Are vets getting short changed in today's market?

I want to float this out after having a conversation with a friend who is a veteran and is looking for a job. He’s been at it for a few months with limited success.

He told me recently that he had been told to remove “veteran” from his resume. An experienced job search coach told him this. The coach apparently is a veteran as well.

My friend was surprised – as was I – because being a veteran was often a mark of distinction.

The coach explained that some recruiters today avoid including veterans in the interviewee pool when they can.

The logic goes like this: A Vietnam-era veteran is deemed too old and probably not up to date in their skills and knowledge.

An Iraq or Afghanistan veteran is seen as relatively young and they “only know the military stuff.”

Ironically, if a veteran slips through and gets hired, the company benefits because it helps their veteran hiring numbers.

A recruiter and a vice president of human resources separately told my friend that discrimination against veterans is happening.

If this is wide spread, it is sad. Veterans bring a lot to the work force: a strong work ethic, a belief in teamwork, and a focus on getting the job done and done properly.

But my question is, are you seeing this in the market as well? Are you a vet or do you know a vet struggling to find the right job? Have you been told not to hire vets?

I want to hear your thoughts. Use the comment field below.