After 20 years in the Air Force, Senior Master Sgt. Mandy Jordan is retiring from duty.
“I really had no idea what I wanted to do after the military,” said Jordan, whose final station was the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota.
Aiming high for a future chapter in finance, the 44-year-old scouted out jobs using the Department of Defense SkillBridge Program.
“I just typed in that category and looked to see what was out there and Sanford popped up. I’m like, well, let’s see what this is all about,” Jordan said.
Caitlin Eigenberg, a military spouse, is the DoD SkillBridge Program administrator for Sanford Health.
“It’s funded by the Department of Defense,” says Eigenberg regarding SkillBridge. “It’s an opportunity for active-duty military members who are transitioning out of the military and into the workforce to gain civilian training and work experience.”
“At Sanford, what that means is we partner with our recruiting teams to provide resume review, interview tips, real life training and hopefully permanent employment at the end of the program.”
Find Sanford careers for military members and veterans.
‘It’s been amazing’
For Jordan, it meant getting a 90-day internship with Sanford for the past year while still being on active duty. The Air Force logistics planner remembers shadowing leaders at different locations including the Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
“Knowing that you’re there to help the patients, you could feel that,” Jordan said. “It was there. It’s hard to describe it but you could feel that they were there for the patients.”
Eigenberg adds that during the process, “our leaders are incredible. They are always so willing to take on our veteran and military community.”
Following the rotation, Jordan landed full-time employment with Sanford Health as an insurance representative.
“We’re less than two years old. So, to have someone retained full-time and is absolutely excelling in what she’s doing, it’s a big accomplishment. It’s very exciting. We’re very proud,” Eigenberg said.
Jordan adds, “It’s been amazing. It feels really great. To be the first, that’s just kind of fun, icing on the cake.”
The goal is to continue to expand the program. Currently through SkillBridge, Sanford Health is providing clinical and nonclinical internships in Sioux Falls, Fargo, Bemidji and Bismarck.
If demand rises for internships in communities outside those markets that have Sanford clinics or Good Samaritan Society locations, Eigenberg sees the program growing to meet those needs.
Sanford Health also wants to be an employer of choice for military spouses. Eigenberg administers Sanford’s Military Spouse Employment Partnership program. As you can imagine, it’s a program close to her heart providing opportunities for spouses seeking employment in person or remotely.
In 2024, for the second year in a row, Military Friendly is naming Sanford Health No. 1 in the government and nonprofit category for support of the military and veteran community.
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Posted In People & Culture, Sanford Stories, Veterans
