CINTAS has a strong military recruiting program. As one of G.I. Jobs’ Top 50 Military-Friendly Employers®, CINTAS is best known for uniform services, but they also provide services for first aid and safety products; fire protection services; document management; restroom supplies; entrance mats; and promotional products for roughly 700,000 customers. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, the $3.7 billion company operates 351 facilities in North America and has over 33,000 employees.

A large portion of its employees are veterans thanks to the efforts of Sally Hart, the company’s national military recruiting director. G.I. Jobs asked Sally Hart to explain why hiring military means success for CINTAS and offer advice to service members on how to GET HIRED™.

GIJ: What do prior military hires bring to your company that you like?

CINTAS: Strong work ethic, camaraderie, mission-oriented, customer-focused, leadership from the front, comfortable in an industrial environment, competitive, dependability, and a “can do” attitude to name a few of the great military attributes.

GIJ: What issues do you find military transitioners need to be aware of when entering the civilian workforce?

CINTAS: At CINTAS promotions are based strictly on performance, not rank, or time-in-grade. Partners (employees) work together to achieve the common goal of satisfying customers. Every position at CINTAS holds equal importance in the success of that goal and every position commands the same respect. I suggest applications be submitted no sooner than 60 days prior to their date of availability. It is a good idea to begin to explore various opportunities even up to 12 months prior to separation.

GIJ: What advantages do military personnel have over their peers of the same age and education level?

CINTAS: Maturity and more in-depth, real world experience at a younger age. The discipline and training in the U.S. military is second to none. However, transitioners may need to realize they may not step right into a position equal to the one they left in the military. They possess great leadership characteristics, but most often do not know much about our business. They need to be willing to do what it takes to learn the business, then be promoted based on performance in the job.

GIJ: What disadvantages do you find military hires are up against in their civilian job searching?

CINTAS: If they have a geographic preference and are not in that area, it is more difficult to conduct a job search remotely. If they are geographically flexible, they have the advantage if recruited by a company like CINTAS with multiple national operations.

GIJ: What are the most common mistakes you see on veteran résumés?

CINTAS: Typos, spelling errors, poor grammar, addressing the wrong company, and too much information: A résumé should entice the reader to invite the candidate in for an interview and discuss the résumé. The résumé should contain the relevant skills/traits and background, and not try to detail every experience of the candidate. Just hit the highlights as they relate to the job for which you are applying.

GIJ: What are the most common mistakes veterans make in interviews?

CINTAS: I don’t think veterans are any different from most people in an interview situation. They need to research the company before the interview and try to relax. Be attentive and focus on the questions asked with relevant, succinct responses. Do not forget to maintain good eye contact, offer a firm handshake and try not to sound too “military.”

GIJ: Is relocating essential to promote within your company?

CINTAS: No, but ability to relocate will open up more promotional opportunities.

GIJ: What types of positions does your company recruit military for?

CINTAS: Service Sale Representatives, Service & Plant Managers, Production Supervisors, Maintenance Mechanics/Leads/Supervisors, Assistant General Managers, Advanced Management Partners - to name some of the positions filled by people with former military experience.

GIJ: Describe the responsibilities of one of these positions.

CINTAS: Service Sales Reps (SSR) are the frontline representatives to our customers. They drive a 5-ton step van, call on about 20-25 customers in a day, work five days a week Monday-Friday (no evenings or no weekends) servicing the customers and selling additional products and services. They are in and out of the trucks, up and down steps, in and out of businesses all day long. They develop relationships with the customers and sell them additional products and services. Some provide clean uniforms, floor mats, shop towels, or fender covers. Some are refurbishing first aid boxes and selling first aid and safety equipment and services. Some provide “fire” services, such as checking fire hydrants, repairing sprinkler systems or kitchen suppression systems, or charging fire extinguishers. Other SSRs provide restroom services or document storage or shredding services.

GIJ: Can a new hire stay in this position for an entire career or do you require new hires to “move up or move out” like the military does?

CINTAS: It’s totally up to the partner (employee). We have SSRs who enjoy the hours and work of this position who have built a career developing and growing their routes. We have others who have moved on to trainers and service managers.

GIJ: What is the average starting pay for this position?

CINTAS: The average first year’s pay for a Service Sales Rep, depending on the geographic region and the type of service, is about $32,000 - $40,000+.

GIJ: Are there any other special incentive benefits that might interest military new hires?

CINTAS: The “Partners Plan” is the greatest incentive over the long term. It is a three part retirement plan - 401K, stock ownership, & profit sharing.

GIJ: Describe the typical career progression for someone in this position.

CINTAS: If the SSR wants to move up, the next step is often to the Service Trainer, then the Service Manager or a Production Supervisor. We have SSRs who have become General Managers. All promotions are based on performance.With 38 consecutive years of uninterrupted growth in profits and sales, one of CINTAS’ biggest challenges has been to develop enough bench strength in leaders to run the company. We generally do not recruit from the outside for our general managers and we do not recruit from our competitors. We promote from within to the general manager position. The strong leadership we find in military candidates has helped build that much needed bench strength for us to continue to grow.

GIJ: Do you look for any specific educational requirements for these positions?

CINTAS: The Service Sales Rep at CINTAS needs to have a high school diploma or GED.

GIJ: What type of educational experience do you look for in military candidates?

CINTAS: The majority of the positions at CINTAS, with the exception of our entry level management trainee position, do not require a bachelor’s degree. However, a degree can help in the competition for the position as well as show initiative on the part of the candidate.

GIJ: Did any of the senior executives in your company serve in the military?

CINTAS: Our Chairman of the Board is a former Marine. Our Vice Chairman was in the Army Corps of Engineers. Many of our general managers are former military NCOs or JMOs.

Words of Advice for Military Transitioners

Start early (12 months out) to explore companies and types of civilian positions you might want to consider.

Consider all of your strengths, skills, and behavior traits when marketing yourself to an employer. Your discipline, leadership, teamwork, mission-orientation, customer service experience are all transferable to civilian positions.

Research the company before you contact them and mention a position or two of particular interest and why you feel you’d be a good match for that position.