Do staffing agencies charge veterans for their services?

No. Reputable staffing agencies never charge job seekers. They are paid by the employer, not by you. If an agency asks you for money upfront, it is a scam. Walk away. Legitimate temp agencies, temp-to-hire agencies, and direct placement firms all earn their fees from the employer side.

Can I work with a staffing agency while I am still in the military?

It depends on your timeline. Most agencies can start working with you about 30 to 60 days before you are available to start working. Any earlier than that and the roles they find will be filled before you are available. But you can register, upload your resume, and have conversations with recruiters earlier so you are ready to go when your availability opens up.

What if the temp job is not what I want long term?

Take it anyway if you need the income and the experience. A temp job is not a career commitment. It is a paycheck and a line on your civilian resume. It shows future employers that you can show up, do the work, and succeed in a civilian environment. Many veterans use a six-month temp assignment as a bridge to a permanent role in a different company. A short civilian work history on your resume makes every subsequent job application stronger.

How do I know if a staffing agency is legitimate?

Legitimate staffing agencies have a professional website, a physical office address, and real recruiters you can speak with on the phone. They never ask for money. They never guarantee a job. They should be able to tell you what kinds of roles they typically place and what employers they work with. If they are vague about everything or push you to sign something without explaining it, find a different agency.

Veteran-Friendly Staffing Agencies and Temp Firms That Actually Get Veterans Hired

By GetVetsHired · July 2026 · 6 min read

You send out fifty applications and hear back from maybe three. The problem is not your qualifications. It is that your resume never made it past the ATS. Staffing agencies and temp firms solve this problem differently. They place you directly with employers who have already told the agency what they need. You skip the ATS filter entirely. Your resume gets read by a human whose job is to match you with a role. And many agencies have dedicated veteran hiring programs. Here is how to use them to get your foot in the door.

Why staffing agencies work differently than applying online

When you apply to a job online, your resume goes into an ATS. It gets scored. It gets ranked. It might get rejected before a human ever sees it. When you work with a staffing agency, the process is reversed. The agency already has a relationship with the employer. The employer has already told the agency what kind of person they need. The agency's job is to find candidates who fit and send them over. Your resume goes directly to a recruiter who reads it. That person's compensation depends on placing you in a job. They are motivated to understand your experience and present it well to the employer. For veterans, this is a game changer. The recruiter can help translate your military experience into civilian language when they present you to the client. They do the convincing on your behalf. You just need to convince the recruiter first.

The difference between temp, temp-to-hire, and direct placement

Staffing agencies place people three ways. Temp means you work for the agency on short assignments, typically a few days to a few months. The agency pays you, not the company you are working at. This is a good way to build civilian experience fast and try different roles without a long commitment. Temp-to-hire means you start as a temp worker with the goal of being hired permanently by the company after a trial period, usually 90 days to 6 months. This is the most common arrangement and it is a great fit for veterans. It lets you prove yourself on the job before the employer makes a permanent commitment. Direct placement means the agency finds you a permanent role and the employer pays the agency a fee. You are hired directly by the company from day one. This is more common for experienced professionals and specialized roles.

National staffing agencies with veteran hiring programs

These are the largest staffing firms in the country, and they all have programs or policies that prioritize veteran placement. Register with a few of them and you multiply your chances of getting placed quickly.

Robert Half. The largest professional staffing firm in the country. They place for finance, accounting, administrative, IT, and legal roles. They have a dedicated military hiring program and regularly attend veteran career fairs. Administrative and accounting roles are the most common placements for veterans without a specialized degree.
Aerotek. Specializes in manufacturing, logistics, maintenance, and skilled trades placement. They actively recruit veterans for production, warehouse, and maintenance roles. If you have mechanical, electrical, or hands-on experience from the military, Aerotek is one of the best agencies to start with.
Kelly Services. One of the oldest staffing firms, with placements in education, healthcare, manufacturing, and office administration. They have a veteran hiring initiative and work with companies that specifically request veteran candidates.
Manpower. Places for manufacturing, warehouse, call center, and administrative roles. They are one of the largest temp-to-hire agencies in the country and a good starting point if you are looking for your first civilian job.
Randstad. A global staffing firm with strong placement in IT, engineering, finance, and manufacturing. They have a veteran support program and frequently place veterans in technical and professional roles.
Adecco. Places for a wide range of roles including logistics, customer service, manufacturing, and office administration. They work with large corporate clients and often have access to openings that are not advertised on job boards.

