Veteran Hiring Guides
Practical, no-nonsense guides for employers — how to hire veterans, read a military resume, understand clearances, and build a team that stays.
Hiring & Recruiting Guides
How to Hire Veterans: A Complete Guide for Employers
A practical, step-by-step playbook for employers, hiring managers, and talent acquisition teams who want to attract, recruit and retain military talent.
Read the guide GuideDoD SkillBridge for Employers: A Practical Guide
Host transitioning service members as interns at no salary cost to you, and build a pipeline of proven talent.
Read the guide GuideThe Veteran Hiring Tax Credit (WOTC): Employer Guide
The federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit (up to $9,600 per qualified veteran) lapsed for hires who start after December 31, 2025. What it covered, and what to do until Congress acts.
Read the guide GuideGI Bill On-the-Job Training: A Guide for Minnesota Employers
How Minnesota employers get a job approved for GI Bill on-the-job training, what the veteran is paid, state placement credits of up to $1,000, and WOTC.
Read the guide GuideWhat Does It Cost to Hire Through a Veteran Staffing Agency?
A straight-talking breakdown of recruiting agency fees, fee models, and the ROI math, so you can budget a hire with confidence.
Read the guide GuideSecurity Clearance Levels Explained: Secret, Top Secret & TS/SCI
An employer's plain-spoken reference to Confidential, Secret, Top Secret and TS/SCI, how candidates are vetted, and why pre-cleared talent is worth the premium.
Read the guide GuideHow to Translate Military Experience into Civilian Roles
A practical guide for hiring managers who want to read a military resume accurately and hire the talent hiding behind the jargon.
Read the guide GuideContingency vs. Retained Search: Which Fits Veteran Hiring?
A plain-spoken decision guide for employers weighing recruiting fee models against the role they actually need to fill.
Read the guide GuideHow to Onboard and Retain Veteran Employees
A post-hire playbook for HR and hiring managers: the first 90 days, mentorship, and what actually drives veteran retention.
Read the guide GuideEmploying Guard and Reserve Members in Minnesota
What USERRA and Minnesota law require when an employee serves in the Guard or Reserve: drill scheduling, leave, pay and military family leave.
Read the guide GuideThe HIRE Vets Medallion Award: Criteria, Fees and the 2027 Application
HIRE Vets Medallion criteria by employer size and tier, the 2026 fees, the January 31 to April 30, 2027 window, and what an application takes to document.
Read the guide GuideVeterans' Preference for Private Employers, State by State
Which states let private employers give veterans hiring preference, what each law requires, a policy template and legal cautions.
Read the guide DataVeteran Hiring Statistics (2026): The Numbers
Cited veteran unemployment, retention, tax-credit, and talent-pool figures — every stat linked to its source.
Read the guide ComparisonVeteran Staffing Agency vs. a General Staffing Agency
How a military-focused search compares on candidate quality, retention, and fit for hard-to-fill roles.
Read the guide ComparisonVeteran Staffing Agency vs. Job Boards
What Indeed and LinkedIn really cost you in screening time — and when a veteran-focused search pays for itself.
Read the guide ComparisonVeteran Staffing Agency vs. In-House Recruiting
A clear cost, speed, and expertise breakdown of when to outsource military hiring and when to build it.
Read the guide ComparisonDirect Hire vs. Contract-to-Hire vs. Temp-to-Hire
Cost, risk, benefits, and who each model attracts, including transitioning veterans.
Read the guideCareer Guides & Free Tools
The Military-to-Civilian Resume Guide
Translate your MOS, quantify impact, drop the jargon, and get a resume past the applicant-tracking filters.
Read the guide Veteran GuideVeteran Interview Preparation
Use the STAR method to turn service into civilian stories, say “I” not “we,” and handle the classics.
Read the guide Veteran GuideSalary Negotiation for Veterans
Find your real market number, counter an offer professionally, and weigh the whole package.
Read the guide Veteran GuideMilitary Rank in Civilian Terms
Every pay grade from E-1 to O-6 in civilian terms, with basic pay, Minneapolis BAH and BLS pay for the matching jobs.
Read the guide Veteran GuideLinkedIn for Veterans
Write a civilian headline, translate your service, load the right keywords, and get found by recruiters.
Read the guide Veteran GuideYour First 90 Days in a Civilian Job
Read civilian workplace culture fast, build relationships on purpose, and earn trust early.
Read the guide Free ToolCareer-Fit Quiz
Answer five quick questions and see which civilian industries and roles match your military experience.
Take the quiz Free ToolInterview STAR Builder
Turn one real example into a polished Situation-Task-Action-Result answer you can reuse in any interview.
Open the toolVA Benefits & Money
VA Combined Rating Calculator
VA combines ratings, it doesn’t add them. See your real combined rating and every step of the math.
Open the tool VA BenefitsCan I Work While on VA Disability?
