Where Are You Going to Be When Opportunity Knocks?
You never know when a life-changing opportunity will present itself. Being prepared for the off-chance occasion that opportunity will be knocking on your door is key to a successful transition out of the military. Through our many workshops and unique programs like the Corporate Fellowship Program, Hiring Our Heroes has a wealth of resources to ensure service members are prepared.
Listen in as Hiring Our Heroes Executive Director Chuck Hodges shares his personal transition story and what it has been like watching the Corporate Fellowship Program develop into a highly sought-out program on this episode of the Sitrep podcast.
Top Takeaways from “Where Are You Going to Be When Opportunity Knocks?”
1. Hiring Our Heroes Executive Director Chuck Hodges, an Army veteran, shares his transition story with service members and military spouses at our Career Summits.
“What I bring to the stage are not things I’ve read about or watched on TV. It’s truly personal experiences – both mine as well as those service members who I’ve seen over the past four years go through this process.” – Chuck Hodges, Hiring Our Heroes Executive Director
2. The Corporate Fellowship Program offers service members the opportunity to work at a corporation before they leave military service.
“The beauty of the fellowship program under the DOD SkillBridge program is that you’re doing this while you’re still on active duty.” – Chuck Hodges, Hiring Our Heroes Executive Director
3. This year, there will be CFP opportunities at five new host locations – Chicago, St. Louis, Houston, Milwaukee, and Columbus, Ohio.
“St. Louis is blowing up. Tons of companies, including Wells Fargo, really want to bring on fellows. Houston is the No. 2 city in the country in terms of veteran population and we partnered with a great organization called NextOp in Houston (for the CFP there). It’s an exciting time for the program.” – Chuck Hodges, Hiring Our Heroes Executive Director
Related: Hear how NextOp is helping dozens of nonprofits thrive while touching the lives of countless military families on episode 137 of the Sitrep podcast.
4. The Corporate Fellowship Program gives corporations the opportunity to test drive military talent.
“For the Corporate Fellowship Program, you will interview them like you would any employee. The only difference is that you’re going to test drive them for a couple of weeks. From Monday through Thursday, they are your employee.” – Chuck Hodges, Hiring Our Heroes Executive Director
5. The six-week Military Spouse Corporate Fellowship Program, available in Washington, D.C. and Maryland, is an opportunity for military spouses to show off their skills.
“There’s nothing like six weeks with a company to prove who you are and the value that you can bring to that company.” – Chuck Hodges, Hiring Our Heroes Executive Director