Month: May 2020

Hire Heroes USA announces Partnership with Coursera

Hire Heroes USA announces Partnership with Coursera

(ALPHARETTA, GA. 26 MAY 2020) — We are excited to announce our partnership with Coursera, the world’s leading online learning platform, to connect the veterans and military spouses we serve to the skills they need to succeed in the modern job market.

This partnership with Coursera will provide a transformative learning experience to help individuals thrive in their civilian careers and work towards long-term professional goals.

“Empowering service members, veterans and military spouses to succeed in the civilian workforce means providing them with the best support and resources available. The library of essential online learning elements provided by Coursera gives our clients access to some of the best learning solutions available to help them find fulfilling careers.

We are very excited to partner with Coursera to advance veteran and military spouses skills for employment,” said Ross Dickman, Hire Heroes USA’s Interim CEO.

On Coursera, learners can access 4,200+ cutting-edge courses and 430+ specializations taught by top instructors from more than 200 of the world’s leading universities and industry educators. Through our partnership, veterans can master the most in-demand business, technology, data and health skills by learning at their own pace on Coursera and earning credentials designed to help learners achieve their career goals.

“During this difficult time, many are leaning on online learning to prepare for new jobs and roles. We’re honored to partner with Hire Heroes USA to equip U.S. veterans and military spouses with job-relevant skills and support their career success in the civilian workforce,” said Leah Belsky, Coursera’s Chief Enterprise Officer.

To get started, register for Hire Heroes’ services by visiting https://bit.ly/mytrak2020 and let your Transition Specialist know you’d like to take courses on Coursera. At Hire Heroes USA, we want the best for our clients. We are grateful to partner with Coursera to empower veterans and military spouses with the skills they need to succeed in the civilian workforce.

About Hire Heroes USA

Headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, Hire Heroes USA has built a national reputation of excellence for empowering U.S. military members, veterans, and military spouses to succeed in the civilian workforce. As the nation’s leading veteran employment organization, Hire Heroes USA offers personalized one-on-one coaching, professionally revised resumes, mentoring, workshops, a job board, career fairs and more, to tens of thousands of job-seeking veterans annually. Hire Heroes USA prioritizes transparency, earning a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and the GuideStar Platinum Seal. Funded exclusively through public donations and private grants, we provide our services at no cost to clients. 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 Coursera

Coursera was founded by Daphne Koller and Andrew Ng with a vision of providing life-transforming learning experiences to anyone, anywhere. It is now a leading online learning platform for higher education, where 58 million learners from around the world come to learn skills of the future. More than 200 of the world’s top universities and industry educators partner with Coursera to offer projects, courses, Specializations, certificates, and degree programs. 2,400 companies trust the company’s enterprise platform Coursera for Business to transform their talent. Coursera for Government equips government employees and citizens with in-demand skills to build a competitive workforce. Coursera for Campus empowers any university to offer high-quality, job-relevant online education to students, alumni, faculty, and staff. Coursera is backed by leading investors that include Kleiner Perkins, New Enterprise Associates, Learn Capital and SEEK Group.

Courses

Cybersecurity

● (ISC)² Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP)

● Fundamentals of Computer Network Security

● IT Fundamentals for Cybersecurity

● Palo Alto Networks Cybersecurity

Automation

● Implementing RPA with Cognitive Automation and Analytics

● Google IT Automation with Python

IT Certificate

● Google IT Support

● IBM Customer Engagement Specialist Professional Certificate

Data Science

● IBM Data Science

● IBM AI Engineering

Business Analysis

● Business Statistics and Analysis

● Excel Skills for Business

● Excel to MySQL: Analytic Techniques for Business

Volunteer Spotlight: Sergio

Volunteer Spotlight: Sergio

“We watch out for our own.”

Working with veterans and military spouses as a Hire Heroes USA volunteer, fellow Army Veteran Sergio Talavera frequently ends of his calls with these words. For Sergio, this creed still drives him to serve other military families following his own transition to civilian employment.

Hire Heroes USA volunteer Sergio Talavera

Sergio first learned about Hire Heroes USA from a co-worker while working as a career counselor for the state of Illinois. In that role, he provided assistance to those facing unemployment and learned how to help job candidates impress employers.  He now works with Indigo Agriculture as a Grain Marketing Specialist, helping farmers achieve sustainability and higher profits. Having worked in real estate and insurance as well, Sergio believes sharing his professional experiences with Hire Heroes USA clients can steer them toward success.

“I don’t want these veterans to stumble with the same simple mistakes I made when I left the service,” Sergio said. “Having someone guide you is invaluable, and I am happy to help.”