Most VA disability ratings have no income limit. TDIU is the exception. What the rules actually say, with links to…
Read the guide VA BenefitsVA Disability Ratings Explained
How VA disability ratings work: the 0-100% scale, why ratings combine instead of adding, the bilateral factor, and…
Read the guide VA BenefitsHow to File a VA Disability Claim
How to file a VA disability claim: intent to file, evidence, C&P exam, timelines and appeal options. Accredited VSOs…
Read the guide VA BenefitsVeteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E, Chapter 31)
How VA's Veteran Readiness and Employment program works: who qualifies, the five tracks, subsistence pay, and the…
Read the guide VA BenefitsUsing the GI Bill: A Practical Guide
How the Post-9/11 and Montgomery GI Bills work: benefit tiers, housing allowance, Yellow Ribbon, transferring to…
Read the guide VA BenefitsWhat Your Military Pay Is Really Worth in Civilian Terms
How to convert military base pay, BAH and BAS into an equivalent civilian salary using Regular Military Compensation…
Read the guideYour Rights at Work
USERRA: Your Reemployment Rights Explained
How USERRA protects your civilian job when you serve: who qualifies, the 5-year limit, return deadlines, health…
Read the guide Your RightsVeterans' Preference in Federal Hiring
How 5-point and 10-point veterans' preference works for federal jobs, how it differs from VRA and VEOA, and the…
Read the guide Your RightsDisability Accommodations at Work: A Veteran's Guide
What the ADA requires, how to request a workplace accommodation, what an employer may and may not ask about your…
Read the guideLeaving the Military
DD-214 Explained: What It Is and How to Get It
What the DD-214 records, which copy you need on the old and 2022 editions, how to request it from milConnect or the National Archives,…
Read the guide TransitionMilitary Separation Checklist: Your Final 12 Months
A month-by-month checklist for your last year in uniform: TAP deadlines, SkillBridge, the VA BDD claim window,…
Read the guide TransitionDischarge Upgrades and Military Record Corrections
Discharge upgrades explained: DRB vs. BCM/NR, DD Form 293 vs. DD Form 149, the 15-year deadline, VA character of…
Read the guide TransitionStarting a Civilian Job While on Terminal Leave
You stay on active duty until your separation date. What the rules allow for private, federal and state jobs on terminal leave, and what employers need.
Read the guide TransitionYour Second Civilian Job: Move Up or Move On
For veterans 6 to 36 months into a first civilian job: moving up, rewriting your résumé, searching quietly, using leftover GI Bill and negotiating pay.
Read the guide TransitionHow to Verify a LockLeed Recruiter and Spot Veteran Job Scams
How veterans can check that a LockLeed job or recruiter is real, the job scams the FTC and FBI warn about, and where to report one. Free for candidates.
Read the guide TransitionData Center Careers for Veterans in Minnesota
How 91D, 12R, 25B, EM, ET and Air Force power and comms jobs map to data center roles, plus Minnesota electrical licensing and BLS pay.
Read the guideFor Military Families
Military Spouse Employment: Programs and Portability
Tuition help, employer partners, professional license portability after a PCS, federal spouse hiring, and remote…
Read the guide FamilySurvivor & Caregiver Benefits: A Family Guide
DIC, Survivors Pension, SBP, burial benefits, Chapter 35, Fry Scholarship and the VA caregiver stipend. Rates and…
Read the guideCredentials & Certifications
Getting Certified on the Military's Dime: COOL, Credentialing Assistance & the GI Bill
Which pot pays for your certification: service Credentialing Assistance, GI Bill test reimbursement, or VET TEC 2.0…
Read the guide CertificationsOSHA 10 and OSHA 30 for Veterans
OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 for veterans: which card to take, real cost and time, how to spot fake cards, and how to get it…
Read the guide CertificationsCompTIA Security+ for Veterans (and the A+ / Network+ Path)
How A+, Network+ and Security+ work for veterans: DoD 8140 rules, exam format, recert fees, and which programs pay —…
Read the guide CertificationsPMP and CAPM for Veterans
PMP and CAPM for veterans: eligibility tiers, how military experience counts, the PMI audit, PDU renewal, and how to…
Read the guide CertificationsSupply Chain Certifications for Veterans: CPIM, CLTD and CSCP
CPIM, CLTD or CSCP? Which ASCM credential fits your MOS, what the 2026 exams involve, and how to get one paid for.
Read the guide CertificationsLean Six Sigma for Veterans: Belts, Bodies and What Actually Counts
Which Six Sigma belt is worth paying for, which certifying bodies employers respect, and how service members and…
Read the guide CertificationsFAA Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) Certificate for Veterans
How military aircraft maintainers turn service experience into an FAA A&P certificate: Form 8610-2, JSAMTCC, the…
Read the guide CertificationsGetting Your CDL as a Veteran
The Military Skills Test Waiver lets qualifying veterans skip the CDL road test. Eligibility, the one-year window,…
Read the guide CertificationsASE Certification for Veterans (Automotive and Diesel)
ASE certification for military mechanics: how service counts toward experience, real 2026 test costs,…
Read the guide CertificationsEPA 608 and HVAC Certifications for Veterans
EPA 608 is federally required to handle refrigerant. Which type to take, how the exam works, and whether CA or the…
Read the guide CertificationsWelding Certifications for Veterans: AWS, CWI and Structural Codes
AWS welder qualification vs the CWI credential: prerequisites, the three-part exam, renewal, costs, and how veterans…
Read the guide CertificationsCisco CCNA and Network Certifications for Veterans
CCNA for military network backgrounds: verified exam costs, Network+ comparison, CCNP timing, labs, and which…
Read the guide CertificationsMaintenance & Reliability Certifications for Veterans: CMRP and CMRT
CMRP and CMRT for veterans: 2026 exam fees, veteran rates, recertification rules, and how service Credentialing…
Read the guide CertificationsMilitary Medic to Civilian Healthcare in Minnesota
How 68W, HM, 4N0X1 and 68C medics become EMTs, paramedics, CNAs, LPNs and RNs in Minnesota: the licensing rules, compacts, NCLEX and pay.
Read the guideReady to Hire Veteran Talent?
LockLeed delivers vetted, mission-ready veteran finalists — nationwide. A Search Engagement Fee starts your search and is credited in full toward the placement fee.