Cameron-Brooks: Recent Episodes
Cameron-Brooks
In this episode, Joel Junker sits down with Saša Mirković, author of The Inspire Code, to talk about freedom, the importance of trust and conflict, and how leaders can build teams that can run without them.
Saša’s story doesn’t start in the boardroom. It starts in Sarajevo.
He survived the siege of the city in the 1990s, served two years in the military, and came to the United States after the war. In 1998, he applied to 385 jobs. He got one reply.
He eventually landed at American Express Financial Advisors, worked his way up to VP, and in 2006 started his own practice. Today, the Inspire Confidence Group spans multiple offices, alongside a leadership company and a tax firm.
But the most important lesson in this episode came from a failure.
In 2018, Saša’s business partner left the firm. Eighty percent of the team walked out with him. That was the moment Saša realized he had been talking about leadership without actually building trust.
Why does trust matter so much for a team?Trust is the currency of leadership. You can’t lead without it, the same way you can’t run a business without money. And Saša is clear on where it starts: the leader gives trust first. It’s planted, earned, and renewed every day.
Trust is also what makes healthy conflict possible. Saša describes problems like a beach ball. You see one side. Your teammate sees another. Strong teams fight the problem together instead of fighting each other.
Joel and Saša also get into Slack and Flow, Saša’s framework for working smarter: eliminate half of what you do, delegate the rest to technology and to people who love that work, and protect real thinking time every week. It’s how his team doubled the business without adding headcount.
Whether you’re a junior military officer preparing for your transition or a leader building your first civilian team, this one is full of ideas you can use right away.
Want to learn more?– The Inspire Code by Saša Mirković (Amazon bestseller! Hardcover now out)
– The Nudge — Saša’s weekly two-minute leadership newsletter, Wednesdays at 5 a.m. ET
– Inspire Network — white papers, Tug Cards, and a complimentary coaching session
Thinking about your own career transition?At Cameron-Brooks, we help junior military officers transition from the military into rewarding business careers.
See what career fields our candidates move into.
If you’re a company-grade or field-grade officer exploring what’s next, Joel, the entire Cameron-Brooks team, and I are here to help. Feel free to reach out below. We’re here to help and listen and see if this path could be right for you.
Email: candidates@cameron-brooks.com
Call: 210-874-1500
Speak with a Coach
We are bringing you a special encore episode following a truly historic time in America: our 250th birthday. In honor of this milestone, we thought we would talk about another type of founding: the founding of Cameron-Brooks. In this episode, you will hear from our very own Mary Lou White. She is one of the founding members of Cameron-Brooks and has been helping Junior Military Officers transition from the military to Corporate America for over 50 years. Here she will talk about Cameron-Brooks’ history and the history of the military-to-business industry.
A California native, Mary Lou met Roger Cameron and Rene Brooks. Roger and Rene were both working for a company named Career Seminars at that time. The company worked with JMOs but also did other types of recruiting. After Career Seminars underwent a restructuring, Roger and Rene decided to build their own company focused on helping military officers transition to the business world. The rest, as they say, is military-to-corporate history.
Mary Lou takes us on a journey from the early days of Cameron-Brooks, life before technology, and the way things “used to be.”
One key takeaway: although processes, technology, and people have changed along the way, the core mission of Cameron-Brooks has never wavered. Our goal is to change people’s lives by helping them reach their professional goals and dreams.
Thank you, Mary Lou, for your warmth, commitment, and servant’s heart! You have made a tremendous impact on many thousands of officers and their families.
We are proud of the role we’ve played in military-to-corporate history. Contact us if you’re interested in learning more about your transition options.
You can also check out our Transition Guide on “3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business” for additional transition tips.
We recommend subscribing to our YouTube channel and following us on LinkedIn to stay connected.
In this episode, Lauren Kordzik sits down with Cameron-Brooks alum George Pesansky to discuss what his 30 years of hiring and building teams taught him about JMOs, and why the best companies keep coming back to hire these great leaders.
George Pesansky came through Cameron-Brooks in 1996 as an Army officer. He didn’t know exactly what was next. He just knew he was ready for something new.
Thirty years later, he’s built a company, hired JMOs, and coached leaders inside some of the most complex manufacturing operations in the world. He wrote a book about it. And he still comes back to the same idea when someone asks what separates good leaders from great ones.
We Before MeWe before me.
It sounds simple. But George will tell you, it’s actually rare.
