Understanding Military Skillsets: How to Ask About Experience as an Employer
When it comes down to it, interviewing military veterans for a job isn’t all that different than interviewing civilians. The goal of the interview is to get to know the candidate better and determine whether they are a good fit for the role and for the organization.
When interviewing military veterans, it’s best to focus the first part of the interview on the candidate’s military experience.
Start with basic questions like:
- Which service branch were you in and what made you decide to join?
- What was your specialty (MOS) and what duties did that entail?
- What is/was your rank? (and) Did you have direct reports?
If you have difficulty understanding a candidate's military background, consider asking something like, **“Here is what the job requires – will you help me understand how your skills and experience fit?”**
Other ways to assess a transitioning veteran are to ask about awards/medals that have been awarded. This provides a great chance to explore the candidate’s performance in the military. If they finished at the top in Boot Camp, Officer’s Candidate School, or MOS training, they are likely to be a great candidate!
**Did you miss parts 1-3 of this series? [Start here.](https://recruitmilitary.com/employers/resource/388-understanding-military-skillsets-part-i)**