What’s it like? Veterans at ServiceNow

When members of the Veterans at Now belonging group talk about how they found their way to ServiceNow, each journey is unique and compelling. Yet, within their collective military service, they all highlight a sense of belonging, winning as a team, adaptability, and love of learning. All characteristics they have found at ServiceNow. The veterans’ experience as part of a team that works and wins together mirrors their experience in the military and is making the transition from military to ServiceNow smooth and welcoming.   

Yolanda knew she wanted to join the Army when she was 16 but the Army had different plans. Even though she had a high school diploma–-completing high school in three years–-the Army told her she was too young to join. Nonetheless, Yolanda stayed patient, saying “once something gets in my head, you can’t take it away.”    

She faced pushback from her Mexican family, who immigrated from Mexico City to the U.S. when Yolanda was 12. In her environment, it was expected that girls stay home and get married. Yolanda turned 18, and didn’t look back, joining the army for four years, during which she did a nine-month tour in Iraq.   

The power of achieving a dream drives many determined teenagers like Yolanda and Javier C. As a teen, Javier wanted a sense of purpose and belonging in his community and joined a local firefighter explorers' group. Then he met Navy recruiters at his high school in Los Angeles. Javier identified with them—they were Asian-American, Navy engineers, and they took the time to learn about Javier and his desire for a sense of belonging. The deal was done when Javier found out that he could train as a firefighter in the Navy.

Like Yolanda, Javier was underage to enlist. His parents had immigrated from China to Panama, where Javier was born, and then saved enough money to relocate to the U.S. His mother balked at her first-born son leaving, but his father signed his enlistment papers, telling him, “Just do what makes you happy…follow your path."  

Schaine M. always felt he was on track to be in the military, joining the Marines soon after he graduated high school in Akron, Ohio, then spending nine months in Afghanistan. When he left the Marine Corps, Schaine later enrolled in a program called Vet Tech, and attended a coding boot camp.   

When Schaine joined ServiceNow as a QA Analyst, it was apparent that the company understands that veterans have aptitude and can really excel in technology. Says Schaine, “I've never seen a company of this scale put in such an effort to try and get veterans and service members into the world of tech.”   

Now, as a diversity recruiter and co-lead of Veterans at Now, Javier says, “We are co-building programs with partners and stakeholders to attract more veterans to ServiceNow. We want to share our veteran stories so that our teammates and colleagues understand our veteran transition experiences and value our journeys.”  

Javier believes the parallels between the values in the military and at ServiceNow, such as belonging, innovation and execution, learning, and especially winning together as a team, are important to veterans.  

“When you join the military, you join a team and you learn how to adapt, work, and win together as a team. The great thing about veterans is that we're so adaptable and will find a way to execute on our mission.”   

Yolanda, who is with Support Account Management, and manages a team of 10, says that sharing military service experiences makes an impact. “It takes a unique kind of person to serve this country and to go to war—that you cannot describe in a resume.”   

At the same time, she feels a strong similarity between her time in the military and at ServiceNow, such as “the feeling of belonging, the same opportunities are given to me, just like everybody else.”   

As a member of Veterans at Now, she says, “I want to help other people get to where I'm at. I didn't get here alone. People helped me.”   

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