Most organizations, at some point, start optimizing for individuals. Career paths, visibility, personal outcomes. It’s subtle. But over time, it shapes how decisions get made and how teams show up.
JMOs come from a different culture entirely. The mission is the priority. The team is what matters. Candor isn’t a personality trait; it’s expected. That doesn’t disappear when someone transitions out of the military. It comes with them.
George also pushes back on one of the most common reasons companies hesitate to hire JMOs: they don’t have industry experience.
His take? There’s a difference between knowledge and skill.
Knowledge (a product, a process, a system) can be learned in weeks. Skill (real leadership, the ability to drive results through people, the discipline to do the hard thing) takes years to build. JMOs already have it. Hiring managers sometimes get those two things mixed up.
When you get that hiring decision right, the return isn’t just one good hire. It’s a stronger team. Fewer people walking out the door. A culture people want to stay in.
George saw it firsthand. And he’s watched it play out over and over again in the organizations he’s worked with since.
Work with Cameron-BrooksIf you’re looking to hire a JMO for your team, we would love to connect. Feel free to contact us to learn more about attending a Cameron-Brooks Hiring Conference. Or feel free to email Lauren Kordzik at lkordzik@cameron-brooks.com.
For any JMOs thinking the transition? We’re here to help.
It’s a tale as old as time. You launch your Zoom interview, you’re looking sharp, and you see the hiring mangers on the screen in front of you. And after some brief small talk, the interviewer looks at you and asks, “So, tell me about yourself.”
This deceptively simple question can be a make or break to your interview. It sets the tone and helps build that first impression. So, where do you start? Do you share everything about your background? Should I start with childhood? Just focus on your military accomplishments?
Encore of Episode 87: Tell Me About YourselfIn this podcast, Joel Junker shares his insight on how to answer this very important interview question: “Tell Me About Yourself.”
For this podcast episode, we are doing an encore series where we release original episodes of the PCS to Corporate America podcast to bring them to our new audience. And this episode, just happens to be the most listened to episode in the podcast’s history.
IMPORTANT NOTE:This podcast episode was launched December 30, 2019, pre-pandemic. While the nature of interview and the Cameron-Brooks conferences have changed (read: Zoom for first interviews, instead of in-person), the essence of this interview answer framework stays the same.
Why is this important?If you were ever going to rank people who give interview advice, Joel should be at the very top of your list. Not only did he transition as a JMO and have an outstanding Career Conference, but he also has over 26 years of experience helping literally thousands of military officers transition to Corporate America.
As Career Conference interviews continue to trend toward being more conversational in nature, this podcast will help you develop an effective response when a hiring manager presents you with the interview question “Tell me about yourself.” We dive into why the question is important, the component parts of the answer, tailoring the answer to be specific to different career fields and some do’s and don’ts.
Want more specific advice?
Sign up for a free coaching call with Joel himself.Our archived blog posts are chocked full of other interview advice. You can find a few of our favorites here, here, here and here.
To learn more about turning your JMO leadership skills into a successful transition and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
The April 2026 Cameron-Brooks Career Conference has officially come to a close. We had 48 interviews, 51 companies, and 540 interviews over two days. Every single candidate was pursued. Every single candidate who entered the follow-up process received an offer.
In this episode of the Cameron-Brooks podcast, Brock Dudley sits down with three recent alums to talk through what actually happened at conference and what they’d do differently if they were starting over. Learn how these three officers navigated their transitions from business
In this episode, you’ll hear:
– How Ryan Smith accepted an offer in a location that wasn’t listed originally on the job description, and why that happened
– How Scott Hicks honed his ability to answer interview questions confidently without sounding robotic
– Why David Tierney (an art major) ended up in financial services and what being “open” really means in practice
– What all three wish they had done earlier in their preparation
Meet the panel:
– Ryan Smith, former Navy officer, now in medical device sales at Boston Scientific CRM in Jacksonville, FL
– Scott Hicks, former Army officer, now in medical device sales at Zoll in Atlanta, GA
– David Tierney, Army officer, now heading into financial services at Horace Mann
If you’d like to learn more from other recent alums about their experience, you can listen to the following alumni roundtables:
- February 2026 Career Conference
- November 2025 Career Conference
- August 2025 Career Conference
If you have any questions, we’re happy to help! For those of you in our program, we know how daunting the process up the career conference can be. We are here for you and we’ve got your back. In the meantime, practice in your study groups, stay active in discord, and attend your interview workshops.
