Pay matters to job seekers, but Margarita Howard believes purpose matters just as much. The CEO of HX5 made that case in a Ritz Herald profile examining how her company recruits and keeps veteran employees.
“The work we do is very exciting. Some of it is not being done anywhere else in the world,” Margarita Howard said, explaining that meaningful assignments often weigh as heavily as compensation when it comes to holding on to talent.
Work That Mirrors Military Missions
HX5 supports Department of Defense and NASA programs. Its contracts include support for advanced weapons research, production readiness reviews for sensor systems, and modeling and simulation for defense and space programs. These efforts match military priorities closely, and some build directly on tasks service members performed while in uniform.
That overlap appeals to veterans. People used to mission-driven military service frequently want the same sense of purpose once they enter civilian life. A former Air Force engineer, for example, might join HX5 projects tied to systems similar to the ones they supported in the service, this time as a contractor.
A CEO Who Made the Same Move
Margarita Howard knows that transition firsthand. Margarita Howard served in the Air Force and is a service-disabled veteran. She went on to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees and worked in the defense industry on the team that implemented Tricare, the Defense Department’s health insurance system for military families.
Her company now brings in transitioning service members through the Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program, run by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. HX5 has hosted eight fellows since 2021, two per year. The 12-week program places active-duty members with host employers four days a week, with the remaining day reserved for professional development.
The firm operates in more than 20 states and at over 70 government locations, employing roughly 1,000 people. For veterans weighing their next step, Howard’s message is simple: the right civilian job can carry the same sense of mission they valued in the military. Refer to this article to learn more.
Find more information about Howard n https://m.doyoubuzz.com/margarita-howard