Connecting the Military Community with a Meaningful Career in Tech
An interview with Chris Floyd, Slalom’s military employee resource group lead and Katherine Clark, Head of Salesforce Military at Salesforce.
Creating a nationwide hiring effort
What is Hiring Our Heroes?
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes (HOH) program works to connect the military community (e.g., transitioning service members, veterans, military spouses, and military caregivers) with meaningful employment opportunities across public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Since its inception in March 2011, HOH has helped more than half a million individuals within the military community find employment.
How does Salesforce partner with Hiring our Heroes?
Salesforce is one of HOH’s strategic partners providing fellows with training and professional experience as a certified Salesforce professional to prepare them for a smooth transition into a Salesforce career. To be considered for this specialized fellowship, individuals must be Salesforce certified prior to joining the fellowship. To help individuals gain the certifications needed to apply for the Salesforce fellowship program, Salesforce launched Salesforce Military in 2014 to provide free, online training classes and certification exams at no cost for active-duty military, veterans, and military spouses.
Once Salesforce certified, Salesforce fellowship candidates are matched with participating companies, like Slalom, to undergo on-the-job Salesforce training.
What is it like for a Hiring Our Heroes fellow at Slalom?
At Slalom, we are proud of the collaborative partnership we have with the Hiring Our Heroes and Salesforce fellowship program. Fellows joining the program will embark on a paid, 12-week completely remote journey where they’ll gain hands on experience working on Salesforce projects. At the end of the program, Slalom will discuss an option for full-time employment.
Interview with Chris Floyd and Katherine Clark
Could you tell us about your background and how you got started with the HOH program at your respective organizations?
Chris Floyd: I was a bi-lingual air traffic controller in the Air Force for 21 years. Once I decided to leave the military, I found Salesforce Military and the free Salesforce training they provided. I completed the training and then applied to the HOH corporate fellowship at Slalom. The Salesforce certification gave me the edge I needed to make my transition from the military to civilian life.
With a little luck, hard work, and perseverance — Slalom’s Seattle Customer Relationship Management (CRM) practice gave me the full-time employment opportunity I needed. With Salesforce Military’s training, HOH’s fellowship program, and Slalom’s amazing fellowship program I was able to find my way and thrive after leaving the service.
Katherine Clark: As a military spouse of more than a decade, I’ve personally experienced the toll that frequent moves and unpredictable schedules of service members can have on a career. In 2014, I earned my first Salesforce certification and quickly realized that the in-demand skills I was learning would be the answer to my career challenges.
Fast forward to today, I am now Head of Salesforce Military and have worked on the program for the last 4.5 years. It’s incredible to work with partners like Slalom and Hiring Our Heroes to help veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses launch Salesforce ecosystem careers.
Why should the military community get involved with the Salesforce HOH program?
Chris Floyd: This is the perfect program for the military community to showcase their skills to future employers. Salesforce Military provides next generation training to bring you into the technology space and the Salesforce HOH Fellowship matches those skills with employers who value what veterans and military spouses bring to the table. It is a powerhouse combo that serves our community and allows a lot of us to explore careers we never thought possible.
Katherine Clark: The results of the Hiring Our Heroes Salesforce Fellowship Program speak for themselves. 95% of fellows receive an offer with an average salary of $90,000. Once a Salesforce Military member earns a certification, is accepted into the Fellowship, and gains those 12 weeks of paid, hands-on experience with an employer, they have nearly guaranteed themselves a full-time role in the Salesforce ecosystem.
What kind of backgrounds have you seen come through the program?
Chris Floyd: You name it and I have seen it — special forces, chemical biological radiological and nuclear defense instructors, submariners, intelligence, French teachers, infantry, logisticians.
Katherine: One aspect of our training and the Fellowship that I love is that no prior experience in IT is required, nor is a college degree. Truly anyone with a passion for learning new skills can join.
What makes the Slalom HOH program special and how many fellows have graduated the program at Slalom since its inception?
Chris Floyd: The program helps pave the way for veterans and military spouses. Slalom takes the view that we are building careers. From day one, our fellows are welcomed by the military community, assigned mentors, and shown that they belong. We follow up with specialized training for each career path and regular touchpoints throughout the fellowship.
Networking is also a key component to our program as our fellows learn that reaching out and making connections is a big part of the experience. Through it all, our fellows experience a warm welcome, specialized technical training, hands-on projects, learning to be your authentic self after serving, national military community meetings, introductions to employee resource groups and mentorship that all culminate in a world class experience for our fellows.
As of Fall 2022, we’ve seen over 100 fellows graduate and complete the fellowship program.
What is the most enjoyable/rewarding part about Salesforce building an HOH program for the military community?
Chris Floyd: Seeing all the success stories here at Slalom. It comforting to see that Slalom’s program is growing and learning with each cohort. It’s encouraging to see the level of senior leadership and executives that support this program.
Interested in participating in the Hiring Our Heroes Salesforce Fellowship Program?
Sign up for Salesforce Military at https://www.salesforce.com/military. From there, you’ll be guided on how to get started learning and preparing for the Certified Salesforce Administrator certification. Salesforce will provide you with the curriculum, classes, and certification vouchers completely free.
Once you’ve earned your certification, you are eligible for the Hiring Our Heroes Salesforce Fellowship Program. Those interested in learning more about upcoming cohorts and how to apply, visit https://www.hiringourheroes.org/career-services/fellowships/industry-focus/salesforce/.
Once eligible for the Hiring Our Heroes Salesforce Fellowship program, candidates will be matched with participating host companies like Slalom.
Follow #SlalomHOH on LinkedIn to read stories about our HOH fellows and check out our Slalom careers page to view open opportunities.
Slalom is a global consulting firm that helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. Learn more and reach out today.
