Veterans Day is an opportunity for me to reflect and share my gratitude for the sacrifices that our service members have provided in defending our freedoms.
I work out of our Irvine office in sunny Southern California, where our philanthropy committee is always looking to give back to the local community. In the past, we’ve volunteered at WHW, an employment non-profit that aims to help Orange County residents acquire gainful employment through skill-building, resume writing, interviewing, and confidence. Volunteering time to help veterans get back into the workforce proved the perfect way to invest our time on a recent Saturday morning.
WHW’s Veterans Day event was well attended by several business groups in the community. To maximize impact, WHW leadership split the business groups into two, with one cohort dedicated to interview practice and another to help choose professional clothing. Members of the Irvine office who often interview prospective colleagues were asked to practice asking interview questions, including behavioral and situational inquiries.
“I found the interview practice experience to be really refreshing,” said Christopher Wagner, Perficient’s Microsoft Alliance Manager. “Many of the participants I interviewed just needed an extra push to get them over the top.”
Each session with the volunteer lasted 45 minutes with additional feedback at the end. Attendees were able to take their feedback forms home, where they could continue practicing and apply what they learned to future sessions at WHW.
Once we were finished, everyone gathered in the main lobby to reflect on what they had learned from their time that day. Many of the veterans expressed that they felt more ready than ever to tackle the challenges of finding a job and now had the skills to effectively interview.
“I interview a lot of prospective candidates for the Irvine office and know how hard the entire process can be,” said Henry Heisler, Director of Perficient’s California Geography. “Our work at WHW was a fantastic way to give back to the community and give everyone an opportunity to succeed in their career life.”
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