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[Anonymous Reservist]

I just wanted to bring to the attention of those who utilize this board a subject that has been on my mind throughout the course of my job hunt. You see, I am a reserve officer in the US military and, unfortunately, I've been subject to adverse responses because of this fact.

It has been my unfortunate experience that hiring committees will shy away from someone in the reserves because they feel that person would be a risk to be sent overseas as soon as they begin their job. An earlier posting addressed the issue of whether or not to list current service on a resume, but most of us are officers with integrity who will not lie or cloud the truth by leaving our status off our CV in order to get a job. I want to state a point that many employers tend to overlook when they see "RESERVIST" on the resume.

To become a military officer in the US armed forces is no small task. A candidate must demonstrate outstanding leadership ability, intelligence, motivation, and high character and interview with a board comprised of several officers in order to receive consideration. That person is a volunteer who is often a selfless individual who believes in a greater cause and will vow to defend it to the end with his or her life. Many of the traits you want in a possible employee. That person, after all, will have ulitimate control over the lives of those who serve with him/her. When you see an individual who has earned a commission, you can presume that person is a team player who is able to lead in extraordinary situations that far exceed the confines of the ivory towers in which many of you operate.

Additionally, that individual has undergone a thorough background investigation that many others have failed in order to allow that person access to sensitive data. Finally, it is safe to say a military officer will not do drugs, because if we do, we will lose all we have worked very hard to earn.  

I also wanted to mention that there are several levels of being a reservist in today's military. Contrary to what one hears on NPR and CNN, not all reservists are the one weekend a month, two weeks a year "weekend soldiers" who are headed to Iraq. Some of us are in the inactive reserve, some are specialists who only are activated if they are needed, others work for points only from their homes on their own free time.

Yes, the possibility always exists that we will be activated and will be forced to leave our jobs. Yes, that is a very compromising position that you will be put in. Yes, it is easier to stick the CV in a trashcan rather than even contemplate this possibility. Just don't.

At least understand the entire person before you judge them to be unhirable based upon that one status. Call and speak with them. It is against federal law to focus or discriminate on that topic, but many of us readily volunteer what each of our stories about our service are and the possibilities of being activated. As I said, some are always alerted to a state of readiness, but some of us are simply last-call operators who would only be activated if we were invaded by a foreign force. Even if that person is an imminent risk, know that if it wasn't for them, your son, daughter, spouse, you might be there in Iraq or other hostile places just as easily.

I hope this will clarify the subject of reserves for some of you. It is so disheartening to know that I, and others, have not been given fair consideration because of our service. We don't want preference, just a fair chance.    

[Nick de Plume]

Anonymous Reservist,

I have been following discussions like this on other boards lately as well, and I cannot for the life of me think why any hiring committee at any level for any job would not seriously consider a well-qualified applicant who is a member of the armed forces in any capacity. I'm not sure yet if it is just an issue of timing right now with some feeling a little bitter about the situation in Iraq, or if it is just a general opinion/view of members of the armed forces, but it seems that I have heard a lot recently about reservists being denied jobs, or not being considered for positions because "there is a chance they could be called up."

I state again, I cannot for the life of me understand why you would not want to hire a qualified candidate from the military. Hard work, persistence, self-discipline, pride and courage are all adjectives that I would want to attach to a new hire.

Sincerely,

Nick

[DrInWaiting]

I am so sorry to hear about your situation, and there is an article on the opening page of this Web site today about being in the military and being a professor. I can only speak for my own university, where your situation would not be a problem in the least. We are a faith-based university (West Coast Research IIa) and are accustomed to accommodating people's real lives with support and understanding.

At my last university, a Research I West Coast public university, we had a graduate student who was called up just after we accepted him into our doctoral program. We held his admission until he could return from Iraq this year and enroll, which was a year later. Obviously, this is not a faculty position, but my point is that there are institutions that will not treat you shabbily. Some of our colleagues on this site might have thoughts about recourse if you are discriminated against.

[Mouse]

This is an issue that isn't solely confined to Reservists.  Many, many women (at least in the past) have experienced this exact kind of discrimination -- the fear of the hiring committee that, if you are of childbearing age (as most women are when leaving grad school and entering the job market), you will immediately begin a series of pregnancies that will require require maternity leave, possible extended bed rest (in the case of a difficult pregnancy) -- leaving your professional responsiblities to be covered by other faculty members.

Others speak of the frustration of feeling "unhirable" because of their age -- the possible discrimination of "Well, this person's just going to retire in a few years anyway, so why don't we hire someone with a good 30 years of teaching ahead of them, instead?" And, of course, any possible feelings about being discriminated against because of service in the military can be similarly countered with numerous other instances of "discrimination by ideology" -- Marxists and feminists need not apply to conservative Christian colleges, for example. These ideologies can't be hidden on a CV (the title of your dissertation will probably give you away), and, of course, gender and age and race are immediately apparent in the interview, so there's not even the choice of "Do I reveal this aspect of my life or not?"

While I sympathize with your frustration, I'm not sure it's a simple as saying, "It's because I'm in the Reserves, isn't it?!" Not everyone in academe is biased against the Armed Forces -- in fact, I'd say that most academics probably feel like most Americans -- not thrilled about the war, perhaps, but understanding of the personal cost involved by the troops. Military brats become professors and get on search committees, too. And many, many academics have students who are in the Reserves, and my experience has been that everything possible is done to help the Reservist in college. So I can't imagine that it's solely your position as a Reservist that is causing a problem here. More likely, it's the same old culprit: too many good candidates for too few good positions.

[Reality check]

I sympathize with your frustration about possible discrimination and agree with the previous poster that it's just as unfair as that faced by pregnant women, older academics, and others shut out of the job market. But I caution you about these blanket statements that military officers are somehow more ethical, selfless, extraordinary leaders than candidates from other backgrounds. Having family members and friends who serve in the military, this isn't too plausible to me. (And several have been far from drug-free. Some of the best pot in the country is sold at the Air Force Academy.)

As in any profession or pursuit, certain military officers excel and make the most of their training opportunities, while others fulfill the role with less than exemplary character and leadership. People with backgrounds in business, childrearing, or social activism may likewise bring these special skills, or not. Like anyone with a resume that goes beyond 20 years of classroom training, a military reservist brings different skills to the table that should be evaluated on their own terms. Military training shouldn't constitute grounds for discrimination or for automatic certification as an especially wonderful candidate. Academics may be more savvy about the merits and pitfalls of military service than you think.

[B.F.]

I agree with Mouse. I would caution against concluding that the main reason you did not get a job is because you are a military reservist. On this site, I have read posts by candidates who concluded that they were not hired for a job due to: being a woman, not being a woman, being a minority, not being a minority, not having a famous advisor, and being too old. I am sure that there are cases where a person does not receive a job for one of these reasons. However, is that the reason why they did not receive any job while being on the job market? The fact that there is a glut of candidates for few job positions seems more plausible.