Hire Heroes USA

Volunteer Spotlight: Shawn

Hire Heroes USA volunteer Shawn has always had a passion for giving back to others. One of her favorite quotes is one from Dr. Martin Lurther King, Jr: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?” As soon as she learned about Hire Heroes USA, she was able to answer that question for herself.

Shawn spent over 30 years working in the human resources industry and knew her knowledge and skills would be of great help to our clients. “I knew I could offer coaching on how to transition valuable military experience and skills into the civilian workforce,” she said. Shawn has been a volunteer with Hire Heroes USA since 2014 and doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon.

Shawn’s dedication to helping veterans and military spouses is important to her. We asked Shawn why she enjoys volunteering with Hire Heroes USA; she said, “Giving back in some small way to the men and women and their families who have sacrificed so much is a privilege that allows me to express my sincere gratitude for their service.”

Make a difference in the lives of veterans and military spouses, just like Shawn, by becoming a Hire Heroes USA volunteer today!

Getting Hired: Disclosing a Service-Connected Disability

Congratulations, you’ve made the decision to actively seek employment! Hopefully, by now you have learned about the Hire Heroes USA Job Board, which gives you access to over 900 military and veteran-friendly employers that are regularly seeking qualified job applicants. As you review various career announcements and determine which positions you would like to apply for, you will find that most employers provide an opportunity to voluntarily disclose if you have a service-connected disability on their employment application.

Disclosing a service-connected disability is a personal decision; there is no right or wrong path, but there are a lot of factors to consider as you move forward. Below are some questions that can help you make a choice. This list is designed to empower you in making a decision about whether you should disclose a disability on an employment application.

Do I require a reasonable accommodation to complete the employment application?
Am I able to perform the essential duties of the position?
What does the interview process look like? Will I require an accommodation to complete the interview?
How would I discuss a visible disability during an interview?

Not all employer web sites are 508 compliant; depending on the type of assistive technology you use, you may require a reasonable accommodation to even just complete the application process. Most employers will list contact information on their website to use if you do need to request an accommodation. If you aren’t able to locate contact information, reach out to the company’s Human Resources office.

Be sure to review the position description carefully. In most cases, the essential functions of the job will be listed in the posting. Decide on whether you can perform the essential functions with or without reasonable accommodation. Exercising due diligence will help you determine this early during the application and/or interview phase. If you’re unable to identify a job’s essential functions, ask about them during your interview.

Waiting to discuss reasonable accommodation for the first time during a performance evaluation places both you and the employer at a disadvantage. Be honest with your potential new employer, as well as with yourself.

When you receive an invitation for an interview, ask what the interview process involves. Depending on what that looks like, you may need to request reasonable accommodation during your interview. The more you know about the process, the easier it will be to make a decision on whether or not to disclose your disability at that time. If you feel like you need assistance during any phase of the application, interview, or performance process, ask for it.

If you have a visible disability, focus on your abilities rather than your limitations. Talk about how reasonable accommodations have supported you during previous professional experiences. Share how you have exceeded performance expectations as you carried out the mission and vision of your previous employers. Take advantage of the opportunity to ask questions. One of the most valuable things you can do is to learn as much as you can about the position and its performance expectations.

According to the United States Equal Employment Office Commission, nearly 30% of veterans have reported a service-connected disability. Many veterans have expressed concerns with regard to the disclosure of a service-connected disability and possible discrimination before, during, and after an employment offer from an employer. Empower yourself and know your rights as a veteran with a disability. The resources below can assist you in identifying the most appropriate accommodations for you.

Resources

April Ogden has 20+ years of professional experience related to vocational rehabilitation management and vocational rehabilitation counseling.

Hire Heroes USA and Military Spouse Advocacy Network Announce New Partnership

Collaboration Will Use a Multifaceted Approach to Assist Military Spouses With Challenges

ALPHARETTA (PRWEB) JULY 23, 2019

Hire Heroes USA and Military Spouse Advocacy Network (MSAN) today announced a new partnership to support military spouses as they transition into the civilian workforce. Military spouses face a wide variety of obstacles due to their partners’ military service. Finding employment is one of the most significant; the current military spouse unemployment rate is approximately 24%, more than four times higher than the national unemployment rate. Together, MSAN and Hire Heroes USA will help alleviate many of these challenges.

