While in uniform, we became accustomed to changing jobs or duty locations every few years to support our professional growth and career advancement. That mindset of constantly moving forward may serve you well in your civilian careers. 

Annual employee turnover is set to jump by nearly 20% when compared with pre-pandemic figures, according to a recent study by research and consulting firm Gartner. Researchers found “new employee expectations, and the availability of hybrid arrangements, will continue to fuel the rise in attrition.”

[RELATED: Upcoming Transition and Career Events From MOAA]

Given the employment landscape, people can choose where they want to work. Most tend to seek opportunities where they can align with an organization’s mission and vision, feel that they are valued and heard, and have the chance to thrive in a high-performance culture.  The challenge for veterans and the military spouse community is how to find and assess those organizations to see which ones match their personal priorities and economic motivators.

Here are just a few resources to help you research employers:

• Top Workplaces in the USA, sortable by company size.
• Best Employers for Veterans, according to Forbes.com.
• The HireVETS Medallion program, a federal program recognizing organizations for their efforts to recruit, employ, and retain our nation’s veterans
• The 2022 VETS Indexes Employer Awards, which honor nearly 120 organizations of all stripes: large national employers, nonprofits, and universities, government agencies, small businesses, and more.

MOAA was pleased to receive both a HIRE Vets Medallion (Gold) and VET Indexes Award (Recognized Employers). The honors “demonstrate MOAA is not only the premier advocacy organization for the broader uniformed services community, but also a great workplace that exemplifies our unparalleled commitment to attracting, hiring, and retaining veterans,” said Lt. Col. Ginni Guiton, USA (Ret), MOAA’s senior director for human resources.

(Note: MOAA will be among the participating employers at MOAA’s Virtual Career Fair featuring academia, nonprofit, and research employment on Sept. 15. Register today.)

For transitioning uniformed servicemembers, choosing your new civilian employer may be your first opportunity ever to select your own boss – think about the power in that!