The Department of Defense has established various programs to help companies fill vacancies through internships. The majority of transitioning service members are seeking careers with civilian companies and have the skillset often needed in leaders. Utilizing the Hiring Our Heroes program and the DOD SkillBridge program are strategic resources that could quick solve your hiring challenges. Through these programs companies can have qualified veterans or military spouses work with their company at no cost. Why? Because the DoD benefits when Service members successfully transition to the civilian workforce. The DoD wants the best possible outcomes for our separating members: not just short-term jobs, but careers with good pay and opportunities for advancement just as they had while in the Service.
Ylonda Banister, HR Program Manager, Recruiting Division, Tennessee State Government, Department of Human Resources (DOHR), and Hiring Our Heroes Facilitator for the State. She has more than 10 years of experience in recruiting and has emerged as a top performer in State Government. She provides enterprise wide talent acquisition assistance to agencies with a focus on collaboration, customer service and process improvement.
Prior to starting in State Government, Ylonda served in the United States Army as a Recruiting Program Manager and at Fort Campbell, Kentucky as a Reserves Component Career Counselor. She served in various locations around the world to include Afghanistan and Bosnia. As a dedicated and committed member of the Active Guard Reserve and Army Reserve she retired from military service in 2017. She is a graduate of the 2017, Hiring Our Heroes class. In recognition of her work and service she was recognized by Eight Flames of Hope Foundation as an Unsung Military Shero.
Carolin Carson is the Program Manager for Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program managing the program in Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana. Hiring Our Heroes is an Initiative of the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation; its mission is to find meaningful employment for transitioning service members, Veterans and Military Spouses. In her previous role, Carolin facilitated the Department of Labor transition courses for Soldiers while also working as a real estate scout for military families. As an Active-Duty Military Spouse for the last two decades, Carolin had to reinvent herself professionally with every move. While her education background is in Hospitality Management, she has held a variety of positions in Training & Development, Personnel Management and Program Management.
