Month: July 2014

 

Lynn Glover joined Hire Heroes USA in May as a Fellow with The Mission Continues. We took some time to speak with Lynn about her role at Hire Heroes USA and what she has gained from the experience.

 

Why did you choose to work at Hire Heroes USA for your fellowship?
Lynn: When I was looking for a host site for The Mission Continues Fellowship, I knew that I wanted to help children or veterans. I researched opportunities and initially had a difficult time locating something that I was not already involved in. I was given the suggestion to check out Hire Heroes USA. After looking into the organization, I was excited to select Hire Heroes USA as my host site for a six month fellowship.

 

What is your connection to the military? Why did you want to assist veterans?
Lynn: I served in the U.S. Navy as a Data Systems Technician and Fire Controlman for 20 years. I retired in 2008 and knew I wanted to continue serving the military in some way. I’m committed to giving back and continuing my mission to serve. Hire Heroes USA allows me to assist veterans as they come home looking for civilian employment. I enjoy having the opportunity to assist these men and women in their career transition.

 

What is your role at Hire Heroes USA?
Lynn: I work on the Outreach and Matching team at Hire Heroes USA. In my role, I am able to interact with veterans and spouses via email and phone as they navigate through their career transition.

 

What is your weekly time commitment to Hire Heroes USA?
Lynn: I work at Hire Heroes USA for 20 hours per week. Initially, I was worried that this would not provide me the opportunity to really make an impact; however, after I began personally assisting veterans and spouses I realized that I was making a difference in their transition.

 

How would you describe your experience thus far?
Lynn: My experience at Hire Heroes USA has been nothing less than fulfilling. Connecting with veterans and spouses looking for employment is exciting, but also quite heartbreaking. When I receive a call from a veteran or spouse saying that they secured employment and no longer need Hire Heroes USA’s services I am overjoyed, but I also receive hopeless calls from veterans and spouses that are having difficulty finding full-time employment to support their households. I come into work every day motivated to do my very best to successfully assist the men and women I work with to locate employment opportunities.

 

Do you have any final thoughts on your fellowship?
Lynn: All in all, my Mission Continues Fellowship at Hire Heroes USA is a rewarding experience that I will always cherish. The self-improvement is just one part. I have learned strategies to improve my resume and cover letter to enhance my competitiveness when I return to the job market. Another rewarding part of the experience is that I know I was involved in something bigger; Hire Heroes USA is something bigger.

Searching for the next promising opportunity can bring about many emotions such as excitement, frustration, confusion, and hopefulness. Your job search strategy may include creating a jobseeker account, posting resumes online, and applying for openings on job boards like Monster.com, CareerBuilder, and the Hire Heroes USA Job Board. Some jobseekers expect to find a new job in a month; however, statistics show that the average time it takes for someone to secure employment is seven months. When desperate times call for desperate measures, it’s easy to be fooled into applying for a scam job. Due to the high unemployment rate, job scamming is on the rise. Scammers are becoming more sophisticated and know how to appeal to a jobseeker.

 

Here are 3 common job scams to watch out for:

• Spoof Website (Fake Websites): While these fake websites look legitimate, they are professionally created and cloned by scammers to collect your personal information (Social Security Number, passwords, bank account, credit cards, PayPal, birth date, etc). Most spoof websites require you to login or register so it can capture your information. The best approach to identify a fake website is to pay close attention to the URL or web address.

 

• Suspicious Email Address: If you receive an email from Debbie Diggs (Delta Airlines Hiring Manager) regarding your application, you should expect for Debbie’s email address/domain name to be similar to DebbieDiggs@Delta.com. As you can see, the employer’s name is listed as the domain name. Beware of scammers imitating hiring managers while using a personal email address like gmail.com, yahoo.com, hotmail.com, etc.

 

• Uncommon Interview Invitations: Scammers are now utilizing messaging platforms, such as Yahoo Messenger, to solicit online interviews to job seekers. Job seekers receive a professional email with explicit instructions to download an application and chat online with someone posing as an HR recruiter. This simple online interview turns into a job offer. Not long after, job seekers are asked for personal information as part of the hiring process, thus opening themselves up to identify theft. Avoid all companies that initiate such interviews; these are not common business practices and should be approached very cautiously.

 

The best way to protect yourself from a scam is to research.  It’s worth the time, energy, and money to research the job opening and company website using Yellow Pages, Google, Bing, or any reputable search engine. If the website appears suspicious, you can use URL/domain name services like GoDaddy and Whois. Whois should display the owner of the domain, website registration details, and contact information unless the domain is registered as private.  In addition, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) is a great resource to help you find trustworthy businesses. If you are a transitioning service member, veteran, or spouse using Hire Heroes USA’s programs and services, always take the time to contact your Veteran Transition Specialist if you are unsure about an opportunity. The old saying holds true: you’re better safe than sorry.

 

About the Author – Dynesha Montgomery, VTS

Dynesha is a Veteran Transition Specialist at Hire Heroes USA. She is passionate about helping those who served. Dynesha considers herself a “bridge builder,” because she enjoys connecting people to the resources they need to live happier, healthier, more meaningful lives. 

 

It is something great and greatening to cherish an ideal; to act in the light of truth that is far-away and far above; to set aside the near advantage, the momentary pleasure; the snatching of seeming good to self; and to act for remoter ends, for higher good, and for interests other than our own. – Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, October 3, 1889

 

At Hire Heroes USA, we consider the words of General Chamberlain as much a call of action today as they were a fitting eulogy 125 years ago at the dedication of the monument for the men of the 20^th Maine Infantry who fought and died in the smothering July heat at the Battle of Gettysburg. Chamberlain, who won the Medal of Honor for his “daring heroism and great tenacity” while commanding the defense of the Union left flank at Little Round Top, was wounded six times during the course of the war and went on to become Governor of Maine and President of Bowdoin College.

 

Chamberlain’s successful post-war reintegration into civilian society was aided in no small part to the fact that in 1866 nearly half of American men between the ages of 16 and 43 were Civil War veterans. Government, industry, and educational institutions were flooded with men who had served “interests other than [their] own” and who now formed a fraternity of common experience – if not common purpose – within the halls of higher learning, business, and power.

 

Veterans today face a markedly different post-service landscape than the one Chamberlain experienced 150 years ago. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics less than 9% of the population age 18 and over are veterans and that percentage decreases with each passing year. American society struggles to identify with the unique culture and experience of its cadre of military professionals, which contributes to a sustained unemployment rate of 24% among many veterans.

 

Meanwhile, the drawdown of US military forces in Afghanistan will soon bring to a close 13 years of war in Southwest Asia that cost more than 5,300 US battle deaths (10% as many battle deaths as US forces suffered in World War I) and more than 52,000 US service members wounded. A million service members will exit the military in the next four years; they will want to work, but many will not know how to relate their military experience in a winsome manner that nonveterans value and understand.

 

That’s where Chamberlain’s eulogy becomes Hire Heroes USA’s exhortation. By putting service to work through our best-in-class, personalized employment training and corporate engagement, Hire Heroes USA stands squarely at the intersection of veteran needs and the opportunities offered by a growing economy. In the past year alone, we have helped more than 1,200 veterans achieve new careers, with salutary ripple effects throughout their families, employers and communities.

 

If acting “for higher good” is on your mind this holiday weekend, why not visit our website and check out some of the ways that you can make a difference today.

 

About the author – Hire Heroes USA Chief Operating Officer, Nathan Smith