…But my dad, my sister, and my brother-in-law did, and I genuinely respect all those who have. With Applied Network Solutions (ANS), I am excited to be part of a company that shares my passion to honor the commitment of those in the armed services who are transitioning to private sector life via the DoD SkillBridge program.
A program in which military members on the cusp of separation can apply to be interns at commercial companies while still being paid their military pay and benefits for the final few months of their enlistment.
The program creates positive opportunities for both parties involved.
The transitioning military member gets to experience real-life working in the business world. For some, this can be a refreshing change; for others a bit more difficult to adapt to. In the case of the latter, even more reason to take a few months to gradually adapt to life outside of the structure and rigor of military life. In addition, military members may gain assistance and mentoring with regards to interviewing and job searching. In the case of my company, they are afforded training, study time, and vouchers to test for information technology and/or cybersecurity industry certifications – the backbone of DoD contractor hiring and qualifications. In short, ANS desires to do everything we can to set our interns up for success in their new work-life beyond the military.
Participating companies gain the potential to hire vetted, disciplined, quality candidates while potentially leapfrogging the wickets of general recruiting processes and procedures. So much more than just “free labor” that the term “intern” may conjure in the minds of some, companies gain a chance to build engagement, loyalty, and goodwill from a qualified pool of candidates appreciative of the opportunities being offered. ANS simply believes it’s the right thing to do for those who have given of themselves in service to our country.
Anthony, one of our current SkillBridge interns put it this way: “It’s like the DoD partnering with industry to give back to the military members a chance to gain a skillset for better employment opportunities. There’s not a lot of call for a mortarman or artillery gunner in the commercial sector!” Anthony started his internship days before our company-wide annual kick-off party. It was there that we learned that Anthony already knew many of our employees. They were contractors working with him previously! We are selective in who we employ and bring on as interns, as we look for people with aptitude and a love for the mission they support. Anthony is no exception.
Former SkillBridge beneficiary at our company, David, recently related to me, “I genuinely feel lucky to have found ANS!” We assisted David in his relocation and transition, allowing him ample time for out-processing and attending to his few remaining military responsibilities. We provided training which he leveraged to gain additional desired IT certifications. We happily cheered him on as he successfully applied to and negotiated a great paying job that was not with our company – but that’s totally okay as it was never about us in the first place! All credit goes to him!
With internship locations in both San Antonio, TX and Columbia, MD we have been fortunate enough to employ many of our interns. One intern immediately joined ANS at the end of his internship and was accepted onto a cyber protection team in TX. Another learned the ropes of becoming a Software Developer during his internship and proved essential in creating our new website - a task that not many others were up for completing!
Working and living in San Antonio, Texas, I meet and know a great many current and former military members. I often say to them, “Thank you for your service!” and sincerely mean it, but simply saying “Thank You” to show my appreciation is easy, and ultimately profits them nothing. It is doing something to show that appreciation that takes deliberate effort.
Comprised of 52% Veterans, ANS takes great pride in hiring and taking care of our prior military servicemen and women. As a business community, may we always be about doing and not just saying. We invite you to join us!
More information on SkillBridge can be found at https://skillbridge.osd.mil/