IT Staffing Guides Vets Back Into Civilian Employment

An IT staffing agency is making a name for itself by providing jobs to military veterans leaving active duty.

“When a soldier or a Marine says he’s served in the infantry or artillery or [armored division], he is almost always told he is employable as a security guard, a police officer or in law enforcement,” said Nick Swaggert, a Marine veteran who left active duty as a captain in 2010. “There are other options.”

Swaggert is the St. Paul, Minn.-based director of veterans recruitment for Genesis 10, a national IT staffing and consulting firm.

According to Swaggert, he has helped hire or place more than 100 veterans over the past several months, including Josh Stinar, 32, a Navy veteran with experience in radios and technology.

“I was a little apprehensive about the job market,” said Stinar, who underwent a “reverse boot camp” helmed by Swaggart which trains veterans for the corporate life. Stinar has been hired by Inver Grove Heights-based agricultural cooperative CHS.

“With a little coaching and mentoring, veterans can do amazing things,” Swaggert said. “I simply encourage companies to think about developing this next generation of talent. Each of us wants to go from ‘Capt. Swaggert’ and ‘Staff Sgt. Marks’ to Nick and Kyle. It just isn’t [as easy as] flipping a switch.”