First Lady Michelle Obama on Nov. 10 told female veterans to cast modesty aside when they are in the market for a new job.
"If you want a new job, you can't be modest," Obama said during the Business and Professional Women's and Redbook's first-ever interactive women's veterans' career development forum held at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial in Arlington, Va. "And believe me, you all have so much to show off."
And while the unemployment rate for veterans continues to drop, Obama noted that female veterans have a harder time finding jobs than their male counterparts.
"Last month, the unemployment rate for women veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan was 11.2 percent, five points higher than men who served in the same conflicts and more than double the rate for civilian women, and that's just wrong," she said.
Obama said that over the past six years business leaders around the country have told her that veterans bring valuable skill sets such as team building and leadership experience with them when they transition to civilian careers.
"But unfortunately, that message hasn't made it into every company or organization across the country," she said.
To help spread the word that hiring veterans makes good business sense, Obama announced that online networks LinkedIn and Coursera will partner with the federal government to help service members, veterans and their spouses. They can now import their LinkedIn profiles to the Veterans Employment Center, the federal government's web site that connects transitioning service members, their spouses and veterans to civilian career opportunities. Coursera will offer one free verified certificate for an online course under the partnership.
Carla Moss, information and referral program manager for Army Community Service on Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, said the event surpassed the expectations of its attendees.
"The professional and personal connections that were created during this event will be long lasting and will affect the lives of everyone that participated," she said.
In addition to Obama's keynote address, Moss said other highlights of the day long conference for her were appearances by entrepreneur Bobbi Brown and Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald.
Redbook Editor-in-Chief Meredith Rollins said the nation's military veterans deserve honor, and support.
"They put their lives on the line for us when they're in the service and we need to help them when they return to civilian life, now and forever," she said.
The day long event also honored business women and employers helping veterans, and provided workshops and panels on resume building, personal branding, education, finances, interviewing and work attire.
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