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Stepping into the Industry: How an Injury Led a Veteran to the Data Center

A local hiring manager reached out to Jenifer Groves and asked her to consider joining the team. Salute sought Groves for the skillset she built from six years of military service and field experience as an electrician. After connecting with a project manager to talk about how her electrical skills would translate to the battery and technical aspects of the data center industry, Groves decided to give it a go.

Mission Critical Services Executed With Military Precision

The data industry knows Salute for its military hiring initiatives, and majority veteran and military spouse workforce. Veterans often have their military experience overlooked when applying for jobs, but Salute understands the value of their service and knows how their military skillsets translate to the data center industry.

Groves’ military service was in the Navy where she worked as a Damage Control Specialist on a ship. The responsibilities that made her most applicable for Salute were firefighting, planning and supervision, damage control techniques, and intermediate level maintenance of damage control equipment and systems. She also had certifications from the Navy to support her qualifications.

“Jenifer started as a cleaning technician, but she showed the aptitude and attitude necessary for us to assign her to roles with additional responsibility. Even if people start in an unskilled labor position, there are always opportunities for motivated individuals to begin training in other services offered by Salute,” explained Bradley Bacon, Northwestern Territory Area Manager.

Groves worked in several positions at Salute. She began as a data center cleaning technician as she relearned how to walk on her knee. Then, she went into battery replacement, physical security, project management assistance, and finally, her most recent position as a commissioning support technician on a project for Schneider Electric.

“Her flexibility and leadership developed during her time in the Navy greatly helped her stay engaged and assist others on the commissioning project who didn’t have her level of experience. She also did a considerable amount of electrical training on Navy ships that helped her jump seamlessly into data center commissioning,” said Bacon.

Taking Another Huge Step

After spending several years with Salute, Groves is ready to move on to her next role in the industry as many other alumni have done. This week, she will start a new role that will leverage her troubleshooting and critical thinking skills.

We asked Groves to share any last thoughts she had about her time with Salute.

“I love what I did and the people I worked with, as well as the network I built. I loved traveling all over the U.S., it was like being back in the military again,” Groves shared.

Lee Kirby, Co-Founder of Salute Mission Critical commented on his thoughts.

“This is another great example of how an effective workforce development program can grow staff from the beginning to the end of their time as an employee. Just like the military, the path each person takes depends on their individual desires but while they are part of Salute Mission Critical they give everything to the mission and deliver world-class services to our clients. I am proud of our team and our alumni as they continue to grow and contribute to the industry.”

If you are a veteran looking for an exciting career in a growing industry, contact us at Salute. We can help put you on the path to success.

If you are looking to close the data center talent gap with individuals committed to bringing military precision to their career, contact us at Salute. Employ the heroes of today, tomorrow.

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