As the highest-rated veteran service organization dedicated to employment, Hire Heroes USA’s job search support services will expertly complement MSAN’s service offerings. Military spouses referred from MSAN will have access to Hire Heroes USA’s extensive suite of services, including resume creation/revision, a job board, career coaching, and a network of volunteer mentors.

MSAN will serve as a resource for Hire Heroes USA clients who need guidance in other areas such as deployment and resilience, finance, education, mental health/wellness, and support for new military spouses. They will receive peer-to-peer mentorship, education, empowerment and support. All services from both organizations are provided at no cost to military spouses.

“We are excited to partner with Hire Heroes USA to provide new military spouses the tools they need to have a successful career. We both share the same dedication to support new military spouses and make sure they receive the mentorship, empowerment, support and education they deserve from day one!” said Verenice Castillo, Founder, CEO & President at MSAN.

MSAN is currently providing peer-to-peer mentorship for nearly 1000 new military spouses; according to a recent MSAN survey, 66% of those spouses are in need of career and employment support.

“The Military Spouse Advocacy Network is an important partner for us,” says Christopher Plamp, chief executive officer of Hire Heroes USA. “We have always been very mission-driven in the veteran and military spouse employment space, so the ability to connect our spouse clients with resources from MSAN allows us to provide an enhanced experience for each individual we assist.”
Hire Heroes USA has helped more than 34,000 veterans and military spouses secure civilian jobs since being founded in 2007. So far in 2019, over 830 military spouses have received assistance from Hire Heroes USA.

For more information, visit the Serving Spouses page on the Hire Heroes USA website.

About Hire Heroes USA
Hire Heroes USA is a veteran service organization dedicated to empowering US military members, veterans, and their spouses as they seek civilian employment. Services include one-on-one coaching, professionally revised resumes, mentoring, workshops, a job board, career fairs and more. Hire Heroes USA is funded exclusively through public donations and private grants, allowing services to be provided at no cost to clients. Hire Heroes USA has earned a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and also holds the GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency. For more information about our mission, services and how to get involved, please visit hireheroesusa.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

About Military Spouse Advocacy Network
MSAN is a 501c3 organization focused on creating strong military families through education, empowerment, and support. Its New Military Spouse Support Program and Mentoring & Resource Center welcome new military spouses to the military family and provide them a strong foundation of knowledge. The programs provide peer-to-peer mentorship and virtual education on benefits, resources, and tools available to them. MSAN is a robust network of advocates, mentors, and volunteers serving military families and improving the morale and welfare of the military community. For more information on MSAN, visit http://www.militaryspouseadvocacynetwork.org. Follow MSAN on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

A Special Thanks to Our Diamond Employment Partners

Some companies truly go the extra mile for veterans and military spouses. They recognize the value that these groups bring to their workforce; they’ve made a commitment to recruit them and improve new hire retention. Earlier this year, Hire Heroes USA categorized all of our employment partners into different tiers, determined by their usage of our talent sourcing, the job board, and other recruiting products and services.

Partners at our Diamond level are dedicating extensive resources to educate their staff and are taking an active role in veteran recruitment and retention. Talent sourcing through Hire Heroes USA has become essential to Diamond Employment Partner companies since it streamlines the candidate pre-screening process, guaranteeing access to the best veteran and military spouse talent we have to offer.

