Three industries comprise nearly half of all veteran job searches after leaving active duty, according to the 2018 Veteran Hiring survey released today by Monster and Military.com. The three sectors veterans are most interested in pursuing jobs in are information technology/information services at 17%; defense technologies at 16%; and government at 15%.

When it comes to translating military skills and communicating those skills to employers, more than 67% of respondents said they did not feel like they found work at a comparable level to their military service, and 55% felt recruiters and HR professionals didn't understand their military skills. And 33% of veteran respondents still feel underemployed today.

The majority of veterans, 94%, look for a job after leaving the military, according to the survey. Most veterans, 66%, said they prepared for a job before leaving active duty, but 63% spent just three months or less preparing to find their next job.

Veterans also disclosed the factors that they consider when looking at potential employers. Among their top considerations are:

• Companies that accept military training in place of civilian credentials: 79%
• Have a proven track record of hiring veterans: 74%
• Have recruiters who are veterans themselves: 64%
• Offer special veteran onboarding programs: 60%
• Provide a support group for veteran employees: 60%

“These survey results tell us that while employers want to hire veterans and veterans want to find work, the employers are not fully aware of the skills the veteran is bringing with them from the military,” said Steve Jordon, who leads the US TechVets.org program, which focuses on accelerating veteran and military spouse employment. “This is a classic case of ‘lost in translation’ and both sides need better tools to understand each other. The data also tells us we have an opportunity to find new ways to equip military personnel for their job search before they leave the service."

The nationwide online survey included 305 veterans who have been out of active duty for less than 10 years. The survey was fielded by Ipsos between Sept. 5 and Sept. 10.

Monster today also announced its annual “Best Companies for Veterans” list of companies that offer superior veteran hiring, onboarding and retention programs. The list is based on nominations by veteran hiring experts and self-reported data from the nominees on hiring and onboarding practices, with a focus on percentage of 2018 hires that were veterans and total percentage of the workforce composed of veterans. For each of the winners, at least 18% of hires in 2018 are veterans — up 20% over last year — and at least 17% of their total workforce are veterans, up from 15% last year. The top 10 firms are:

1. ManTech
2. CACI International Inc.
3. US Customs and Border Protection
4. Booz Allen Hamilton
5. PRISM INC.
6. Lockheed Martin Corp.
7. Intelligent Waves LLC
8. Union Pacific
9. BAE Systems
10. Schneider