Iraq veterans helps OEF/OIF veterans get jobs
Gabriel Galindo, a Texas Veterans Commission employee, was recently profiled by the Texas Workforce Investment Council in recognition of his ongoing service to Veterans in Texas.
The Texas Veterans Commission offers employment services to Texas veterans and helps employers find qualified veteran job applicants. The Texas Veterans Commission helped more Veterans enter employment than any other state in the country, and over $1.8 billion in wages were earned by Veterans who received employment assistance from Texas Veterans Commission. Additionally, the Texas Veterans Commission Veterans Employment Representatives have received 14 national awards from both workforce and Veteran service organizations over the past three years.
Gabriel has worked for the Texas Veterans Commission in the Workforce Solutions - Career Center in Austin, Texas, since September 2010, and he uses his personal experience as an Army Veteran to help OEF/OIF Veterans get jobs.
Gabriel Galindo is a veteran whose Military Occupational Specialty in the U.S. Army was that of Paralegal Noncommissioned Officer, working in Legal Assistance, Military Justice and Operational Law. Gabriel held several other leadership positions, notably Platoon Sergeant, Convoy Commander, Weapons Trainer and Small Arms Master Marksman. He is pictured above on one of his two deployments in Iraq with the 1st Cavalry Division. After 11 years in the military, Gabriel exited the Army in 2008.
Gabriel and his family returned to their home state of Idaho where he began looking for work. A Veterans Employment Representative there analyzed his military work experience and saw that his paralegal skills would enable him to understand and competently sift through unemployment regulations. Gabriel’s skill set successfully matched a workforce development specialist position with the Idaho Department of Labor in the area of unemployment benefits.
However, earlier in his military career, Gabriel and his family had been stationed at Fort Hood and once they moved away, they realized how much they all missed Texas. Eventually, Gabriel decided to pursue employment opportunities in Texas, and he started by making contact with a Veterans Employment Representative in Austin. After a great deal of searching, a couple of trips to Texas and considerable perseverance, Gabriel was hired by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) as an Employment Specialist at Workforce Solutions – Capital Area.
Once situated and working at TWC’s Workforce Solutions, Gabriel was pleasantly surprised to find himself placed next to several Veterans Employment Representatives. The experience enlightened him on two fronts. In addition to what he already knew, Gabriel learned more about veterans’ benefits by virtue of being in close proximity to individuals working for the TVC. Second, and on a more subtle level, he realized how important working with and among veterans was to him. Gabriel had spent over a decade of his professional life in the military, and as he acclimated to his new job, he noticed how much he was thriving professionally and personally alongside veterans.
Eventually, Gabriel learned of an opening at TVC for a Veterans Employment Representative and he applied for the job. Successful at getting this job, he still works at Workforce Solutions – Capital Area, but in a different location, and this time, as an employee of TVC specifically assisting veterans seeking employment.
His new position draws upon Gabriel’s numerous and diverse experiences. For example, his familiarity with regulations relating to unemployment benefits translates to an ability to navigate and advise job seekers through the vast system of veterans’ benefits. Gabriel’s experience as a paralegal sharpened his writing skills and helps him to assist veterans with resumes and cover letters. Similarly, it helps him guide veterans through the process of developing their profiles on WorkInTexas, the premier online job-matching tool used by the Texas workforce system.
Gabriel’s teaching experience in the military as a weapons trainer has given him a heightened awareness of the value and accessibility of training and education services for veterans. He is well-versed in the education and training programs designed for veterans and he knows exactly where and to whom to send veterans who want to pursue further education.
Last, and very important, Gabriel’s personal experience in Iraq enables him to relate to recently separated veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, a veteran population that is experiencing its own set of challenges and a comparatively high unemployment rate. Gabriel can offer them the empathy and support needed to ease the transition back into civilian life. Gabriel’s personal experience has strengthened his abilities and effectiveness in outreach activities targeting young and recently separated veterans.
Each day Gabriel utilizes technical, writing and analytical skills to help veterans seeking employment. No two situations are alike, and veterans of all ages often face difficult odds. Gabriel assists them with the same determination and resolve he used when he was in active military service. Over the long term, Gabriel has thought of building on his paralegal skills by enrolling in law school to become an attorney. However, his current job engages him on many levels and it is as rewarding as it is challenging—so much so that he is considering focusing on a career in veterans’ affairs and services.
From Profiles in Success, Nov. 2010, Texas Workforce Investment Council
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