At Lowe’s, our military roots run deep. Since our founding in 1921, we’ve remained committed to supporting our service members. From our stores, to our corporate store support centers and across our supply chain, military associates play a huge role in leading Lowe’s to success.
With over 20,000 associates in the military community, Lowe’s is proud to be an employer of choice for veterans and their spouses. From initial interest to getting hired, our aim is to provide every military candidate with valuable resources and opportunities to make the application process a success – kickstarting their Lowe’s journey with a great role for their goals and experience.
Before You Apply
Especially for candidates who have recently transitioned out of the military, choosing a path and finding the right fit in a civilian organization can seem like quite an undertaking.
The transition process itself can take years of planning, as Lowe’s E-Commerce Technology Program Manager Anthony “Rip” Ripley knows well. (Read Ripley’s story and advice for transitioning out of the military.) After 23 years in the Navy and Marine Corps, Ripley joined Lowe’s in January 2020 to lead diverse initiatives in Tech and E-commerce.
As you begin your job search, Ripley recommends using a veteran resource like Hired Heroes USA to create a compelling resume that can help translate your military skills and titles into familiar verbiage for recruiters and hiring managers.
Finding Your Role at Lowe’s
Lowe’s understands the challenges faced by transitioning veterans, and has partnered with groups like USO, SACC, RecruitMilitary, Hiring Our Heroes, and the Military Spouse Employment Partnership to connect military members and their families with available jobs.
If your military service is soon to be complete, you may be eligible for a Lowe’s fellowship through the Department of Defense SkillBridge program. These fellowships give military members the chance to explore a career path with Lowe’s in their last 180 days of service, help to build the foundation for a successful civilian career. Lowe’s currently offers DoD SkillBridge fellowships in Tech and HR — visit our blog to learn more about the first SkillBridge cohort, who joined us in January.
Another key way veteran candidates can learn more about the roles and culture at Lowe’s is through the military hiring events our recruiters participate in. That’s how Ripley got on track to join Lowe’s. Seven months after officially transitioning out of the military, he was looking for a compelling role where he could pursue projects at a high-level and "make things happen.
Ripley visited a Lowe’s recruiting event and connected to another veteran, who happened to be the hiring manager for the role he now occupies- one that allows him to use his well-honed leadership skills on an exciting new team. Be sure to check our site for updates regarding hiring events.
If you have questions about how Lowe’s supports our associates, or need help finding the right role for you, do not hesitate to reach out to our military recruiting team at [email protected]. They’re here to help, and are a great resource for any point in your application process.
If there’s one piece of advice that Ripley has for fellow service members thinking about applying to Lowe’s, it’s to not downplay the immense value of your military experience when it comes to civilian jobs, or be intimidated by technical job descriptions.
"No matter what level you come out of in the service, you develop a huge array of soft skills that would be of benefit to Lowe's,” Ripley says. “There will always be equivalent responsibilities to roles here. Any retail skills, you can be taught. It's a lot harder to teach those leadership skills you gained over all your years in the service."
During the application process for his role of E-Commerce Technology Program Manager, rather than seeing the places where his military resume and experience didn’t completely line up, Ripley focused on conveying how his high-level skills would be a boon to his team.
"I said, ‘I don’t have experience in these technical matters, but tell me where you need to go and I'll take you there. Figure out what the top strategic objectives are, and I’ll take you there. Give me a task and I'll execute.’ And that's something you learn in the military."