Hire Heroes USA volunteer:  “I’ve found it very rewarding to help our veterans adjust to their transition from military life to civilian life”  

To mark the 2017 National Volunteer Week, Hire Heroes USA shares the story of one member of our volunteer team, which is now more than 700 members strong:   

Noel Taylor’s selfless spirit, warmth, faithfulness, and collaborative nature make him a real stand-out for the Hire Heroes USA Volunteer Team. Although he sometimes downplays his positive impact to our nonprofit and military families, he has undoubtedly empowered and inspired many transitioning military members, veterans and military spouses. 

Noel joined Hire Heroes USA’s volunteer team in June 2015, after finding our nonprofit online. To date, he has donated 50 hours of his time to mentor our clients through career counseling and mock interviews, and by sharing his professional expertise on project management, human resources, talent acquisition, organizational development, operations management, and corporate culture.

He has worked and hired many military veterans in his past roles, because he’s always been impressed by their strong character, discipline, skills, and talents.

When asked, “Who was the most inspirational person in your life?” Noel answered without hesitation:

“My father who served 20+ years in the Air Force and retired as a Major is my biggest inspiration. He inspired me to always strive for excellence in everything I do, both personally and professionally, and to always give back to the community. While volunteering at Hire Heroes USA, I’ve found it very rewarding to help our veterans adjust to their transition from military life to civilian life, by helping them develop effective career transition strategies.”

Noel mentioned one of his favorite moments at Hire Heroes USA was receiving a LinkedIn recommendation, from a Veteran Transition Specialist (VTS) in our Colorado Springs Office, thanking him for successfully coaching one of his veterans, who obtained employment shorty after their coaching session. The VTS wrote, “Noel, is a great mentor for service members, veterans, and their spouses. He successfully coached a veteran candidate of mine who obtained employment only four days after his counseling session. The veteran had 7-8 interviews prior to his mock interview with Noel. Noel is a Great American!”

Our vital work at Hire Heroes USA relies on the dedication and advocacy of our volunteers. When asked “If you could describe Hire Heroes USA to someone who has never seen or heard of us, how would you go about doing this?” Noel said:  “Many of my colleagues in the human resources and talent management community are interested in hiring more veterans for a variety of roles in their organizations. When I come across anyone who expresses interest in hiring military veterans, I always direct them to the Hire Heroes USA website, go over the list of services we provide to veterans, and talk about how I’m involved in helping our veterans and military spouses. From there, I put them in touch directly with a Hire Heroes USA representative who can help them with their military hiring needs.”

Thank you, Noel, for your passion, generosity, and being an “everyday hero” for our clients!