MilSpouse Employment Options Abound

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Military spouses: Verizon can hear you now, and it knows you want more employment options.

“Our company has always been dedicated to supporting our nation’s heroes,” Tommy Jones, senior manager of talent acquisition for military recruiting operations with Verizon, says. “Over the past five years, we’ve expanded our partnerships with various military organizations, accelerated our hiring initiatives and created a dedicated military recruitment plan. In 2014, we launched the Verizon Military Recruiting Team, which started off nimbly, but quickly grew to support each branch of the military. As we continued to build our recruiting efforts that same year, our leadership made a commitment to support the entire military family by assisting both veterans and military spouses.”

The company is taking solid steps to recruit military spouses to join its ranks. You might see the dedicated recruitment team for service members and spouses at military-focused hiring events. It has established partnerships with the Military Spouse Employment Partnership and Hiring Our Heroes. Verizon’s external online job application also gives military spouses the option to self-identify.

Jones says, “We’re always seeking great talent, and we practice a ‘high-touch philosophy,’ which means we prefer to be face-to-face with the people we meet. So, we take full advantage of the opportunity to interact with job seekers at hiring and networking events. As a veteran, I can share my experiences with prospective hires or others interested in our support of the military. Every interaction is a chance to meet your next fantastic hire.”

Jones says Verizon understands the unique challenges military spouses face when seeking employment. “With that in mind, we’ve created policies and procedures to help military spouses handle those challenges in a positive and meaningful way.”

Verizon offers a career path for those who wish to develop with the company. Jones says: “Verizon provides a comprehensive onboarding process and in-depth training to all of its employees. We offer many opportunities for career advancement, and the training and support we provide will help our employees on a clear path to growth.”

Check out other great companies to work for on the 2017 Military Spouse Friendly Employers List!

Q&A With a Military Spouse Employee

Name: Michelle Brown

Years married: 7 years

Branch your spouse is in: Navy

Job title: Field Operations Local Manager

How long you have been with Verizon: 9 months

How did you become involved with Verizon? Did you initially know they were military spouse friendly or was it a happy accident? 

Before Verizon, I worked in the telecom industry for 17 years on the West Coast before being relocated by the Navy. When my husband received his relocation orders, my previous employer could not honor a hardship transfer for a spouse’s PCS, so I had to resign when we moved. I sought employment with Verizon as a local manager in Field Operations after our move to Maryland. When I saw the opportunity on the Verizon Careers website, I was pleasantly surprised that Verizon is a Military Spouse Friendly Company. I was even more pleased that I could sign up for a military spouse recruiter to work with me and be my advocate.

Tell me about your job role and how you have grown in your career throughout your time with Verizon.

I was hired in September of 2016 as a field operations local manager for a team of installation and maintenance Fios technicians. I am in a peer mentoring program, which has been extremely valuable, and I have received classroom as well as on-the-job training. I am interested in furthering my education in the future and look forward to using Verizon’s Tuition Assistance Program.

What is the biggest way Verizon has supported you as a military spouse? What really sets Verizon apart as a company in your eyes?

As a supporter of military spouse employment, Verizon has given me the opportunity to get involved with its military spouse recruiting efforts by inviting me to attend military-specific hiring events.

Before Verizon, I applied for hundreds of jobs and thought I was more likely to attract interest from a company if I did not mention I was a military spouse. When I did get an interview, most employers commented about their concern for my longevity with their company since the military could potentially move us at any time, and they felt it was costly to hire new employees. I understand they were looking for a return on investment, but I just wanted the opportunity to get my foot in the door and share my skills.

Verizon stands apart from other employers by not just talking about hiring the heroes behind our heroes, but actually doing it—and I’m proof that it works.

Do you work in an office or remotely?  

As a field operations local manager, I primarily work in an office at a garage and meet up with techs in the field during their work day. Local managers are equipped to work remotely for various reasons and can do so on occasion, but having a team of field technicians requires us to be in the office and around our techs regularly.

This article features companies that sponsor Military Spouse