February 21, 2016
One of the greatest challenges for veterans transitioning from military service to civilian life is figuring out how to adapt their skills to meet the needs of the U.S. job market. Even if men and woman in service held tremendous responsibility in the military, effectively describing how those skills can benefit a workplace in resumes and interviews poses a daunting task.
To help with this process, Drexel University Online launched the MySTEPs program last October to serve as a "translator" of military skills and experience, with a goal of helping vets land full-time work, Technical.ly Philly reports.
The free software, developed by Indtai, Inc. and adapted by Drexel, enables vets to download their Joint Services Transcript and have their military experience automatically translated into a draft resume. It also provides suggestions for civilian career fields and specific jobs currently listed, with salary information and zip codes, in the database run by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Susan Aldridge, Drexel's Senior Vice President of Online Learning, says the software is an important tool not just for job seeking veterans, but for companies who are eager to hire them.
“One of the greatest challenges the HR departments that want to hire veterans, and that veterans themselves have, is how to translate and describe the work they did in the military in civilian job terms, or career terms,” Aldridge said. “They’re really two different languages in a way.”
Aldridge believes the strength of the MySTEPs program is that it's based online, allowing veterans from around the country to pursue jobs and educational opportunities through Drexel. Those who are interested in developing new skills to pursue another profession can use the program to find degree programs that meet their interests and goals.
MySTEPs is the latest example of Drexel's commitment to helping veterans, as the university continues to participate in the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the Yellow Ribbon Program, which provides tuition benefits for public and private education.
In the video below, Drexel's Military Program Specialist Tiffany Dydak provides a tour of MySTEPs.
