But when he tried to translate that experience into federal service, he quickly learned how different the federal application process is. “There’s so much you don’t know about the government process when you apply,” he said. At the time, CBP was not an agency he knew much about. He knew Border Patrol existed. He knew Customs existed. He had seen CBP officers at airports. But he had not thought much about the full scope of the agency’s work along our borders and across air, land, and seaports of entry.
“I see it as a best-kept secret,” he said. “But I don’t want it to be a secret. I wish I had known more about it.” That changed after he ran into an old friend from his military circle who had joined CBP. At that point in his life and career, Schue was open to possibility. As a veteran, age would not have prevented him from pursuing certain frontline law enforcement roles, but he reflected on what made the most sense for him.
He had recruited people as a business owner and informally in previous leadership roles.
“I’m a people person, and I like to talk to people,” he said. “I wanted to see what CBP had to offer, and I realised the perfect fit wasn’t necessarily as an officer or agent.” When he came across a recruiter position with the National Recruitment Division, he jumped on the chance to apply.
Today, Schue serves as a Human Resources Specialist in recruiting, helping potential applicants understand CBP career opportunities and navigate the hiring process. At the center of his work is “applicant care.” “I want to connect with them and answer any questions I can to help make the whole process less daunting,” he said.
For Schue, recruiting is not just about filling vacancies. It is about helping people find the right place to serve — and helping CBP bring in the people needed to carry the mission forward. That mission became deeply personal after the loss of his eldest son to fentanyl poisoning at the age of 27. That loss changed how Schue thought about service. He saw CBP as the place where he could make the greatest impact.
“I wanted to help others not have to go through what my family went through, and in many ways still are,” he said. “The best way I thought was joining CBP to get the best people to help keep those drugs from coming into the country.” He often reminds applicants that every role at CBP matters. Whether someone becomes an Officer, Agent, Investigator, Human Resources Specialist, Analyst, Attorney, Technologist or Mission Support Professional, each person contributes to the larger mission.
“Everybody can make an impact,” he said. “You don’t even know the families you save by simply doing your job.” That sense of purpose is what keeps him excited about the work.
He is also quick to explain that CBP’s work requires more than toughness. It requires judgment, restraint, steadiness and compassion — even in the most challenging circumstances. “We want people who can enforce the law but treat everyone with the dignity they deserve,” he said. “We want people who can assess a situation and do the best they humanly can, to do the right thing at the right time in a difficult situation.”
Some of Schue’s most memorable moments have come from hearing why applicants want to join CBP. Many have personal stories like his that connect them to the mission in ways that are powerful and unexpected. Other moments come from working alongside colleagues who show the best of what public service can be — kind, fair, funny and accountable.
His own passion for CBP has even reached home. After watching his journey and hearing him talk about the agency, Schue’s wife — also a retired service member and an attorney — decided to apply. She has since received her acceptance letter.
“I recruited my wife to be my wife,” he joked, “and now I’ve recruited her to work at CBP.” For Schue, that is part of what makes recruitment so meaningful. It is not limited to those with “recruiter” in their job title. “Every one of us at CBP, employees, we’re all recruiters,” he said. “If we love what we do, and we talk to other people and tell them to consider joining CBP, we’re recruiting.”
Nearly two years into his CBP career, Schue still sees the agency as one of the best kept secrets in federal service. But he is working every day to change that. Through every conversation, every webinar, every career fair, and every applicant he helps, he is opening the door for others to discover what he found: a place to serve, a mission with meaning, and a career that can make a difference for people he may never meet.