Hire Heroes USA volunteers like Sergio offer key guidance to transitioning military, veterans and military spouses. Sergio said receiving the “I-got-the-job” call from Hire Heroes clients he has worked with is easily the most rewarding part of volunteering his time.

“I am grateful for the ability to help them find peace and stability after their service and I am rewarded by their success.”

Sergio, thank you for your investment in the success of Hire Heroes USA clients.

You can make a difference for military spouses and veterans, too. Become a Hire Heroes USA volunteer.

Three tips to ease the transition to a new field

Three tips to ease the transition to a new field

Carmen White
Latest posts by Carmen White (see all)

Since COVID-19, more than 1 million veterans have filed for unemployment benefits due to sudden and unexpected loss of employment. Because of this, some job seekers are taking their skills to new industries due to the rapidly changing economic landscape. Transitioning to a new field can be overwhelming enough on its own, but coupled with a global pandemic, and it can seem daunting. However, with the right plan, you can overcome obstacles and find success. Use these three tips to stay competitive and on the right track toward a new career.

1. Strategize.

Assess your skills and strategically determine your new career goals. Figure out your three biggest strengths and how you want to use them in your new career. Decide what is important to you. Whether it is salary, company culture, location, or a combination of those things,  narrow down your selections into viable options. Utilize free assessment tools to assist in matching your skills with a new career path. Try out a few and see where they lead you.

2. Revise your resume.

Tailor your resume to each position by writing your resume around your strengths. Carefully read the job description and identify the skills and knowledge required. Your resume needs to show that you are capable of doing the job and it should highlight your strengths throughout, so choose your format carefully. For major career changes, a  functional resume format may be best to emphasize marketable skills for specific positions.

3. Network, Network, Network.

Building a network virtually can be a snap with LinkedIn. Simply search your connections to find individuals in your desired industry. Send notes with your connection requests to make a professional and friendly introduction. Share your knowledge by responding thoughtfully and positively to posts.  Next, to learn more about people and organizations, schedule informational interviews via phone, Zoom, or Google Hangouts.  Once you establish relationships, you can ask for more information or inside referrals for positions that interest you.  Lastly, connect with professional organizations. Many have temporarily switched to virtual meetings due to COVID-19, and everyone’s new normal provides common ground that eases the first-meeting awkwardness when seeking new connections.

Do NOT face your career change alone! Working with a Hire Heroes USA Transition Specialist ensures that you will be guided by a trained professional at each stage of your job search. Our Transition Specialists are skilled in helping you strategize your job search process, choose the correct resume format, and provide concrete networking advice.

Top Jobs and Training Partners- May 2020

Top Jobs & Training Programs for May 2020

Every month, Hire Heroes USA selects several job openings from our job board to highlight. These job openings are posted by partnered employers who are looking to hire veteran and military spouse talent. To view the list of top jobs, our featured employer this month, CDC Foundation, and a few training program partners of Hire Heroes USA, please click the link below.

Top Jobs & Training Programs – May 2020

 
Top-Jobs-May-2020

Hire Heroes USA Announces Partnership with CDC Foundation

Hire Heroes USA Announces Partnership with CDC Foundation

Veterans Sought for Key Positions to Help in the Fight Against COVID-19

Hire Heroes USA, the nation’s leading employment nonprofit for veterans and military spouses, announces their partnership with the CDC Foundation to bring veteran talent into the fight against COVID-19.

As unemployment numbers rise nationwide from the impact of COVID-19, Hire Heroes USA remains committed to assisting the hundreds of veterans and military spouses who seek career support services each week. Recent survey results indicate that 70% of active Hire Heroes clients are concerned or very concerned about their employment prospects in the next two months. To quell fear and create opportunity, Hire Heroes USA is leveraging the power of collaboration through a partnership with the CDC Foundation. As an independent nonprofit, the CDC Foundation is the sole entity created by Congress to mobilize philanthropic and private-sector resources to support the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s critical health protection work. By partnering with Hire Heroes USA, the CDC Foundation aims to activate veterans to overcome the challenges of the Novel Coronavirus.

“Military veterans and spouses have the skills and experience to help any firm overcome challenges related to COVID-19,” said Ross Dickman, Hire Heroes USA Chief Executive Officer. “As the CDC Foundation seeks to empower their teams to deliver quality care and immediate impact, they have joined with Hire Heroes USA to find dependable, adaptable, and experienced military leaders for a variety of roles and functions. We are extremely proud to help the CDC Foundation as they respond to this pandemic, and we are proud of the continued service, sacrifice, and impact of our military veterans and their spouses.”

