Employers have made a commitment to hiring veterans, but are still struggling to get past certain stereotypes associated with those transitioning into civilian life, according to Scott Sanders, president and CEO of National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA).

“I think one of the challenges is to get employers over some of the stereotypes that get placed on veterans when they come back from serving in a foreign combat zone. I think that’s part of helping them understand how to treat a vet and how to reward a vet,” explains Sanders.

WorkingNation sat down with Sanders at the NASWA Veterans Conference in Washington, D.C., the organization’s annual conference around hiring in the military-connected community.

Another important issue is helping veterans themselves understand how to better translate the skills they’ve acquired in the military into civilian terms. “We need to take this from military speak and actually put it into plain English, a common language. I think that is one of the biggest challenges for individuals coming out of the military – to put [your resume] into a language where everybody can understand and then an employer can see, you are a perfect fit and you can fit in there.”

Learn more about the National Association of State Workforce Agencies.