OSU Tulsa Study Finds Veterans Overlooked For Certain Jobs

After a recent study from OSU Tulsa found veterans are overlooked for certain types of jobs, researchers are trying to use their findings to push for push for change. 

"We conducted surveys, internet based surveys and experiments where we would present people with different hypothetical people for them to look at skills," said Assistant Professor Steven Shepherd, OSU Tulsa.

Shepherd said they looked into specific challenges that veterans faced when they transitioned from the military to civilian life. 

"On average, people see military veterans as especially good at doing things and getting things done, planning, carrying out that plan and executing it...the downside of that is they are also seen as lacking emotion, and these kinds of social and emotional skills," Shepherd said. "These traits come together to form this stereotype of being sort of robotic I guess, in a way."

Tulsa VFW Post 577 Commander Josh Starks said every veteran is different, but there are common issues many vets face when applying for jobs - especially when it comes to marketing themselves.

"In the military, we are taught to prove ourselves by our actions, not to sell ourselves verbally," Starks said. 

Starks said that most veterans don't lack emotion. 

"You have an individual that, at one point in time, loved their country and loved everyone in it so much, and so deeply that they were willing to put their life on the line every day," Starks said. "A lot of times you have to learn to push your emotions aside. Pushing them aside is not disabling them."