In December, an IWP alum sent over a job posting at a prominent defense contractor for a position involving process improvement, program management, and data analytics. The alum encouraged IWP students to apply.
15 students applied for the position, and the IWP candidates were, according to our alum, “dramatically more impressive than the other candidates who applied.”
In fact, the hiring team was so impressed that the firm opened additional positions specifically slotted for IWP candidates. The IWP candidates who did not have a security clearance will be sponsored for a clearance through this job. It is a significant investment for a company to sponsor an employee’s clearance, and having a clearance opens doors to many opportunities to serve the United States in sensitive matters.
The hiring team was specifically impressed with how poised and well-spoken each of the IWP candidates were, along with the candidates’ ability to receive unexpected questions and talk through them honestly and thoughtfully. The hiring team sensed the candidate’s creativity and ability to self-start and think strategically. They were surprised at the aforementioned qualities in such young candidates.
The lead of the hiring team said, “All the credit goes to the candidates and IWP. The candidates were incredibly bright, well prepared with adaptive experience that’s a great fit for our firm.”
While our alum spoke with our students before they applied for the position, the alum had no influence on the hiring process or input on who was selected. They were entirely selected on their own merit.