HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Any type of life transition can be difficult, especially when it’s going from being an active-duty service member to a veteran but finding a civilian job can be a bit easier in a veteran-friendly town like Huntsville.
Still Serving Veterans, a non-profit based in Huntsville, is here to help along with Hiring Our Heroes.
“I moved to San Diego. I was stationed there for seven years and I just recently returned in July of this year,” said Hayley Blair, who is a security and privacy compliance analyst with ADTRAN.
Hayley Blair is a U.S. Navy veteran who returned to Sweet Home Alabama and is now living in Huntsville.
“I knew I wanted to live here. I was talking to a realtor and she said that her husband is a veteran and he used Still Serving Veterans,” said Blair. The rest is history.
Blair says SSV helped her reconstruct her resume and soon after, she was working at ADTRAN.
The Rocket City is known as a veteran-friendly town with about 300 veteran-owned businesses. But no matter your employment goals, there’s a little bit of something for everyone.
“We have jobs open in just about any industry you can think of, whether that be manufacturing, defense contracting, aerospace,” said Hiring Our Heroes program manager Preston M. Webb. “Not only do we have all those opportunities here in Huntsville, but all those places are hiring right now.”
Preston Webb is the program manager for Hiring Our Heroes.
“We are a DOD SkillBridge approved program, which means that we are a program that allows current active duty service members that are transitioning out of the military to basically have a chance to get real-world, hands-on experience in a civilian job and they can do it all while they are still on active duty orders.”
Webb is also a veteran, who served with the Alabama Army National Guard and was raised in the Rocket City.
“We’re a very veteran-friendly, you know, me being from Huntsville, all of my friends’ parents relocated here from other parts of the country and they never left because Huntsville is just a really cool place,” said Webb.
Huntsville is a city where most want to give veterans what they deserve.
“Don’t be afraid to move and don’t be afraid to try new things, especially here in Huntsville,” said Blair. “There’s a big supportive community who will help you.”
If you’re a veteran who is new to the area and have yet to get acclimated, Still Serving Veterans can help you, too. Click here for more information.
They have everything from career and transition services to educational workshops and VA assistance.
