Don't Forget, Hire the Vet

That was an oft-repeated public service message from my youth, one that is burned in my memory. With Veterans' Day now behind us, it is worth remembering that the financial services industry has had a longstanding interest in hiring people with military experience. That interest extends to virtually all careers within the industry, but especially financial advisor positions. In short, the financial services industry has a history of valuing people with military experience as focused, hard-working self-starters.

Indeed, during my time at Merrill Lynch, there even was a recruiter who focused exclusively on bringing ex-military people into financial advisor training programs. More than a few of the high achievers in management, meanwhile, had military backgrounds themselves. Some were graduates of the service academies. Others were officers in the reserves. This list was lengthy.

The bottom line: in this tough job market, those of you with military backgrounds would do well to give the financial services industry a close look, and to highlight that aspect of your resume.