INSIDE THE 
NEWS + ADVICE
Interview with a Hiring Manager, Carl Gayles, HP
Carl tell us about yourself and HP
I have been with HP for about 12 years following my retirement from the Army. My primary role is as a Program Manager in HP’s US Public Sector business unit. Though not a recruiter by title, my hiring manager background and service delivery perspective helps support our recruiters at various veteran-oriented hiring events. Having transitioned as a veteran myself, I enjoy any opportunity to share my experiences and hopefully assist other veterans undergoing the process.
What’s the best way for someone transitioning from the military to get a job with HP
• Plan to do some in-depth homework upfront. Develop a strong sense of your skills, experience and certifications.
• Research the company(ies) you are interested in and how they go to market. ClearedJobs.Net has some articles on career choices.
• With that knowledge, determine and refine your value proposition, i.e. your concept of how those skills, experience and certifications can add value to that company.
• Once prepared, recommend searching online job postings to determine the best job matches for your profile. Check out HP Enterprise Service US Public Sector jobs on ClearedJobs.Net.
What’s it like for transitioning military to work for your company
HP strives to make transitioning military feel welcome through outreach and connection with our Veterans Employee Resource Network (or VERN for short) which is an employee group chartered to mentor veterans, assist with career development, and many outreach initiatives geared to assist Veteran employees. I’m proud to have been a VERN board member since the group’s start.
Any words of wisdom for cleared job seekers using social media
Use it to your advantage! If you haven’t already done so, set up a profile and start building your network. Also take time to review some of the comments, articles, and shared links available at various sites. Some valuable advice I received during my transition was to seek out and gather insight (nowadays greatly enhanced by social media) from multiple other veterans who have transitioned into their next career. You will probably find that no two transition experiences are identical; however there are probably some similarities among all experiences. Learn about those similarities and capitalize on them in your search.
What type of certifications or training can you recommend for someone looking to get a job with your company
I’ll reiterate my answer above about understanding and inventorying your skills, experience and certifications. Only after completing this introspection can you adequately determine any potential “gaps” in your resume that could be filled or made more relevant by pursuing any training or industry certification. Understand what certifications that the job family or specific position(s) that you are seeking require and then develop an action plan to fill any gaps if it adds value and makes sense for your specific job/career goals.
What type of certifications or training can you recommend for someone looking to get into big data
So-called “Big Data” encompasses a very broad set of products, services, and capabilities. As broad as this field is defined, it will continue to evolve and more career opportunities and growth are potentially likely. My recommendation would be to develop an understanding of this field – do your research (e.g. InfoWorld article How to Get a Hot Job in Big Data) and then as mentioned before, understand where/how your skills could potentially fit in a particular opportunity and plan accordingly.
What’s the most inappropriate thing you’ve seen on a resume
Salary information for every job that a candidate held during their career plus their targeted salary that they were seeking.
Why do I want to work for HP
The world’s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure at the convergence of the cloud and connectivity, creating seamless, secure, context-aware experiences for a connected world. Innovation. Global Citizenship. Strong Culture. At the core of this portfolio are people. It is the people of HP who make our mission achievable and embody our values. Learn more about HP.
What advice would you give a job seeker attending a Cleared Job Fair?
1. Develop a job fair plan. Prepare in advance for those companies/organizations you want to visit before setting foot in the job fair location.
2. Know as much as you can about those companies (services, products, markets, etc.) before you speak to any recruiter. Strive for a prepared presentation and follow-on conversation.
3. Accept that there is a process involved in transitioning successfully and landing a job. Understand the process and have reasonable expectations for that job fair experience day and subsequently going forward.
4. Be yourself – you’ll probably be nervous, but do your best to relax and focus!
Check out all HP’s cleared positions on ClearedJobs.Net.
Thanks for sharing your transition advice, Carl.
Most veterans I’ve worked with are beyond professional. They get a lot of mentoring and encouragement from their peers. Best to you in your Hp career.