Veterans Help Fellow Soldiers Find Footing Upon Returning Home

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD – Returning to civilian life after being deployed is a challenge for many in the military. Finding employment also can be a problem, but Washington, D.C., residents Susan and Adam Gonzales strive to help fellow veterans who find themselves in this difficult situation. The couple launched SilentProfessionals.org, a career services platform that pairs veterans with private security positions, helping veterans attain gainful employment and a means to support themselves in their civilian life.

In just one year, an estimated 2,000 vets landed new jobs through SilentProfessionals.org. Susan Gonzales told Patch that when she first met her husband Adam, he shared how he struggled to find employment after spending more than a decade with the military engaged in war.

“After a few years of some extreme lows, he finally found his footing in the private security sector and found that it is a thriving industry that very much needs skill sets like his. I realized that while there are many resources out there for veterans seeking employment, they all seemed to focus on re-training veterans to learn new skills instead of taking advantage of the skills they already possess. There are incredible skills and attributes that our combat veterans gain that can never be acquired in a classroom or corporate environment. I started this organization not because I felt sorry for these veterans - but because I knew the extraordinary value that they could bring into our society and economy,” Susan Gonzales said.

Even though Silent Professionals was merely a concept in October 2017, it has quickly grown. More than 2,500 veterans have found viable, valuable employment using their military skillset for private security jobs located around the world. Gonzales said the company averages an 84 percent placement rate on their recommendations.

“We actually interact with candidates and we field questions. They ask us for advice and we give it. There's so much going on behind the scenes that my team takes on to help veterans and we do it all for free in every bit of spare time we have,” she said. “There are many factors that contribute to our incredible success rate but one factor that surprises many people (especially employers) is that we don't get compensated for placements the way recruiters or headhunters do. The reason for this is because placement commissions don't inherently serve the interests of the job seeker and, therefore, you get inefficiencies that slow down the entire job placement process.

“By focusing only on getting the right people into the right jobs, we are able to consistently deliver the candidates to an employer that qualify for the job and that also want the job. Employers are excited to receive our candidates and respond quickly because they know we've done the legwork to solve three massive recruiting problems for them: speed, quantity, and quality. All of this creates a cycle of success that ultimately benefits our veteran candidates,” she said.

Helping veterans find employment not only allows them to support themselves but benefits them in other ways, too, Gonzales said.

“Employment is so important - it's more than just a way to make money and support yourself and your family. Your self-esteem is wrapped up in what you do professionally and when no one sees value in what you do - that has a profound effect on someone's mental and emotional well-being. When we can make those connections - whether it's answering the thousands of daily emails that we receive or getting a candidate placed into a job - we know it's having a huge, uplifting impact on someone's life,” she said.

Air Force veteran James Banks, who lives in Maryland, served in Afghanistan. He moved around a bit after returning home to military life, and struggled to find the perfect profession that fit his skillset.

“In my research online, I came across Susan’s organization,” Banks said. “For two years I searched for opportunities that would give me financial freedom. Getting your footing after military life is hard. That’s how I ended up in Maryland; it was a chance for me to start over and I really appreciate it. It’s the absolute most difficult thing to adjust to, returning to civilian life. When you’re overseas you don’t think about. You’re worried about IED attacks instead.”

Knowing how much Silent Professionals helped him, Banks said other veterans should check it out. It helps ease the burden of finding employment while learning how to live a civilian life again.

“You come back with scars from the war that aren’t just physical,” he said.

Not only has the Gonazales’ made it their mission to match fellow veterans with gainful employment, it also means something to them both.

“It is incredibly rewarding. Helping people is what success in life is all about, so if you're not driven to help lift people around you, then you're failing at life,” she said.