Judi Williams knows the many barriers facing veterans and military spouses when it comes to employment. She’s witnessed it firsthand.
Williams, 39, of Fort Polk, Louisiana, had a short stint in the U.S. Army before an injury forced her out much earlier than she anticipated. Her husband, E-5 Jonathan W, is active in the U.S. Army and has served two combat deployments.
“There are so many challenges facing our service men and women,” said Williams, a recruitment specialist for Pearl Interactive Network (Pearl). “The transition to civilian employment is not an easy one for so many coming out of the military.”
Unlike any company of its kind, Pearl centers its structure on being a social enterprise that delivers quality contact center services. Most of its employees are home-based, like Williams — which makes the company attractive to veterans, military spouses, people with disabilities, and those who live in economically-challenged areas.
“Being a military spouse, you appreciate a job with flexibility, especially when it comes to location,” she said. “The biggest thing you see when you screen resumes of those in the military is, in many cases, they’ve had just a few jobs; and spouses have had several short-term jobs because of deployment and relocation.”
Williams found her passion for helping veterans and military spouses after spending four years on the front lines of active duty medical and social services. As a patient advocate for wounded warriors, she bridged the gaps in communication between social and medical services and some of our bravest soldiers.
“It was an honor to serve in that capacity,” Williams added. “In this position, I also worked with transition specialists and was exposed firsthand to the issues facing veterans and employment.”
Williams found Pearl Interactive Network during a routine Internet search one night. “Three days after I applied I was interviewed and offered employment shortly thereafter,” she recalled.
Williams said she’s found her experience with Pearl to be a positive one.
“A lot of companies say they support veterans. Pearl shows it by their actions,” she continued. “They are compassionate and want us, as employees, to look beyond the resume and work history and get to know the person behind the resume. I believe that approach leads to finding quality employees who deliver excellent service.”
Williams is the primary point of contact for the company’s newest expansion – a 300-seat call center in Winchester, Kentucky, 900 miles from her home. The jobs, starting at $10.50 an hour, offer 100% paid health insurance and a very family-friendly Monday-Friday work schedule. The company is looking for customer service representatives, administrative assistants, and supervisors.
“We are looking for motivated people who have experience in providing customer service in a variety of settings; not just call centers,” Williams explained. “Our employees must be able to effectively communicate information to our customers in a timely, professional, and courteous manner.”
Merry Korn, president and CEO of Pearl Interactive Network, Inc., said the expansion into central Kentucky has been “beneficial in expanding the reach and scope of our work to help veterans, military spouses, people with disabilities, and those in economically-challenged areas.”
“Our goal is to bring meaningful employment opportunities to people,” she added. “I want our employees to know the work they are doing is making a difference.”