Twelve weeks stands between many transitioning service members and their first taste of civilian contracting work, and for eight of them since 2021, that bridge has run through HX5 under CEO Margarita Howard. The company participates in the Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program, hosting two fellows annually in a steady rhythm that has held since Howard began the practice years ago.
The fellowship, a Department of Defense SkillBridge initiative launched in 2015, places active-duty members with host companies during their last 180 days of service. Fellows spend four days each week doing hands-on work and one day on professional development, all while continuing to receive military pay and benefits throughout the placement.
Filling in the Gaps
That structure addresses a specific problem: many departing troops carry strong technical skills but thin civilian resumes when they first begin applying for jobs. The program has graduated more than 500 fellows since its start, with an 80 percent hire rate and average starting salaries around $70,000, alongside participants from firms like Lockheed Martin, Booz Allen Hamilton, Microsoft, and Amazon.
At HX5, a company operating in over 20 states and more than 70 government locations supporting NASA and Department of Defense missions, that gap-filling function carries particular weight for incoming fellows. Much of the company’s work in research, engineering, and mission operations requires clearances and familiarity with federal environments that fellows are already positioned to understand from prior service.
Margarita Howard has described her own military service as a formative influence on how she runs the company, and the fellowship gives incoming service members a similar chance to translate their skills into contractor roles before fully leaving uniform behind. The program also exposes fellows to procurement processes and contract structures many never encountered while on active duty. By the time a twelve-week placement ends, most fellows have a far clearer sense of whether contracting work suits them long term, along with a set of civilian references they can carry into a permanent job search. See related link for more information.
Learn more about Margarita Howard on https://www.youngupstarts.com/2025/01/10/how-hx5-and-margarita-howard-stay-ahead-in-government-contracting-as-a-women-owned-firm/
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