“The CDC Foundation recognizes the tremendous value and unique skill set that veterans and military spouses provide,” said Judy Monroe, MD, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation. “And, we are pleased to join with Hire Heroes USA to engage and source talented leaders for the open emergency response positions we are hiring for to help extend the work of state and local health departments in the fight against COVID-19.”

Positions at the CDC Foundation can be found on the Hire Heroes USA Job Board at: https://jobs.hireheroesusa.org/. Any U.S. military veterans or spouses in need of employment support can register for free services at https://www.hireheroesusa.org/job-seekers/.

Together, our impact is greater.

About Hire Heroes USA

Headquartered in Alpharetta, Ga., Hire Heroes USA empowers US military members, veterans, and spouses to succeed in the civilian workforce. With a national reputation of excellence as the nation’s leading veteran employment organization, Hire Heroes USA offers personalized one-on-one coaching, professionally revised resumes, mentoring, workshops, a job board, career fairs, and more, to tens of thousands of job-seeking veterans and military spouses annually. Hire Heroes USA prioritizes transparency, earning a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and the GuideStar Platinum Seal. Funded exclusively through public donations and private grants, we provide our services at no cost to clients.

About The CDC Foundation

The CDC Foundation helps the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) save and improve lives by unleashing the power of collaboration between CDC, philanthropies, corporations, organizations, and individuals to protect the health, safety and security of America and the world. The CDC Foundation is the go-to nonprofit authorized by Congress to mobilize philanthropic partners and private-sector resources to support CDC’s critical health protection mission. Since 1995, the CDC Foundation has launched more than 1,000 programs and raised more than $900 million. The CDC Foundation managed hundreds of CDC-led programs in the United States and in more than 140 countries last year. Learn more about the CDC Foundation at www.cdcfoundation.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Steps to success during phone interviews

Steps to success during phone interviews

Kayla Hayden
Latest posts by Kayla Hayden (see all)
As with any interview, the path success begins before the phone rings.

The phone interview is a common point of first contact between employers and candidates, but they’re becoming even more common as second interviews during the COVID-19 pandemic. So, what can you do to ensure a successful phone interview experience? I’ll outline helpful tips before, during, and after your conversation.

Before the Interview

As with any interview, you need to spend time preparing. Here are some steps you can take to get ready:

  • • Find a quiet, distraction-free room with good cell reception. This can be any room in your house, but make sure spouses, children, pets, and/or roommates cannot distract you here.
  • • Practice interview questions and research the company. You won’t know exactly what the interviewer will be asking but be prepared with answers to common questions like, “What interests you about working here?” and “Tell me about yourself.” Google and YouTube are great resources on framing responses to both common and difficult interview questions.
  • • Be groomed and dressed as if you are interviewing in person. No, the interviewer won’t see that you’re in your pajamas or that you are not wearing pants — but dressing the part means you’re more likely to act the part in the interview.
  • • Be ready 10 minutes prior to your interview with the job description, your resume, and your post-interview questions in front of you. 

During the Interview

Your interviewer is calling! Here’s how to knock their socks off:

  • • Answer the phone professionally. “Hello, this is (your name),” is a good approach that lets the interviewer know that they have reached the right person. 
  • • Smile. You may feel a bit awkward doing this at first, but it will make the tone of your voice more friendly, and friendly people make great coworkers. 
  • • Be present in the interview. Sit or stand — whatever your preference — but do not multitask during the interview. If your interviewer can hear you moving around in the background, you will appear distracted, and you could be written off as uninterested in the position. If another call comes in during your interview, send it to voicemail.
  • • Ask questions at the end of the interview, and be sure to ask what the next steps are and when you can expect to hear from them again. 

After the Interview

No matter how you feel it went, send a quick email thanking the interviewer for their time. Let them know that you look forward to speaking with them again soon. 

If you have not heard from your interviewer, it is okay to follow up. Give them a call. If you do not reach them, leave a voicemail and a secondary follow up message (email or text ).

Here is some suggested verbiage for following up: “Hi, (interviewer’s name)! This is (your name), and we spoke last week about (position name). I am calling to follow up on the next steps in the interviewing process.” 

If they call and let you know they are not moving forward with you, remain professional and thank the interviewer again for their time. Ask if they have any feedback for how you can better sell yourself next time, and consider their advice in your next interview. 

Practice Makes Perfect

Interviewing is a learned skill, and one you can perfect it with practice. Your Hire Heroes USA Transition Specialist can help set you up with interview preparation services at no cost to you. If you’re a transitioning service member, veteran or military spouse, you can register here. Our free services are conducted over the phone, which further prepares you for phone interviews while ensuring your safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.