Hire Heroes USA

Volunteer Spotlight: Sara

As a military spouse, Sara Mills knows first-hand the challenges and triumphs that come with a military lifestyle – especially when it comes to searching for a new career.

“I’ve often met others in the midst of career transitions, whether it’s a service member getting ready to retire or a fellow spouse in the midst of a PCS,” Sara explained. “With a background in HR, I’ve always felt called to help in this arena and was looking for a meaningful way to serve the military community.”

When Sara found out Hire Heroes USA was seeking volunteers that could support veterans and military spouses remotely, she knew it was the perfect opportunity to pay it forward. Sara’s professional experience spans a decade of civil service in various human resource roles, and she offers extensive knowledge about the federal employment process specifically. “I have experience explaining the ins and outs of the notoriously daunting federal hiring process to hiring managers, and now I’m able to leverage that into helpful suggestions for veterans and military spouses.”

When working with clients, Sara’s best piece of advice is to stay persistent. “Applying for a job takes hard work and intentional effort,” she said. “Putting in the time to craft the best resume, sometimes over and over again, and over-prepare for an interview can only work in your favor.”

Sara has assisted clients in a variety of ways during her time as a Hire Heroes USA volunteer, but one mock interview stands out as her most memorable conversation with a client.

“I wasn’t sure [at first] the questions I came up with would resonate, but it seemed to get the gears turning in the way I’d hoped,” she explained. “I believe if nothing else, they left the conversation feeling more prepared and empowered.”

In a job market that can feel overwhelming to many military families, Sara has a strong handle on how to build meaningful rapport with veterans and military spouse job seekers and help them leverage their unique skills and backgrounds into future career moves.

“I love to hear their stories and learn about how they’ve gotten to this particular point in their career,” Sara shared. “It’s incredible to meet such hard-working and inspiring people and to be a part of their career journey, even if just in some small way.”

If you would like to make a difference in the lives of veterans and military spouses, please click here to learn more about volunteering with Hire Heroes USA.

Finding Your Job Search Direction in the New Year

Starting off the new year job search doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does require some prep work. How can you start applying for jobs before knowing your brand and value in the job market? Whenever possible, clicking “apply” should actually be one of the last steps in your job search following self-assessments, targeting specific companies, researching and networking.

Here’s how to start before pressing that button:

Assess Yourself

When you understand how your interests align with your skillset, that’s when the magic happens. If you’re still learning how to determine this intersection, use career assessments to help you understand more about your strengths and aptitudes. Resources like My Next Move Interest Profiler can be a great place to start.

My own results revealed mainly social interests, which makes sense given that I enjoy working one-on-one with military spouses and veterans on their job search, whereas my investigative (science-based) and realistic (hands-on) scores were lower because they are not my particular set of skills or interests. We encourage job seekers to create an account with us to access tools like this video that will walk you through a couple more self-assessments and how to analyze your results to help you narrow down what you want to do.

If you are already a Hire Heroes USA client, ask your Transition Specialist how you can take advantage of our network of mentors. They are excited and ready to share their own career specialties and their experiences span a range of industries and these professionals can help you develop more focus or help you brainstorm potential career paths.

Research

Now that you’ve done some soul-searching and discovered more about your likes and dislikes, it’s time to hit the ground running with research. What are some of the key factors that are most important to your professional goals? Develop a list that describes your ideal company size, culture, salary range and locations. Some additional questions to consider: Will you work remote, hybrid or in-person? What will you need to successfully work from home or what would your commute look like? Do these roles afford the opportunity to build your network or needed skills? Is there room for professional growth? Are there any other considerations that are key for you? These details should help you to start prioritizing both the roles and the type of company you’re seeking.

Build a List of Target Companies

When it comes to finding your ideal position, it’s important to keep an open mind. Don’t get stuck Googling only a few keywords over and over with hopes it will catch your dream job. Remember that two companies may have different job titles for the type of role you’re looking for. On the flip side, the same job title could mean different things at different companies. This is why it’s important to create a list of target companies where you can learn more about how your skills will fit into their structure.

If you are targeting a specific geographic location, seek out local business chambers, review local business journals and connect with professional associations to learn more about the companies in the area. If you are looking for military-friendly employers, take a look at our monthly Top Jobs Newsletter and create an account for the Hire Heroes USA Job Board.

The Age-Old Buzzword: NETWORK

Once you’ve determined the type of jobs and companies you’re interested in, it’s time to network. If you haven’t created or updated your LinkedIn profile yet, I’d strongly recommend starting there. LinkedIn can be a valuable tool. According to LinkedIn, 90% of recruiters use the platform as their main tool for sourcing candidates. You want to make sure you can be found! Making LinkedIn connections will help you meet new people at the companies you are targeting. Here is a great video to walk you through building connections.

You can also join the Hire Heroes USA’s Junior Enlisted LinkedIn Group, Hire Heroes USA’s Serving Spouses LinkedIn Group and Hire Heroes USA’s Alumni Program LinkedIn Group to connect with professionals who have similar military connections.

Resident of Idaho?

If you are living in the state of Idaho, there are employment opportunities for you with our partner organization, Mission43. Mission43 was established in 2016 for Idaho residents and built on three pillars: employment, education and engagement to assist transitioning military and spouses back into civilian life after service. Mission43 is the only one of its kind in the country. Whether you are job searching, changing careers, pursuing certifications or just looking for ways to network with like-minded professionals, get connected and check out the events calendar at Mission43.

