Month: January 2016

Hired Military Spouse Kent Wheeler

Hired as a Mechanical Engineer for the United States Air Force

Kent WheelerAs a working professional married to an active duty military member, the burden of moving every few years becomes a stressor on your career as well as your family.  When my wife received orders moving us from Washington D.C. to Oklahoma City, I started looking for a job near our new duty station without much success.  It was difficult to manage a job search on top of an existing workload, family responsibilities and the logistics of an upcoming move.  I struggled to get any traction with my existing resume, and my wife had to report to Oklahoma as I stayed behind and continued my job search.  Separated from my wife and two children, I felt the pressure build to find a new job.

After hearing about Hire Heroes USA from the USO, I registered for the program and was assigned a Transition Specialist that understood the military lifestyle and the current job market.  My Transition Specialist immediately helped to alleviate the stress of the job search by providing resume services, professional guidance, and negotiation tips in finding the right job. The polished resume that Hire Heroes USA created for me markedly increased the amount of responses I received from applications. Even if employers didn’t have an employment opportunity for me, they were willing to forward my resume through their network, and that ultimately led to the job offer I accepted. I’ve since relocated with my wife and have landed a position with the Federal Government that will make it an easier transition to our next duty station, if needed. 

Military transition and spouse employment are major issues veterans and families have to overcome and Hire Heroes USA does an incredible job supporting both. What they do is amazing! My wife and I are already sharing our experience with every one we know. Thank you!

Hired Veteran Randy Hodges

Hired as a Senior Functional Analyst with General Dynamics
United States Air Force, E-9, Cyberspace Support Manager

Randy Hodges

I officially separated from the Air Force in July 2014, at which time I had already completed two weeks of training for a Financial Advisor role I accepted with First Command. By January 2015, I realized this job was a very poor fit for me. After a few more months, knowing that I wouldn’t grow to enjoy this type of work, I left First Command to search for a full-time role that was a better fit for me.

My biggest challenge was identifying a role that fit my interests and abilities, and then creating a tailored resume for those positions. During this time, I partnered with over a dozen transition assistance programs. While most delivered some assistance that was helpful, all fell short of the promises offered.

Once I partnered with Hire Heroes USA, I felt I was working with an organization that was truly interested in guiding me through the transition process. My Hire Heroes USA Transition Specialist helped me build a high quality resume. Once I had an interview, he coached me on interviewing techniques and followed up with me during every step of the process.

Hire Heroes USA was the only transition assistance program that fully delivered on its promises. I credit much of my success to my Hire Heroes USA Transition Specialist, who helped me land my current job as a Functional Analyst with General Dynamics. He went above and beyond to provide me the guidance I needed to put together a quality resume. He spent many overtime hours coaching me – even over holidays and during his travels – and, he regularly checked in to follow up with me. My Hire Heroes USA Transition Specialist is a wingman and he had my six throughout the process.