Spotlight: Jamie McCall - Leading the World-Class Skillbridge Program at Cushman & Wakefield

Jamie McCall is a thought-leader and important voice within the military community. She currently leads our World-Class Skillbridge program at Cushman & Wakefield, and is an integral member of the Military & Veterans Programs team. Read below to learn more!

1. Can you tell me about your career journey? Where did you start, and what brought you into this field?

I had a short stint in customer service and fraud detection for a retail call center while I was pursuing a degree in HR Development and balancing the Army National Guard. I was intrigued with the interaction and conversations of being interviewed, which lead me to want to interview and help others with their career search.

Somewhat following my mother’s industry at the time, I started off as an HR Receptionist at a bank, and quickly advanced to HR Assistant and then Recruiter. I had the opportunity to recruit in a variety of industries to include banking, telecommunications, IT, healthcare, and retail. Additionally, I went back and received my Master’s in Higher Education and spent 3 years in University Career Services where I assisted business and engineering students in their career preparation and job search.

2. As a someone with both Military and Corporate experience, what about Cushman & Wakefield encouraged you to explore career opportunities here?

I wasn’t initially familiar with who Cushman & Wakefield was, although I saw our signs frequently. After doing my own research and reaching out to a few employees to conduct informational interviews, I was excited to learn more about Commercial Real Estate, and the opportunity to use my corporate and military background to help transitioning service members achieve meaningful employment.

I was highly motivated to be part of something new with the SkillBridge program, and the opportunity to make a difference.

3. As the Sr. Military Recruiting Program partner, what do your day-to-day tasks look like?

I’m heavily involved in daily phone calls and emails with service members across the country and the world. It is invigorating to talk to so many service members from all our military branches to learn about their background and experiences, and why they’re interested in opportunities with Cushman & Wakefield.

In my conversations with service members, I:

• Provide suggestions about their resume, internal and external networking, and how best to prepare and what to expect for the interview process.
• Initiate many communication outreaches to service members and share job opportunities to include welcoming our new service members on LinkedIn.

Additionally, I:

• Collaborate and inform TA Recruiters and hiring managers about the SkillBridge program in hopes of service members being selected, interviewed, and offered an opportunity.
• Facilitate virtual presentations and attend career events to include some on-site base visits to further attract service members to the organization.
• Attend local community events and meetings to share best practices about the value and benefits of hiring military and veterans.

4. What do you enjoy most about working at Cushman & Wakefield?

I am truly passionate about assisting our transitioning service members into our industry to gain meaningful career opportunities that can be developed through their experiences and skill sets.

Also, I highly enjoy the collaboration of my colleagues, team members and leaders. I thrive in this inclusive and autonomous environment where ideas are shared and welcomed for process improvement and efficiencies.

5. What recommendations do you have to the military community with regards to making their next career move?

Network, research, and ask for help. I always recommend and encourage transitioning service members to utilize their resources and ask for help. This is not an easy or fast process. The more research and intentional conversations they can have with other Veterans, the greater possibilities, and perspectives they can gain in their career research.

Reading a job description, company website, or only applying to a job is barely scratching the surface. You should be intentional and put forth the effort to navigate the plethora of opportunities and identify your Values, Interests, Passions and Skill sets, and how they will align to a position, team, and organization.

To learn more about the Skillbridge program, watch our short video below!