45 great employers for vets p1 - Military Transition - Military Times EDGE

Trevor Chan had four solid job offers as a fresh Cornell University engineering grad with a background as an avionics technician. You might have expected him to do something more hands-on, but the Hadley, Mass., native and twice-activated former Air Force reservist found his niche in the civilian sector analyzing the big picture of vehicle maintenance for a Defense Department contractor that he says wooed him with great benefits, a collegial work environment and a generous tuition plan.

Chan works for government management consultant LMI, among the elite of this year’s Best for Vets: Employers list thanks to its high percentage of veterans on staff, orientation and mentoring specifically for vets, and hiring program for military spouses.

“LMI has a lot of veterans here, so I felt comfortable relating to most of my co-workers,” Chan says.

See the full list right here.

But that wasn’t the only thing that appealed to him about LMI — personal space and training for junior employees were big factors.

“Everyone has their own office,” he says. “And for someone new from college, we have a training program to teach the fundamentals. ... A lot of the training was very good.”

Christina Dibble knew she was going to work for a veteran-friendly retailer after learning about Sears’ reputation through her work with Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. With 10 years of combined service in the Army Reserve and Illinois Army National Guard, the Illinois native, Iraq veteran, former supply sergeant and recruiter, and wife of a drilling guardsman found her dream job talking to military veterans as Sears’ program manager for military talent.

She says Sears proved it “walked the walk” through its Heroes at Home charitable programs and the company’s policy of paying the full difference between an activated reservist’s military and civilian pay for up to five years. Sears most recently launched its PCS Promise program for spouses, aimed at helping military spouses working at the company transfer to a new location during a permanent change of station.

Read on to find out what all of this year’s companies do that make them Best for Vets.