It’s a brutal number: 70% of veterans are underemployed or unemployed in their first year back in civilian life. That’s a 2024 finding from the National Veteran Transition Services Center, and it shows that for all our talk, we’re failing to connect highly skilled people with real jobs. They’re left to figure out a confusing job market alone. So how does something like the Pilot’s Miles of Good campaign actually fix this? How does it deliver real career help for people who’ve served, instead of just being another nice gesture?
Key Takeaways
- A 70% unemployment and underemployment rate hits veterans in their first year after service, showing the problem is as bad as ever.
- Fundraising campaigns like Pilot’s Miles of Good aim to close the gap between a veteran’s skills and what civilian employers are looking for.
- Real career help for veterans means targeted, practical support for things like getting credentials, building a network, and translating their skills.
- Airline miles and other donations directly pay for training and mentorship that lead to a job.
- Keeping a job is as important as getting one, so support needs to focus on career sustainability, not just day-one placement, to help veterans succeed long-term.
The 70% Underemployment Rate: A Deeper Look at Skill Translation
That 70% underemployment or unemployment rate from the NVTSC 2024 Veteran Employment Report isn’t a reflection of ability. It’s a failure of translation. Veterans leave the service with incredible skills in leadership, discipline, and problem-solving, but employers don’t speak the same language. They see a military occupational code (MOS) or an Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) on a resume and have no idea it translates to the exact skills they need, so they pass on a perfect candidate. This is why the Pilot’s Miles of Good campaign funds concrete programs like skill translation workshops and civilian resume building, to make sure a veteran’s experience is written in a way corporate recruiters actually understand.
I see it all the time. A vet with a decade of high-stakes logistics experience can move anything anywhere, but their resume gets tossed because they don’t use buzzwords like “inventory optimization.” They managed massive operations under fire, but they don’t know the civilian HR code. The programs that Miles of Good funds are a functional part of a real transition, building a bridge that helps that 70% get across a gap they shouldn’t have to jump alone.
| Feature | Pilot’s Miles of Good Campaign | Typical Veteran Transition Programs | General Fundraising Campaigns |
|---|---|---|---|
| Addresses 70% Underemployment | ✓ Yes | ✗ No (persists despite) | ✗ No (not targeted) |
| Funds Skill Translation Workshops | ✓ Yes | ✗ No (implied gap) | ✗ No |
| Covers Credentialing Costs ($10,000 avg) | ✓ Yes | ✗ No (financial barrier) | ✗ No |
| Supports Networking Opportunities | ✓ Yes | ✗ No (scarce civilian networks) | ✗ No |
| Focus on Post-Service Sustainability | ✓ Yes | Partial (initial placement focus) | ✗ No |
| Leverages Airline Miles for Donations | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Data-Driven Interventions | ✓ Yes | ✗ No (inadequate support) | ✗ No |
The $10,000 Gap: The Cost of Credentialing and Certification
Then there’s the money problem. A 2023 study from the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) found it costs a vet about $10,000 on average to get the civilian credentials needed for a good technical job. That’s a huge barrier if you’re just out of the service and supporting a family. A military police officer with a decade of experience still needs state-specific security certifications to get a decent corporate security gig, and those courses, exams, and licenses add up. That $10,000 is the price of admission to a stable career.
So the Pilot’s Miles of Good campaign takes donations, including converted airline miles, and turns them into grants that cover these costs. It’s about removing a roadblock that keeps skilled people out of the jobs they’ve earned. Without that piece of paper, a highly trained veteran might end up in a low-wage job, stuck in the underemployment cycle. Paying for that certification is a practical investment that pays off for the vet, their family, and the economy.
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The 15-Minute Network: The Power of Mentorship and Connections
A 2025 LinkedIn Veterans’ Employment Report (LinkedIn 2025 Report) found something fascinating: vets who landed a job within three months had an average of 15 meaningful networking conversations first. That number shows how much professional connections matter, and it’s a resource most transitioning service members just don’t have. They come from a world with clear structure and hierarchy into a civilian job market that runs on informal chats and who you know. It’s a completely different game.
This is why the Pilot’s Miles of Good campaign funds programs that create these networking chances. We’re talking about veteran-specific job fairs and mentorship programs that connect a separating service member with someone who’s already made it in their target industry. These are structured settings where vets can build real professional relationships and get a feel for corporate culture. I’ve seen one good conversation do more than a hundred résumés sent into the void. We have to create those chances, and that’s exactly what Miles of Good funds.
The 6-Month Retention Rate: Beyond Placement to Sustainability
Getting a vet a job is only half the battle. A 2024 VA study (VA Employment Retention Study 2024) shows that only 60% of veterans are still in their first civilian job after six months. That’s a huge turnover problem. It means getting them in the door isn’t enough. The job has to fit, the employer has to get it, and there needs to be support. Often the problem is a culture mismatch or an employer who doesn’t understand what they have in their new hire.
The long-term thinking behind the Pilot’s Miles of Good campaign is what makes it different. Money goes to post-employment coaching and employer education programs, not just placement services. This helps vets adjust to the civilian workplace and helps companies build an environment where vets can actually succeed. A real transition means a career path, not just a job for a few months. Putting money into these retention programs, which most initiatives ignore, is how you make sure the initial investment actually sticks.
Challenging Conventional Wisdom: Why “Hire a Vet” Isn’t Enough
You hear it all the time: ‘Hire a vet.’ While the intention is good, this slogan completely misses the point of post-service career development. Telling companies to ‘hire a vet’ without fixing the skill translation, credentialing, and networking problems is like telling someone to run a marathon without shoes. The problem is the systemic barriers they’re facing.
In my experience, just pushing companies to hire vets leads directly to that 6-month retention problem. A company hires someone, feels good about it, but there’s no support system for the vet or the manager, so it falls apart. We have to recognize their skills and invest in the specific tools that help them use those skills in a corporate setting. The Pilot’s Miles of Good campaign does this by funding those specific, practical interventions. It’s about setting vets up for a lasting career. This focused method is a much better path for real veteran career development.
The Pilot’s Miles of Good campaign gives people a direct way to help, turning something like unused airline miles into actual career resources. Because it’s focused on the specific, data-backed problems vets have, every dollar or mile donated goes toward programs that build lasting careers, not temporary fixes.
What is the primary goal of the Pilot’s Miles of Good campaign?
To fund complete career development for veterans by tackling skill translation, credentialing costs, networking, and job retention. The aim is to solve the underemployment problem for good.
How does the campaign address the 70% veteran underemployment rate?
It funds workshops and tools that help veterans translate their military skills for civilian resumes and interviews, closing the communication gap that leads to them being overlooked.
Can donated airline miles truly make a difference for veterans?
Yes. Miles are converted to cash that directly pays for certification scholarships, mentorship programs, and courses that vets need to land a good civilian job.
What kind of career development support does the campaign provide beyond initial job placement?
The campaign funds post-employment coaching for the veteran, education for their employer, and peer support networks to make sure the job sticks and turns into a career.
Why is “Hiring a Vet” not considered a complete solution by the campaign’s philosophy?
Because it’s a well-meaning slogan that ignores the real barriers: skill translation, credentialing costs, and the lack of a civilian network. Our approach funds targeted programs to fix those specific problems.
