Warren, a Walden Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology student, has strong family ties to the military; his son is in the US Army, one grandfather served in the US Army, the other grandfather in the US Marines, and his uncle and cousins served in the US Air Force. To honor their service and the service of all veterans, Warren, and his wife Jennifer, also a Walden student, wanted “to give back, to do something to make sure that every veteran has an opportunity for gainful employment.”

After witnessing the challenge veterans have in translating their military skills and experience to the civilian workforce, they decided they could use their extensive recruiting and human resources background to make a difference. They agreed to reinvest profits from their human resources consulting business to create “SymbianceHR Free Services for US Military Veterans” where veterans and their spouses can sign up for a free 45-minute in-depth telephone coaching session. The session focuses on strengthening interviewing skills and providing information about the recruiting and hiring process. Warren said, “Even though there are initiatives to hire veterans and their spouses, businesses want to hire the best-qualified candidate; we help veterans and their spouses make the case for why they are the best-qualified candidates for the job.”

Warren shared some insights into the interview process. He said, “A great deal of the interview depends on how well an applicant can articulate their experience in a concise and informative manner.  We explore the experience of the applicant and coach them on effective methods of expressing their experience while responding to inquiries posed by the interviewer.”  He went on to explain, “Applicants must learn to control as much of the interview as possible, understand the purpose of the interview, and key strategies before, during and after the interview with special attention to closing the interview.” “We want the veteran to get the offer, not just the interview.”

Warren and his wife, Jennifer, are looking for additional volunteers. If you are a Certified Human Resource Professional and would like to volunteer with SymbianceHR to offer free interview preparation consultations for veterans and their spouses, please contact Warren at: warren@symbiancehr.net.

The Career Services Center thanks Warren for sharing the story about how he and his wife are using their skills and commitment to make a positive change for veterans and their spouses!

We also send a special thank you to all of the veterans, active duty, reservists, and National Guard members for their service!

For more information on job search strategies for veterans, explore the Walden Career Services Resources for Veterans and view our archived webinar, Job Search Strategies for Veterans. 

Written by Career Services Advisor, Denise Pranke