And if you’re new to Cameron-Brooks and are looking to explore your transition to the business world, we’re happy to talk.
Follow Cameron-Brooks on LinkedIn.
30 Years of Conferences: What Michelle and Candy Want Every Officer to KnowFor more than 30 years at Cameron-Brooks, Michelle Spisak and Candy Belcik have worked with thousands of military officers navigating the transition from active duty to corporate America. In this mini episode of PCS to Corporate America, they share the honest, practical advice they wish every officer heard before starting their transition.
Here are the key takeaways:
1. Lead with your leadership. Your degree matters less than you think. Companies hiring through Cameron-Brooks are looking for your leadership experience first. That is your strongest asset and the thing that sets you apart.
2. Going it alone means going through filters. When you apply online you are competing against hundreds of applicants and may never reach a hiring manager. Cameron-Brooks removes those filters and gets you in front of 8 to 12 hiring managers in two days at our career conference.
3. The conference has changed but the support has not. Since the pandemic, Cameron-Brooks moved to a fully virtual conference model, which actually aligns with how most companies now conduct first round interviews. The format is different but the experience, the coaching, and the care behind the scenes is the same.
4. Start early. Not for Cameron-Brooks. For you. The more time you give yourself in the program, the more you will get out of it.
Listen to the full episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or at cameron-brooks.com.
And if you’d like to speak with a career coach, we’re happy to talk.
Follow Cameron-Brooks on LinkedIn.
Tom Morin went from Army Infantry Captain to the Leadership Program at Extant Aerospace.
Matt Horsley went from Marine Corps Logistics Officer to Financial Leadership Program at BD.
Josh Klimek went from Army Infantry Captain to Operations at Macerich.
Three incredible officers. Three success stories. All Cameron-Brooks, Inc. alums. These are just three of the officers are launching their business careers after our conference.
On average, each officer had ~11 interviews. Most officers accepted offers after ~14 days.
This isn’t just about landing a job. It’s about building a long-term leadership career. For more than 50 years, Cameron-Brooks has helped JMOs do exactly that. If you are considering your next move, learn from others who have been in your shoes. Listen to what these three officers learned from their successful military to business transitions.
If you’d like to learn more from other recent alums about their experience, you can listen to the alumni roundtables from after the November 2025 Career Conference and the August 2025 Career Conference.
And if you’d like to speak with a career coach, we’re happy to talk.
Follow Cameron-Brooks on LinkedIn.
Military to Corporate Leadership: Dave Parmly on Navigating Career Transitions, Integrity, and the Trusting the ProcessWith over 40 years of experience spanning the US Military, KFC, Pilot Company, and CSUSA Shoffner, Dave Parmly has navigated multiple career transitions and leadership roles. Each of these transitions required preparation, trust, and the willingness to listen and adapt.
In our latest PCS to Corporate America podcast episode, Dave shares the leadership principles that guided him from military service to senior HR and operations roles in business. Here are some of the core themes from the episode:
You Don’t Just Transition OnceIt is easy to view the military to civilian transition as a one-time event. However, each new role, each new company, each new life change is its own transition. Dave partnered with Cameron-Brooks and made the military to business transition in 1990. Through his storied career, he navigated career transitions along the way, across companies, roles, and locations with his family. And he’s picked up incredible wisdom along the way.
Listening and Seeking Feedback Are Leadership FundamentalsDave’s move to corporate leadership taught him that listening is one of the most underrated leadership skills. He encourages leaders to seek feedback from multiple sources: peers, direct reports, even family members. If you’re not actively seeking feedback, you’re missing opportunities to grow.
Integrity Means Being a Whole PersonToo often, people compartmentalize their lives. They’re one person in the office and another person at home. But, according to Dave, true integrity means aligning who you are in these different spaces and showing up authentically. What are ways you can show up more authentically at work? How are the benefits of increasing trust at work?
Listen to the Full EpisodeThis episode was truly a gift. Great conversation, great people, great advice. Thank you to Joel Junker and Dave Parmly for your wisdom and generosity.
Listen to the full episode wherever you listen to your podcasts, and if you’re curious about Joel’s own military to business transition, check out this blog.
Thinking about your own career transition?If you’re a company-grade or field-grade officer exploring what’s next, Dave, Joel, the entire Cameron-Brooks team, and I are here to help. Feel free to reach out below. We’re here to help and listen and see if this path could be right for you.
