Veterans are a resource for Bitcoin – Bitcoin Magazine
This is an opinion editorial by Mickey Koss, a West Point graduate with a degree in economics. He spent four years in the infantry before transferring to the finance corps.
In the spirit of Veterans Day, I’d like to take some time to talk about the veteran community and how it can serve as a strategic asset in our quest for hyperbitcoinization.
I hear jokes all the time about what people want to be when they grow up and get a proper job. I’ve heard it from both 19-year-old privates and 45-year-old colonels with decades of service under their belts. No one can stay forever. So what do I do when a service member inevitably decides it’s time to go?
Bitcoin.
Community and culture
One of the hardest things about leaving the military is leaving society and culture. I think that may be one of the driving factors in the veteran suicide epidemic.
One problem is that many veterans are not looking for a new job or a new career. They are looking for a new mission, a new community, a new sense of purpose and belonging. Something that seems to be lacking in so many places, as evidenced by the prevalence of suicide. It’s hard to feel like a member of a team when you and your former co-workers are willingly risking their lives for each other; sometimes as a routine part of the job.
Bitcoin fixes this. I think Bitcoin companies can fill that gap, forming a symbiotic relationship with an already driven and freedom-loving subset of the population.
Stories like Aleksandar Svetski’s recent “Responsibility Step Up” article are incredibly appealing to most service members I know. The culture and community I have found in the Bitcoin space is a perfect fit for a transitioning veteran. The radical responsibility, the laser-like focus on the mission, the values of freedom and self-sovereignty match perfectly.
Veterans may just be one of the biggest untapped resources for many companies in the space. Here’s how you can start building relationships with them for up to six months without risk.
Ministry of Defense Skillbridge
Each year, more than 200,000 service members leave the military, according to the Department of Defense’s Skillbridge website. As a benefit of the service, members receive up to 180 days of fully paid administrative leave during the last six months of active duty to participate in special internships and training programs. A fairly good overview has already been written here.
Although employers are required to actually intend to hire these individuals, it gives companies not only a long, risk-free trial period, but an opportunity to train a new employee without having to foot the bill. With employee turnover being one of the most expensive costs for a company, why not take the chance to select and groom a potential veteran on someone else’s dime?
DOD Skillbridge has some different rules and caveats with each branch of service. Companies can register to receive cohorts or work one to one selective internships. For companies and individuals who are interested, you can find official information here.
Hire our hero organization
Hiring Our Heroes is a DOD and Department of Commerce partnership that works hand-in-hand with the Skillbridge program. In addition to community programs, they also help facilitate recruiting events and job fairs in areas surrounding military installations. For companies, Hiring Our Heroes helps navigate the DOD Skillbridge process and helps recruit talent that companies seek. For individuals, Hiring Our Heroes helps veterans navigate the DOD Skillbridge process and helps them find a company that aligns with their future career goals. Think of them as a useful marketplace.
They also have many resources on their website to help you through the process like the Veteran Employer Roadmap which explains the long process and opportunities service members go through on their way out the door.
I have been told by a friend who recently did a Skillbridge with one of the large listed mining companies that companies that have existing relationships with Hiring Our Heroes are much more likely to be approved through official channels for Skillbridge internships.
End of mission
I know many Bitcoiners who disagree with America’s role in global conflict over the past two decades. Know that soldiers do not choose the battle they are placed in. Many volunteered in the wake of 9/11, out of a sense of patriotic duty. Others of necessity for job training or citizenship. I have seen and served with all types. Obviously, no two service members are the same, but many were drawn to the military to support the values of liberty, freedom and individual responsibility. They swore to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, which is a code-based system. The transition to the Bitcoin code-based system that encourages the same values is very natural.
While many may not have formal education in the traditional sense, I’d take a good, experienced NCO for an operations manager role or something similar any day of the week. The discipline and ability to learn, adapt and lead is ingrained in them. Most already have the values and many of the skills that Bitcoin companies are looking for. The Skillbridge program is a way for low-risk businesses to realize this and seize that talent.
Bear markets are for building. Reach out to hire our heroes and build your talent.
This is a guest post by Mickey Koss. Opinions expressed are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of BTC Inc. or Bitcoin Magazine.
