This Veterans Day, look beyond the military job title

A practical question for Sandhills employers: Can a candidate’s experience count even when the job title is unfamiliar?

An Army infantryman may not have the civilian job title a local employer is looking for. But depending on the individual’s assignments, that veteran may have trained teams, coordinated complex operations, maintained accountability for equipment and made decisions under pressure. The title tells only part of the story.

That is worth considering across the Sandhills, where military service and civilian communities intersect. Employers in Moore, Lee and Harnett counties compete for capable people, while service members and military families look for ways to build careers beyond military service. One obstacle can be as basic as the language used to describe experience.

Sergeant TAP, a military-to-civilian career technology platform, reviewed 100 public job postings in 10 military-heavy U.S. markets, including the nearby Fayetteville/Fort Bragg market. The research snapshot was completed September 25, 2026, and concentrated on operations, logistics, maintenance, warehousing, coordination and related jobs where military experience might reasonably be relevant.

Only six of the 100 postings explicitly recognized military experience in their qualification language. Thirty-four permitted some form of equivalent or substitute experience, but often without saying whether military service qualified. The review was exploratory, not a random sample, and does not establish how employers nationwide hire veterans or how recruiters actually evaluate applications. It describes what these particular postings said.

That distinction matters. A company may welcome veteran applicants and still leave someone who served wondering whether managing supply records, troubleshooting equipment or supervising personnel in uniform meets a civilian experience requirement. Neither a military title nor the words ‘equivalent experience’ settle that question on their own.

The solution does not require employers to lower standards. It starts with making those standards easier to understand. If relevant military experience satisfies an experience requirement, say so in the posting. Ask candidates to describe what they actually did, how many people or resources they were responsible for, the equipment and systems they used, and the results they achieved. Apply the same evidence-based criteria to military and civilian applicants. Where a license or credential is required, make that clear as well; military experience does not automatically replace it.

The same approach can help people who are leaving military service. A Navy logistics specialist, for example, may have experience with inventory, procurement support and property accountability. An Army combat medic may have experience with patient assessment, records and emergency response. The details vary from person to person, which is why translating the experience accurately matters more than assigning automatic qualifications based on a specialty code.

To encourage that conversation, Sergeant TAP is preparing ‘Operation 11:11’ for Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11, at 11:11 a.m. Eastern. The campaign will illustrate transferable capabilities associated with 11 military occupations across all six service branches. It is intended as a prompt to ask better questions, not as a claim that every person in a given military specialty is qualified for a particular civilian job.

The technology behind Sergeant TAP helps service members describe military experience in civilian language, prepare resumes and explore potentially relevant career opportunities. The platform is free for service members, veterans and military spouses. Employers can learn more at sergeanttap.com.

Veterans Day gives communities a moment to recognize military service. The following morning offers a chance to put that appreciation into practice, one more clearly written job posting and one more thoughtful conversation at a time.

“On Veterans Day, we thank them for what they’ve done. On November 12, let’s recognize what they can do.”

Nov. 12, 2026

Andrew Reilley

Andrew Reilley is the founder of Sergeant TAP, a workforce technology platform focused on translating military experience into civilian career opportunities and helping employers and communities better understand military-connected talent. He works on the practical challenges of military-to-civilian career translation, job-posting clarity and regional workforce connection. Learn more at sergeanttap.com.

EDITORIAL NOTES  |  Submitted for Veterans Day 2026. Research: September 25, 2026 snapshot; sample of 100 postings. Campaign image supplied separately is an AI-generated illustrative composite, not a photograph of identified service members. Photo credit for author headshot: Courtesy of Andrew Reilley.