Google’s new search feature aims to give veterans a boost in the job market

The search giant has announced an addition to its job-hunting platform that’ll help veterans find post-military employment.

Last year … Google launched an AI-equipped job search engine that compiles job postings from a variety of sources. It aimed to streamline the job-hunting process by eliminating duplicate listings, weeding out irrelevant positions, and directing candidates to the most complete description of the role.

The issue: Matthew Hudson, a military veteran and program manager for Google Cloud, writes that the current offerings aren’t assisting veterans as much as they could be because “there isn’t a common language that helps recruiters match a veteran’s experience with the need for their skills and leadership in civilian jobs.” The result is higher underemployment among US veterans.

The news:  Starting yesterday, by searching “jobs for veterans” and typing in their military job codes in Google, former members of the armed services can find civilian jobs that use similar skills. The machine-learning methods that powered the initial job-search product are being applied to make this feature. Additionally, veteran-owned businesses can now mark themselves as such on Google services like the job-search function and Google Maps.

Why it matters: This new tool will help veterans bridge the gap between military and civilian life and give them a better shot at finding meaningful and fulfilling work.

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