Email: candidates@cameron-brooks.com
Call: 210-874-1500
Speak with a Coach and Schedule a Personal Marketability Assessment
The Power of MentorshipFrom Military to Corporate America: Leadership Lessons in From A Supply Chain Leader, Jim O’Rourke
Transitioning from military service to corporate America isn’t just about landing a job, it’s about preparing for a completely different operating environment. In our latest podcast episode, Cameron-Brooks alum Jim O’Rourke shares how humility, mentorship, and leadership frameworks helped him build a successful supply chain career after the military.
Why Military Transition Requires More Than a ResumeMost officers underestimate what it takes to succeed in corporate America.”Humility is important in transitioning,” Jim explains. Coming from the military, where rank and experience are clear, the corporate world requires a different approach. You’re no longer the expert. You’re the learner.
This mindset shift is critical for officers moving into leadership-intensive roles like supply chain management, operations, or manufacturing—where understanding team dynamics and business processes matters as much as decision-making ability.
The Role of Mentorship in Career DevelopmentOne of the most valuable aspects of Jim’s transition was mentorship. But not just any mentorship: the kind that provides a “safe harbor for growth” and challenges your thinking.
“Mentoring is a safe harbor for growth,” Jim notes. In corporate America, you need people who can help you navigate unwritten rules, decode organizational dynamics, and develop the critical thinking skills that separate good leaders from great ones.
Cameron-Brooks provides this structured mentorship during the transition process. What about after the transition? According to Jim, finding mentors within your company accelerates your career development long-term.
Understanding Supply Chain: More Than LogisticsFor officers considering supply chain roles, Jim breaks down what this actually means. It’s not just moving products. It requires leadership-intensive work in addition to the following:
– Managing across operations: Managing cross-functional teams across manufacturing, distribution, and planning
– Process optimization: Understanding the COGS (Cost of Goods Sold) ladder and how every decision impacts profitability
– Strategic thinking: Balancing production needs, customer demands, and financial constraints
“Clarity of purpose helps teams succeed,” Jim emphasizes. In supply chain, that clarity comes from understanding how your decisions ripple through the entire organization.
What Makes Cameron-Brooks Candidates DifferentIn addition to his expertise in supply chain, he has been on the hiring side. When asked what differentiates Cameron-Brooks candidates, Jim pointed to two qualities:
- Genuine preparation: They’ve done the work to understand industries, roles, and companies before interviews
- Intellectual curiosity: They ask better questions because they’ve been coached to think critically about fit
“Cameron Brooks candidates are well-prepared and genuine in their approach,” he observes. They’re not just looking for any job…they’re looking for the right career trajectory.
The Importance of Lifelong LearningJim’s final piece of advice? Never stop learning.
Whether it’s leadership books, industry podcasts, or formal training, lifelong learning is crucial for career advancement. The military teaches you to be adaptable. Corporate America rewards those who continuously evolve.
Ready to Start Your Transition?If you’re a company-grade or field-grade officer exploring what’s next, Jim’s story shows what’s possible with the right preparation, humility, and mentorship.
Listen to the full episode wherever you listen to your podcasts.
Ready to explore your options?Email: candidates@cameron-brooks.com
Call: 210-874-1500
Speak with a Coach and Schedule a Personal Marketability Assessment
A Year-End Look at the JMO Transition MarketAs the year winds down, a lot of Junior Military Officers are asking the same thing: What does the market actually look like right now? And what should I be doing about it?
In the latest Cameron-Brooks podcast, our CEO, Chuck Alvarez, and Senior Vice President, Joel Junker, break down where things stand at the end of 2025. The short answer: the market isn’t easy, but there are still great opportunities out there.
Uncertain EconomyThere’s no question the economy feels uncertain. Global conflict, political gridlock, and nonstop headlines about AI have made companies more cautious. Hiring has slowed in many corporate roles, and expectations are higher across the board. But here’s the part that often gets missed: companies are still investing heavily in leaders who can run teams, solve problems, and deliver results.
That’s where mindset matters.
What does 2026 look like?Looking ahead to 2026, that gap is only going to widen.
AI isn’t replacing leaders, but it is raising the bar. Companies expect new hires to show up ready to learn, ready to adapt, and ready to drive outcomes. Officers who prepare early, by learning the basics of business, understanding how data and finance work, and translating their military leadership into real business impact—will stand out. Officers who wait until separation to start thinking about all of this will feel the market’s friction much more sharply.