Upcoming events include a hiking series, coffee hours and happy hour.

I hope this helps you feel less lost in this big ol’ world of job searching. I take comfort in these steps now and recommend them to my clients because I, too, had a point in my career where I felt lost about where to even begin after each PCS.

May you find your happy place to work. Good luck!

Kyla Hensley is a Transition Specialist with Hire Heroes USA’s Serving Spouses Program. If you’re interested in receiving free career support with Hire Heroes USA, click here to learn more.

Hire Heroes USA breaks record, sets new standard for veteran employment services

More than 12,500 veterans and military spouses secured employment with the assistance of Hire Heroes USA in 2021,
the highest recorded in the organization’s history

Veterans nonprofit Hire Heroes USA set its sights high for 2021 with the goal of providing free employment services to more veterans and military spouses than ever before. That goal was far exceeded, confirming 12,594 transitioning service members, veterans and military spouses who found meaningful careers with Hire Heroes USA’s support, a 99.3% increase over the past five years. That number marks the 12th consecutive year of growth in annual hire totals.

“2021 was a year of unprecedented impact for Hire Heroes USA,” said Hire Heroes USA CEO Andrew Sandoe. “When a man or woman takes an oath to protect our nation and the Constitution, the nation owes a debt of gratitude and obligation when they leave service. I am so proud that we helped deliver on that covenant.”

BY THE NUMBERS

12,594 total clients hired

$62,839 average salary for those hired

Hire Heroes USA provides career services via phone and virtual settings to military-connected job seekers, allowing us to seamlessly continue services despite the pandemic and regardless of a client’s geographic location. Our team also addressed changes in the workforce by providing relevant resources such as virtual mock interviews, remote job search strategies and career counseling to empower clients to take charge of their career goals in today’s evolving market.

“Military families often face structural headwinds as they negotiate the civilian job market. Since 2005, Hire Heroes USA has been here to help and empower these families at every step of their employment journey,” Sandoe said.

While the veteran unemployment rate has notably decreased since its peak in 2020, we expect demand for employment services to continue an upward trend in the coming year. With a decrease in active duty service member registrants in 2021 due to military re-enlistments during the pandemic, we will likely see those numbers return as they resume their career transitions to enter the civilian workforce this year.

About Hire Heroes USA

Hire Heroes USA is a nonprofit organization that empowers US military members, veterans and spouses to succeed in the civilian workforce. We offer 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. Funded exclusively through public donations and private grants, we provide our services at no cost to clients.

Since Hire Heroes USA’s founding, more than 63,000 Hire Heroes clients have found success in their job search.

All Hire Heroes services are being offered online or over the phone to accommodate clients in all geographic locations. This includes our volunteer services, which allow professionals to mentor and guide clients during their job search. Hire Heroes USA prioritizes transparency, earning a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and the GuideStar Platinum Seal. For more information about our organization, visit hireheroesusa.org.

Hire Heroes USA Announces Addition of Chief Development Officer

Hire Heroes USA is excited to announce the addition of Nadine Bullock-Pottinga to our executive leadership team.

ALPHARETTA, Ga. (Jan. 7, 2022) – Veterans nonprofit organization Hire Heroes USA announced an expansion of its organizational leadership on Friday, with the addition of Nadine Bullock-Pottinga as Chief Development Officer.

Hire Heroes USA Chief Development Officer Nadine Bullock-Pottinga

Ms. Bullock-Pottinga has 17 years of professional experience in the nonprofit space, including more than a decade of leadership success with the United Way of Shenandoah Valley, the NFL’s Washington Football Team’s Charitable Foundation and the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Additionally, she has held other influential positions with the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital and Youthworks in her hometown of Minneapolis, Minn. Under her leadership, those organizations experienced growth in fundraising and most importantly, a profound impact on the communities they serve.

“The commitment of this organization to serving the needs of veterans and their spouses is exemplary. I’m honored to have been chosen to help contribute to the organization’s growth and success in the future,” Bullock-Pottinga said. “I feel a strong connection to military families and their spouses, and I look forward to connecting more military members and their spouses to meaningful job opportunities.”

She joins Hire Heroes USA Chief Executive Officer Andrew Sandoe and Chief Operating Officer Ross Dickman to complete Hire Heroes USA’s executive leadership team.

“We strive to reach every veteran or military spouse who asks for help in their civilian career search,” said Hire Heroes USA CEO Andrew Sandoe. “Nadine’s perspective and experience will allow us to amplify our impact, reaching more veterans and military spouses than ever before. I am grateful that we are adding such an outstanding individual to our team.”

Bullock-Pottinga joins Hire Heroes USA in a period of tremendous growth in the veteran hiring space. In 2021, Hire Heroes USA recorded its 12th consecutive year of growth in annual hires, helping more than 12,500 transitioning service members, veterans and military spouses secure employment with average salaries exceeding the national average. As the labor market continues to evolve, Hire Heroes USA remains committed to offering free career services to all service members, veteran or military spouses.

About Hire Heroes USA

Hire Heroes USA empowers US military members, veterans and spouses to succeed in the civilian workforce. Our organization 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. For more information about our organization, visit hireheroesusa.org.

Top Jobs & Training Programs for January 2022

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.

View jobs from our featured employer this month, GovernmentCIO. Also, be sure to check out several of our training partners by downloading the document below.

Click here to download the newsletter .

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