About Candorful
Industry: Nonprofit
Location: Boston, MA
Company size: < 10 employees
What they do: Career support for military servicemembers transitioning to civilian life
Website: www.candorful.org
Q&A with Pat Hubbell, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Candorful
Q: How do students benefit from working on a community impact initiative at Candorful?
A: A position at Candorful is a great learning opportunity and a chance to build experience valued by potential employers. You'll solve complex problems as you contribute to a mission-driven organization. This experience enriches your job market competitiveness, providing compelling examples of your problem-solving abilities and achievements.
Unlike case studies with predefined outcomes, our projects immerse you in real-life business challenges, demanding you deliver tangible results with minimal guidance. This practical experience bridges the gap between academic theory and practice.
Q: What projects have you assigned to your student team?
A: We focused on business development and marketing projects because these areas are crucial for expanding our research and enhancing our mission. We have the capacity to support more candidates, so we want to raise awareness for our services among veterans, transitioning military, and their spouses. Effective marketing helps us increase visibility, build valuable partnerships, and engage more effectively with our target audience.
We charged the interns with identifying potential partner organizations to broaden our network and improve our outreach, developing sustainable social media advertising strategies, and making recommendations on how to better leverage Google Ads. We also needed support to develop a marketing strategy. The interns had the expertise and provided the support needed to drive these initiatives forward, helping us further our mission without diverting our focus from other critical operational areas.
Q: How do D'Amore-McKim students stand out?
A: D'Amore-McKim students stand out for their scrappiness, which is a highly valued trait. They are resourceful, proactive, and eager to learn, which helps them excel in real-world situations. They approach challenges with a problem-solving mindset, ask insightful questions, and are not afraid to dive in and figure things out.
Teamwork and collaboration are strong suits. For instance, some student teams effectively split their work to tackle different aspects of a project separately and then come together to integrate their findings. This approach demonstrates their ability to balance individual contributions with team coordination, leveraging their diverse skills to achieve a common goal. Their strong quantitative skills complement their collaborative abilities, making them well-rounded and effective in both individual and group settings.
Q: What qualities do you look for when you're selecting graduate student workers?
A: I look for several key qualities when selecting graduate student workers. First, strong communication skills are essential. They should be able to articulate their experiences and insights clearly and listen attentively during the interview. I also value candidates who show an understanding of our organization's needs, meaning they carefully read the job posting and can relate their personal experiences and skills to those needs.
I look for students who are resourceful, proactive, and eager to tackle challenges head-on. Professionalism is also important. While we don't need to be perfect and can have a bit of fun, maintaining a professional demeanor is essential. This includes following career services' guidance on basics like sending a thank-you email after interviews.
Q: Do you plan to host another community impact initiative team next year?
A: Absolutely. We would love to have more interns in the future. I enjoy mentoring them. Mentorship and employment coaching are part of our mission, and I make a point of sharing wisdom and advice to help our interns grow and eventually prepare for their job search.