We would like to recognize all our Diamond Employment Partners for their daily support of military veteran and spouse job seekers:

Activision

Leidos

Sanford Health

The Nature Conservancy

Travelers Insurance

Siemens

Hire Heroes USA Diamond Employment Partners have access to some great benefits:

A digital medallion partnership badge for your website or marketing materials
Free talent sourcing from Hire Heroes USA’s verified pool of veteran and military spouse talent
Four free targeted email campaigns to share information about your company with our job seekers
Three months of access to our series of employer training videos that include topics like understanding military culture, creating a veteran hiring program, and recruiting/retaining veteran hires
Annual recognition, brand promotion, and mentions on Hire Heroes USA’s various social media platforms
Quarterly metric reports on talent sourcing efforts with Hire Heroes USA

Quotes from our Employment Partners:

“Hire Heroes USA has been an invaluable resource as we continue to grow our veteran and military spouse workforce at Leidos. They provide an easy to navigate job board which includes numerous qualified candidates across different geographical regions, skill sets and experience levels.” -Alex, Talent Acquisition, Leidos

“Having a partner that can provide an optic of candidate pools within a region and can quickly surge and support our normal recruiting process, by sourcing and presenting candidates that meet the necessary qualifications and are looking to work in specific geographical locations has been tremendous in being able to meet our staffing and hiring needs.” – Dominic, Project Manager, Leidos

If your company might be interested in becoming a Diamond Level Employment Partner with Hire Heroes USA, contact employerrelations@hireheroesusa.org to learn more.

Hire Heroes USA and Cheryl Saban Self-Worth Foundation for Women & Girls Partner to Provide Empowerment Workshops for Women Veterans

Renewed Partnership will Assist 325 Women Veterans in 2019 Through Customized Workshops and Other Services

ALPHARETTA (PRWEB) JULY 9, 2019

Hire Heroes USA and The Cheryl Saban Self-Worth Foundation for Women & Girls today announced that they will continue their partnership to support women veterans and service members as they transition out of the military and into the civilian workforce. The partnership began in 2017 and has supported 134 women veterans in their job searches. The new agreement will fund five Female Veteran Empowerment Workshops and access to Hire Heroes USA’s extensive suite of services for at least 325 participants. Workshops exclusively supporting women veterans have already been held in Los Angeles, CA, Colorado Springs, CO, and Fayetteville, NC, this year; upcoming events are scheduled for San Antonio, TX, and Fort Belvoir, VA.

Participants will be able to take advantage of multiple services from Hire Heroes USA, including virtual career coaching where clients receive one-on-one assistance from individually assigned Transition Specialists. Each client is individually guided through how to create a professionally-revised resume, learn effective job search techniques, and understanding her transferable skills. A network of nearly 700 volunteer mentors will help support participants with industry-specific mentoring, mock interviews, and networking opportunities. Finally, participants will receive access to the Hire Heroes USA Job Board and training resources.

“Hire Heroes USA is grateful for the opportunity to work alongside the Cheryl Saban Self-Worth Foundation for Women and Girls to assist women veterans in finding success after service,” says Christopher Plamp, CEO of Hire Heroes USA and decorated Air Force veteran. “Through this partnership, we are working to help women veterans overcome the unique challenges they face in gaining meaningful employment.”

“We are pleased to continue our partnership with Hire Heroes USA,” said Dr. Cheryl Saban, psychologist, author, and founder of the Cheryl Saban Self-Worth Foundation for Women & Girls. “This collaboration allows us to encourage and empower female veterans as they overcome unique challenges in transitioning to civilian employment.”

Hire Heroes USA has helped more than 32,000 veterans and military spouses secure civilian jobs since being founded in 2007. In 2018, more than 2200 Hire Heroes USA clients were female veterans, of whom 1330 were confirmed hired.

For more information about Female Veteran Empowerment Workshops, including how to register, please visit the Career Events page on the Hire Heroes USA website.

About the Cheryl Saban Self-Worth Foundation for Women & Girls
Dr. Cheryl Saban formed the Cheryl Saban Self-Worth Foundation for Women & Girls in 2009 with the belief that gender equality and empowerment of women and girls is fundamental to changing society for the better for all humankind. The foundation has dedicated millions of dollars to the empowerment and equality of women and girls in the U.S. and abroad by providing grants to organizations that address health, education, welfare, empowerment, advocacy, financial independence and political advancement.