The 14 US Military Veterans in the Stanford 2 to 4 summer program visited the Google campus in Mountain View last week.
The Stanford 2 to 4 veteran students were welcomed with open arms on Google’s campus and treated to a day of tours, learning and career development. After a welcome and introduction to Google by some of the Googlers (staff), the students had a chance to replenish themselves with snacks from one of the many snack bars on campus and take a tour of the brand new visitors center before being treated to lunch in one of the famously revered Google employee dining facilities.
The visit was hosted by the Google Veterans Network, whose mission is to “conduct operations around the world to attract, recruit, and retain top veteran talent to Google, provide a Googler support and learning network, and help solve challenges in the veterans community with Google products.” VetNet is an internal employee resource group and volunteer community that strives to make Google a great place to work for employees who have served, as well as their families, friends and supporters. The group also supports the active duty and military veteran community outside of Google through a wide range of transition-related programs and partnerships.
After lunch, the VetNet team organized a panel of fellow Googlers to discuss the transition and journey from military life to working at Google as a veteran. Panelists included project managers, engineers and software developers, who were more than happy to share their experience, education and tips for professional development. “The VetNet discussion was excellent. I definitely learned a lot of information that will help me both when applying to 4-year colleges and writing my resume,” said Eric Graham, a Stanford 2 to 4 student.
The final, and perhaps the most important, portion of the visit was a career presentation by Jarvis Sam, a recruiter specializing in the recruitment of veterans at Google. Prior to the presentation, students submitted their resumes for review and received customized one-on-one feedback directly from Sam. His presentation also included resume tips and networking strategies.
“One of the goals of the 2 to 4 program is to develop strategies the student veterans can use during their time in school that will make them more competitive in the work place,” said Vianne Newell, program coordinator for Stanford Summer Session. “This trip really helped accomplish that by highlighting the importance of internships and offering tips to writing a resume that helps the reader not only understand the military experience, but also make it relevant to the civilian work place.”
About Stanford 2 to 4: A Veteran’s Accelerator
The 8-week Stanford Summer Session program for Veterans in 2-year institutions aims to partner with and build on a Veteran’s vast experience with a goal to provide important academic and life skills needed to thrive in a competitive 4-year university. The scholarship program covers all expenses, including tuition and fees, private bedroom accommodations in a shared suite, a 14-meal per week dining plan and a $400 book stipend.
The Veterans are en route for the quick trip from Stanford’s Campus to the Google Campus.
Three Veterans stop to reflect on Google’s creative work environment in the ball pit of the welcome center.
Bikes, like this one, can be found all over campus as a primary method of transportation at Google.
Panelists discuss their career and transition from the military to life at Google.
