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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n“I didn\u2019t want to wait very long to start working and I was hoping to have no gap between employment and retirement,” Bowman said. \u201cBecause of the Corporate Fellowship Program, I didn\u2019t have that gap.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program<\/a> (CFP) is a 12-week innovative program that provides transitioning service members with professional training and hands-on experience in the civilian workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fellowship candidates are carefully matched with participating companies based on the specific skills of the candidate and the preferences of both parties. Candidates then undergo exclusive on-the-job training at their host company, gaining firsthand experience in the private sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s a 12-week working interview. It\u2019s really a big look behind the curtain at their company,\u201d Bowman said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anne Larson spent the last year developing \u201cthe very best experience\u201d for Wells Fargo\u2019s incoming fellows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wells Fargo<\/a> fellows will be placed on one of two learning tracks: a client exposure track or a support track. Within each track, transitioning service members will learn about multiple departments, participate in professional development seminars, and be assigned a mentor, who is also a military veteran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is someone that they can talk to, someone who understands,\u201d Larson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At CarMax, fellows meet with company executives, including the CEO. They also learn about how the company operates at the corporate headquarters in Richmond, Virginia, and visit stores to learn about all aspects of CarMax operations and the automotive retail industry, explained Jack McCarthy, Military Recruiting at CarMax<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis experience is invaluable to transitioning service members to help them make more informed decisions about their next career steps,\u201d McCarthy said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Along with the corporate experiences, CFP participants also attend weekly educational sessions with their cohort members. These events, called Corporate Huddle Days<\/a>, gives fellows the opportunity to share their experiences and build their networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While each program does its Corporate Huddle Day a little differently, everyone huddles on Fridays. The program managers provide corporate training, \u201clunch and learns,\u201d corporate tours and an opportunity to talk about the challenges of transitioning out of the military.<\/p>\n\n\n\n CFP program managers call it \u201cthe fellowship within the fellowship.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGoing through this time alone can be stressful, but going through it as a group makes the transition easier,\u201d said Melinda Gomez, CFP Program Manager at Camp Pendleton.<\/p>\n\n\n\nA Look Behind the Curtain<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Related: Wells Fargo Expands Corporate Outreach to address Veteran and Military Spouse Unemployment and Underemployment<\/a><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Fellowship Within the Fellowship<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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