active part in making a difference for our veterans. Thank you to the HRAM group for the opportunity to highlight our veterans!

Other speakers at the event included: Teri Clark, Bonnie Bessler, Chad Storlie, Tianna Robinson, and Evan Downey

Tianna Robinson

Russ Hovendick & Tianna Robinson

Russ Hovendick

Russ Hovendick speaking at the HRAM conference in Omaha.

Chad Storlie

Chad Storlie

Teri Clark,

Teri Clark

Bonnie Bessler

Bonnie Bessler

Evan Downey

Evan Downey

South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs Larry Zimmerman Interview

Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs Larry Zimmerman speaks about Veteran issues both nationally and within the state of South Dakota. Larry discusses the objectives and recent developments of Operation RAV and his efforts to personally reach every veteran in South Dakota. Larry also hails the efforts of the Directional Motivation team to impact the lives of veterans and their families. For veteran resources including the book ” Deployment to Employment: A guide for military veterans transitioning to civilian employment” visit www.directionalmotivation.com/books.php
For more information on south Dakota Veteran Affairs visit http://vetaffairs.sd.gov/

10 Steps for a Military to Civilian Career Networking Action Plan

By Chad Storlie

Networking skills are one of the well recognized skill sets that will make the difference in finding a job, advancing a career, and learning new skills to improve your professional development. The challenge for military veterans transitioning into a new career is how to network. Everyone realizes that networking is important – the question is how do you network in an effective manner? How do you create a networking plan?

Below is a step-by-step plan employing military skill sets that have been adapted to create a successful and personal career networking plan.

10 Steps for a Military to Civilian Career Networking Action Plan

1. What do I Want to Do, Learn, Or Achieve Through Networking – Your Goal? Brainstorm what your purpose and goals are for networking. Are you seeking employment, a closer connection with a hiring manager, or do you want to learn a new skill, such as sales? Knowing what you want to achieve through networking is vital.
Read More →

Are we forgetting someone?

Our veterans have served our country, now its time we served them. Today there are over one million veterans that are unemployed. With the recent military downsizing, the ranks are growing daily. They need help. Do you realize the power you have in making a difference?

Our returning veterans face tremendous challenges in adjusting to civilian life and obtaining meaningful employment.  Think about trying to provide for spouses and children in this new civilian world that is so foreign to the veteran.  To help veterans make the transition I have published a book that is a step by step guide through the transition process. “Deployment to Employment: A guide for military veterans transitioning to civilian employment”.

But what good is a book, if no one knows about it? That’s where you come in. I believe that if you are like the majority of Americans, you would want to get involved in providing answers to this crisis. You probably know someone who is in this transition to civilian life, over 90% of Americans do.  A grass roots effort is the answer. I am asking you to get involved today in our “Invest in a Vet” campaign. We are asking you, and hundreds of other Americans to support our veterans by purchasing this book and giving it to the very friends, relatives, and co-workers that you know facing the transition. Our veterans need help and they need it now! You can help them.

Purchase your copies today directly through our publisher at the following link: http://bit.ly/170JpQu

Thank you for not forgetting those who have protected our freedom.

Deployment to Employment–January Jones Interview

Recently Russ was interviewed on the January Jones radio show about the newest book in the Directional Motivation series titled “Deployment to Employment: A Guide for Military Veterans Transitioning to Civilian Employment.
Described by numerous military personnel as being “The one resource that every transitioning veteran should have” this book provides a step by step guide to success in landing civilian employment. The book’s conversational approach and easy to follow steps will provide every reader with the tools needed to land the right job. From Rob Nielsen, former Marine Corps company commander and platoon commander “In thirty minutes of reading Deployment to Employment, I learned what took me months to gather and learn from multiple seminars, resources, business coaches, and others. This book should be required reading for all service members approaching their post-military chapter of life.”
The book is available on Amazon today! Buy Now

Directional Motivation -Six Sigma Wings for Heroes interview with Dr. Mikel Harry

Directional Motivation was selected to be a sponsor of the Six Sigma Wings for Heroes Scholarship. In today’s interview we speak with Dr. Mikel Harry about what Six Sigma is and the job opportunities it provides. The Six Sigma Wings for Heroes scholarship is designed to provide Six Sigma training to veterans and their immediate family to help them secure high paying jobs.
To learn more and apply for the scholarship click here