Defense and government-focused staffing agencies

If you want to work in defense contracting or government, these agencies specialize in placing veterans and cleared personnel in roles that directly use your military background:

Bradley-Morris / RecruitMilitary. The best-known military-to-civilian placement firm. They focus exclusively on placing veterans into corporate jobs. They have relationships with companies that specifically want to hire veterans. If you are targeting a professional or management role, start here.
Lucas Group. Specializes in placing military officers and senior NCOs into management, sales, and operations roles. They work with companies across manufacturing, logistics, technology, and financial services.
Orion Talent. Places veterans at all levels, from skilled trades to senior management. They have a strong track record in manufacturing, energy, and technical fields. They also place for sales and business development roles.
Camber (formerly Alliance Careers). Focuses on placing junior military officers into consulting, finance, and corporate strategy roles. If you have a degree and leadership experience, this is worth exploring.
ClearanceJobs. Not a staffing agency, but a job board exclusively for candidates with security clearances. Many defense contractors recruit here directly. If you have an active or recent clearance, create a profile here. Recruiters will reach out to you.

Industry-specific agencies worth knowing

Some industries have their own staffing ecosystems. If you know what industry you want to work in, go directly to the agencies that specialize in it:

IT and technology: TEKsystems, Insight Global, and Modis specialize in IT staffing. If you have military IT or cybersecurity experience, these agencies can place you in help desk, network administration, and security roles. They value certifications like Security+ and often have government and defense contracts.
Healthcare: AMN Healthcare, Cross Country Healthcare, and Medical Solutions place for clinical and administrative healthcare roles. If you were a medic, corpsman, or healthcare specialist, these agencies can help you find civilian clinical positions.
Logistics and supply chain: ProLogistix and ResourceMFG focus on warehouse, distribution, and manufacturing roles. If you have logistics or supply experience from the military, these agencies have direct relationships with major distribution centers and manufacturers.
Finance and accounting: Accounting Principals and Kforce specialize in finance, accounting, and banking placements. If you have experience with budgets, pay processing, or financial controls, these are the agencies to contact.

How to approach a staffing agency the right way

Staffing agencies are not career counselors. They are businesses. They make money by placing candidates in jobs. The better you present yourself, the harder they will work to place you. Here is how to make a strong first impression: have a civilian resume ready before you contact them. Do not send your military resume full of acronyms and jargon. Tailor your resume to civilian language using a tailoring tool before you register with any agency. Be clear about what you want. Tell the recruiter what kind of role you are targeting, what shift you can work, what commute distance you can handle, and what pay range you need. The more specific you are, the faster they can match you. Be responsive. Recruiters move fast. If they call or email, answer within a few hours. Jobs get filled quickly, especially temp and temp-to-hire roles. The candidate who responds first often gets the placement. Register with multiple agencies. Do not put all your hopes on one. Each agency works with a different set of employers. Registering with three or four agencies multiplies your opportunities.

The fastest way to get your resume ready for staffing agencies

Before you contact a staffing agency, your resume needs to be in civilian language. The recruiter at the agency needs to understand your experience and present it to the employer. If your resume is full of military terms, the recruiter cannot help you because they do not understand what you did. Tailor your resume using a tool that translates military experience into civilian keywords. Upload your military resume, paste a representative job description from the kind of role you want, and get a version that reads like a civilian professional wrote it. Then send that version to every staffing agency you register with. The better your resume looks, the harder the recruiter will work to place you. They are in sales. You are the product. Make the product look good.

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