Built by McKinstry Veterans, for Veterans: Introducing VetDecode

Every Veterans Day, McKinstry pauses to honor those who have served our country and thank them for their sacrifice. For many veterans, one challenge begins after military service ends: translating years of leadership, technical expertise and operational experience into language civilian employers understand. 

Jesse Sycuro, vice president of Facility Operations at McKinstry and a Navy veteran (right), has wrestled with that challenge for more than two decades. 

“When I left the Navy, I wished there was a clearer way to translate military experience into civilian career language,” Jesse said. “With recent advances in technology, I realized there might finally be a straightforward way to do that.”

The idea for VetDecode started with an AI experiment.

“I started plugging my military experience into an AI app to see how it would translate to a resume or LinkedIn profile,” he said. “Then I asked how that experience connected to careers in construction and facilities management, and I was amazed by the clarity of the results.”

What began as a simple experiment quickly revealed a larger opportunity. Jesse partnered with Craig Roberts, a senior solutions architect at McKinstry, to explore how AI could help translate military experience into civilian career language. As the project evolved, Craig Roberts collaborated with Sam Skrivan, software solutions director at Edo, to further develop the platform’s capabilities. Together with teammates across technology, recruiting and operations, they helped transform the concept into VetDecode, a free AI-powered platform designed to help veterans communicate their experience in ways civilian employers can understand.

Once the platform was further along, the team brought in testers, including members of McKinstry’s Veterans Alliance, to provide feedback and fine- tune the model. That included Isaac Fones, senior talent acquisition partner and Veterans Alliance member. As both a veteran and recruiter, he knows firsthand how difficult it can be for service members to describe their experience in terms that resonate with civilian employers.

“Translating a resume is one of the most painstaking parts of moving from military to civilian work,” Isaac explained. “Veterans hear over and over again that their leadership, problem-solving and experience are needed in corporate America, and that’s true, but one of the main things that differs is the language used in an industry or company. When you learn about the problems they solved and projects they managed, you quickly realize how much value they can add to a team.”

VetDecode helps bridge that gap by translating military experience into civilian-friendly language and identifying transferable skills, industry-relevant keywords, potential career paths and job title matches.

Cameron Turner, Technical Services project manager and member of the Veterans Alliance, also believes the tool can provide value on the other side of the hiring process.

“The challenge for me wasn’t really about figuring out what I was capable of doing. It was figuring out where I could fit and communicating the value of my experience. I see VetDecode being a great resource for managers to understand what service members moving into civilian careers are capable of and what their traits and skills mean, especially if their resume hasn’t been fully ‘decoded,’” Cameron explained.

After months of development and testing, VetDecode is now available free of charge to the public.

The platform analyzes military experience and provides:

• Resume-building support

• Transferable skills identification

• Industry and job title recommendations

• Relevant hiring keywords

• Veteran employment resources

What began as a personal effort to help Veterans has become what McKinstry hopes is a helpful tool for many to support veterans navigate the transition from military service to civilian careers with greater confidence.

“What veterans have accomplished doesn’t change when they take off the uniform,” Jesse said. “Sometimes they just need help translating that experience into terms the civilian workforce understands.”

This Veterans Day, that mission is becoming a reality through a free tool built by veterans, for veterans.

About the Veterans Alliance

VetDecode complements McKinstry’s broader support for veterans, including the Veterans Alliance, an employee-led group that supports veteran engagement, fosters connections and helps service members navigate the transition to civilian careers.

Learn more about the Veterans Alliance

Explore VetDecode and get started: www.vetdecode.com