Helping Veterans Get Hired

BY PERRY GARFINKEL

Nick Swaggert, 33, is the veterans program director for Genesis10, a technology staffing and services firm. He is based in its St. Paul office.

Q. Can you explain what Genesis10 does?

A. We find talented candidates, help them improve their skills and interviewing techniques and match them with the right jobs at our 170 client companies nationally.

What is the story behind Genesis10’s veterans hiring program?

Our C.E.O., Harry Lippman, had taken a group of American veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder to Israel for treatment. He learned that meaningful work could help address many of their disorders. So he created a veterans hiring initiative in 2011. I joined in 2013.

Do you bring any personal experience to the program?

I served two combat tours in Iraq as a United States Marine, and I continue to serve as a reservist. My assignment in Iraq was to help build a local city government by working with local politicians and leaders. I managed 140 Marines and a $25 million budget. When I interviewed for a job in a town with a population of 3,000, where I’d manage three employees and a $5 million budget, I was rejected because my résumé did not include working in American city government. I realized firsthand the battle that veterans face when they look for civilian jobs.

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