Hiring a Veteran

military-doctorThe City of Houston Office of Veterans Affairs’ mission is to assist Houston in becoming the best city in the nation through unparalleled service to our serving military, veterans, and their families.  Why is Houston such a great place for veterans to live and work? Houston has a robust economy and companies are looking to hire veterans. The oil and gas industry, the Port of Houston, the Medical Center, IT firms, auto sales and maintenance, construction, banking, the service industries, real estate and the list goes on. Houston is growing and they are looking to hire veterans.

Several other factors contribute to Houston becoming an ideal location for veterans to work and live.  The dream of owning a home is a reality. Houston has historically had one of the stronger metropolitan markets in the country, mainly due to lower home prices. In addition, Houston has a Veteran’s Regional Hospital with additional clinics in the area. Tri-Care providers, US Family Health Plan, a world renowned Medical Center has veteran hiring programs.

Military veterans have an advantage when it comes to applying for work in the city of Houston.  First of all, the City Council implemented an initiative that gives hiring preferences to veterans. It was voted on unanimously by the City Council.   If you have a veteran and a non-veteran, you hire the veteran. Veterans are the only group to receive such preference in the city’s hiring process.

Harris County is home to an estimated 190,000 veterans, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs data. These men and women coming out of the service are focused; they’re disciplined, and are a benefit to the city of Houston. Similar veteran hiring preferences exist in other states and the federal government. The need for a hiring preference was reinforced by the experiences of soldiers with Houston’s 72nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, a Texas National Guard unit that returned from Iraq.

Houston, like the military, is a demographic melting pot of diverse cultures and people. So are our food and our entertainment. This makes Houston very attractive to returning veterans. We get it. Houston is the second largest provider city for the all-volunteer military in America. Over 300,000 veterans call the Greater Houston Area home. Veterans take care of each other and the community embraces their vets.

Source: “Office of Veterans Affairs Home Page.” Office of Veterans Affairs Home Page. Web. 15 July 2013.

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