Randstad RiseSmart works with Wounded Warrior Project to empower veterans seeking employment amid pandemic

SAN JOSE, Calif., July 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In support of National Hire A Veteran Day on July 25, Randstad RiseSmart, the world's fastest-growing career transition and talent mobility provider, announced that it is teaming up with Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP), a nonprofit organization that supports post-9/11 wounded veterans and their families. RiseSmart is the exclusive provider for resumes to WWP wounded veterans transitioning to the civilian workforce and warriors who have recently been laid off due to the financial strain of the COVID-19 pandemic. The resume writing services are also available to the veterans' spouses and children over the age of 18 as part of WWP's career counseling program, Warriors to Work^®.

RiseSmart is also participating in a series of regional career events hosted by WWP and Randstad's Veteran Center of Excellence to help veterans fine-tune their interview skills, personal branding and professional value propositions. These sessions were developed to accelerate employment and set veterans up for success in today's particularly tough job market.    

The company's support is provided by a specialized team of RiseSmart resume writers that includes former military personnel, veteran transition specialists, military spouses and veteran employment coordinators.

"We are grateful for RiseSmart's support as we open up new opportunities for America's warriors to advance their professional lives and raise awareness among business leaders about the value veterans add to the civilian workforce," said Bryan Rollins, director of WWP's Warriors to Work program. "Their service to our country can never be repaid, but through career support programs we can honor these warriors and their families as they find fulfilling jobs and achieve success in their careers."

In 2019, the veteran unemployment rate hit a historic low of 3.1 percent, but with the COVID-19 pandemic causing mass layoffs and company closures nationwide, veteran unemployment increased to 8.8 percent in June, resulting in nearly one million veterans filing for unemployment benefits.

On top of the jobless rate rising, veteran retention continues to remain an issue for many employers. A recent study found that nearly half of veterans left their first job in less than 12 months and over 65 percent did so within two years. The disconnect lies with veterans not properly aligning their skillsets with employment opportunities and employers not fully understanding how to translate military experience into civilian terms, leading to many veterans accepting the first job offers they receive.

RiseSmart's resume writers understand how to help job seekers position important skills and turn them into assets that employers need and can easily identify. Through individualized sessions, veterans receive professional advice on how to effectively leverage their military experience to craft professional resumes that will help them land jobs and build successful careers.

"We are proud to work with Wounded Warrior Project and assist the men and women who have served our country so bravely," said Dan Davenport, president and general manager of Randstad RiseSmart. "As these warriors look to re-enter the civilian workforce or bounce back from a pandemic-related layoff, it is important that they articulate all the skills they bring to the table. Our team of writers tailor resumes for each warrior and their individual employment goals. They highlight the skills that are most relevant to civilian employers and frame military accomplishments to demonstrate the depth of each warrior's skillset to recruiters. Not only is this joint effort helping move veterans forward in their careers, but it is also aiming to change how employers engage with and hire veterans."

About Randstad RiseSmart

Randstad RiseSmart is the fastest-growing career transition and talent mobility provider, and operating company of Randstad N.V., a ?23.8 billion global provider of flexible work and human resources services, that helps more than two million candidates find meaningful work every year. Our outplacement, career development, redeployment and contemporary tech & touch solutions strengthen employer brands, improve retention and re-engage talent. Employers hire us because we deliver superior outcomes through expert coaching, professional branding, contemporary resources and on-demand analytics. Today, we are a trusted human partner of successful companies in more than 40 industries. Our passion and dedication to innovation, responsiveness and results have earned us extensive recognition and awards from organizations such as Bersin by Deloitte, Gartner Inc., the Brandon Hall Group and Fortune magazine. For more information, visit www.randstadrisesmart.com.

SOURCE Randstad RiseSmart