Do prestigious employers really value military service?

KamelAkbar
Mon, 11 Jun 2012 12:14:41 +0000

I feel like being a veteran is actually a negative for my job search. It would be a huge pro if I wanted a federal job or to be a police officer, but what about for those who aspire to much more? I’m an Industrial Engineering student at Georgia Tech with a 4.0. I want to go into consulting, and am really aiming for MBB, but does having been enlisted in the military actually put me at a disadvantage? I can’t find any examples of late bloomers like myself going on to land the most prestigious private sector jobs. I feel like a lot of people believe that the military looks great on your resume, and I think that’s true in the more typical cases.

I enlisted before I started engineering at Georgia Tech. I generally get the impression that people, especially in the more prestigious industries (consulting, investment banking), look down upon us. Generally kids who go into MBB consulting or ibanking seem to have streamlined their way there:

prep school -> Ivies -> entry level ibanking, consulting, etc. -> Wharton/HBS

Enlisting/u in the military is far from being something overachievers do, so does having been enlisted peg you as an underachiever? Honestly, I was an underachiever before I joined the military (and most of my peers were too, so the stereotype is justified in many cases). The military changed my life for the better.

If it is an issue, would it be dishonest to simply start my resume at college and never mention it?