MISSION STARTPOINT INC

Overview

Mission Startpoint Inc is a nonprofit organization formed in Georgia in November 2022. The purpose of this organization is to provide resume and interview preparation services, professional skills assessments and development classes, LinkedIn profile-building assistance, and job search skills to service members who are exiting or have recently exited the United States military. The goal of these services is to give those who have served a jumpstart in their transition into the civilian sector, increase veteran employment, and decrease veteran homelessness, addiction, and suicide which is often precipitated by unemployment.

There are over 200,000 military separations annually in the United States. Mission Startpoint is geographically located in a prime area within Georgia to work with exiting military personnel within the state. Initially, Mission Start Point Inc will focus on serving clients in the state of Georgia, where we are headquartered, and plan to move to a national model within three years.

Our Founder’s Background

The founder of Mission Startpoint Inc, Josef (Joe) Buhajla, holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. He is a former United States Army signal officer who honorably served 11 years in the Army National Guard in Arkansas and Georgia. He served in the 142nd FA brigade signal company and battalion staff in the 2-142nd FA in the Arkansas Army National Guard. He was also a staff officer in the 1-171AVN aviation battalion in the Georgia Army National Guard.

Joe's Army National Guard service, alongside the most diverse group of coworkers in America, the US military, has given him a unique perspective on the challenges facing soldiers in civilian employment. His military training and successful civilian career as an automation and robotics engineer have uniquely prepared him to continue to serve his country and his fellow military brothers and sisters. Through the years, he has had direct experience writing professional resumes, interviewing for various positions, and hiring and managing former service members and civilians.

Mission Start Point’s Inspiration

The inspiration for the formation of Mission Startpoint comes from the founder’s past helping fellow soldiers write their resumes and prepare for interviews. After having quite a few friends ask for assistance with their resumes, it became apparent that writing a resume that successfully translates how military experience is relevant to civilian jobs is challenging. Joe's research into services available to the exiting military is limited and often expensive. He found that the cost of resume writing alone can range from $500 to $5,000. While numerous for-profit companies help veterans find employment, the services are often beyond what veterans can afford. We can do better—and we at Start Point believe gold-standard employment assistance should be available to our nation's heroes at no cost.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/missionstartpoint/