Redefining Success in Veteran Transition

Summary In this conversation, Scott Schimmel and Joe Lara explore the complexities of measuring impact in veteran transition programs. They discuss the importance of defining success beyond just job placement, emphasizing the need for veterans to find purpose and meaning in their careers. The dialogue highlights the challenges of quantifying intangible outcomes such as confidence and satisfaction, and the necessity for collaboration among veteran service organizations to improve measurement practices. Takeaways Measuring impact in veteran transition is complex.Success looks different for each individual veteran.Meaningful jobs are more important than just any job.Satisfaction and purpose are hard to quantify.Veterans often compare their success to others.Clarity about purpose is crucial for veterans.Feedback from veterans helps shape programs.Collaboration among organizations enhances impact measurement.Intangible outcomes are essential to understand.Sharing knowledge can improve veteran services. Chapters 00:00 Measuring Impact in Veteran Transition02:35 Defining Success for Veterans05:20 The Role of Purpose and Meaning08:01 Challenges in Measuring Intangible Outcomes10:52 Collaborative Approaches to Impact Measurement Join Us! More Than Just a Job Monday, September 29, 2025 9:00 AM PDT Why it’s time for VSOs and veteran employers to adopt a new impact framework — and how hope, purpose, and wellbeing can drive better results. For leaders of veteran-serving organizations and corporate veteran initiatives, one of the hardest challenges isn’t delivering programs—it’s proving they work. Funders and stakeholders want clear evidence, yet the standard metrics still revolve around jobs, salaries, and short-term placement rates. These numbers rarely capture the deeper story of transformation: purpose, belonging, and sustained wellbeing. In this webinar, Dr. Evie Muilenburg-Trevino, lead researcher at Vector Accelerator and a quantitative psychologist, will share a new framework for measuring veteran outcomes. Built on hope, purpose, citizenship, and resilience, this approach moves beyond employment statistics and equips leaders to: Prove real impact with data that reflects the full veteran experience. Tell a more compelling story to donors, corporate partners, and funders. Strengthen reporting and credibility with validated, research-driven tools. If you’re struggling to show that your programs do more than place veterans in jobs, this session will give you the clarity and tools you need to measure what truly matters—and to tell that story in a way that inspires support and investment. For corporate leaders, this framework offers a powerful way to demonstrate that your veteran hiring initiatives go beyond headcounts. You’ll gain tools to show how your programs foster resilience, belonging, and long-term growth for veterans in the workplace. By learning how to capture and share these outcomes, you can inspire greater employee engagement, attract funders and partners, and lead the way in building a veteran-inclusive culture that delivers measurable impact. To Register, go to vectoraccelerator.org/impact-webinar