Launching Pad vs. Landing PadAdditionally, Joel and Chuck talk about the difference between a landing pad and a launching pad. A landing pad feels safe. It prioritizes location, familiarity, and getting comfortable quickly. For many officers, that leads to internships or roles that don’t fully use their leadership experience—and frustration sets in fast.
A launching pad is different. It treats the transition as the start of a long leadership journey, not the finish line. Launching pad roles are harder. They come with more responsibility, steeper learning curves, and sometimes less geographic control. But they also create momentum: early wins, faster growth, and compounding “opportunity” interest over time.
Prepare to Gain ControlThe year-end message is simple: you may not be able to control the economy, but you can control how prepared you are for it.
If you want 2026 to be a year of growth rather than regret, build a launching pad now.
Listen to the full Cameron-Brooks podcast for a candid conversation on the market, mindset, and what it really takes to transition well.
Thinking about your next steps? We’re more than happy to talk.
Check out our latest Alumni Panel after the November 2025 Career Conference. Brock Dudley sits down with:
- Cody Williams (Army Air Defense, Major | Caterpillar, Senior Production Manager)
- Ian Burgess (Air Force Intelligence, Captain | Twist Bioscience, Account Manager)
You cannot control the market, but you can control how prepared you are. Cody and Ian started early, stayed open to learning, and trusted the process. In turn, their preparation led to fantastic, well-aligned career launches.
This is not just about landing a job. It is about building a long-term leadership career. For more than 50 years, Cameron-Brooks has helped JMOs do exactly that. If you are considering your next move, now is the time to prepare.
https://youtu.be/oSYdpYoVfPQ
If you’d like to learn more from other recent alums about their experience, listen to the alumni roundtable from after the August 2025 Career Conference.
If you’d like to speak with a career coach, we’re happy to talk.
Follow Cameron-Brooks on LinkedIn.
How Process Thinking Will Supercharge Your Military to Business TransitionOn this episode of the Cameron-Brooks Podcast, Senior Vice President Joel Junker sits down with Phil Ranck, founder of Lean Alaska and a retired Army CW4 logistician. Phil shares how Lean Six Sigma helped him shift from “fix the person” to “fix the process. Additionally, he shares why that mindset is critical for junior military officers (JMOs) moving into business leadership roles. More specifically, if you’re preparing for interviews or your first role post-military, this conversation is packed with practical takeaways you can apply immediately. In short, developing your process thinking will supercharge your military to business transition.
From Warrant Officer to Process LeaderPhil joined the Army intending to serve two years—and stayed for 24. Along the way, Lean Six Sigma gave him a language and framework to communicate with commanders, diagnose issues, and drive change. His big lesson: most failures aren’t individual—they’re process problems. That perspective reshaped his leadership and later inspired Lean Alaska, where he now trains and consults across industry. Additionally, in his role, he translates “military speak” to the terms hiring managers understand.
Why Lean & Six Sigma Belong in Your ToolkitWhether you’re headed to operations, manufacturing, sales, or project management, Phil argues that a baseline in Lean and Six Sigma helps you see—and explain—value. He breaks it down with DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control). More specifically, he talks about resisting the urge to jump straight to solutions; measuring the baseline; finding root causes; then improving and controlling so changes stick. You’ve likely been doing parts of this already. Certifications and vocabulary simply give you the framework to tell your story in interviews and in your first 90 days.
Reading, Certifications, Funding, and Flexible LearningAt a minimum if you are a JMO considering a transition, you will want to familiarize yourself with business concepts like Lean, Six Sigma, Project Management and Change Management. You watch YouTube Vidoes, take classes on Coursera, and read books such as What is Lean Six Sigma, Fundamentals of Project Management, Leading Change and The Goal.
If you have time and the financial resources, you can earn certifications. There are numerous organizations and universities that offer official learning at a reasonable cost, or investment. A certification does not ensure transition success, though it does indicate mastery of a subject.
A few Cameron-Brooks Alumni have earned certifications through Lean Alaska. Phil emphasizes no out-of-pocket when possible—leveraging Army Credentialing Assistance, Post-9/11 GI Bill, and other pathways. The program also helps you build a portfolio you can bring to interviews to prove real impact. He also partners with bodies like ASQ, PMI, and ACMP, and delivers virtual, recorded, repeatable training focused on doing, not just testing.
Conclusion
If you want a practical roadmap to translate your military experience into business results—and speak the language of industry—don’t miss this episode. Hear Phil’s stories, learn the tools, and discover funding paths that make upskilling attainable. Listen now and turn your transition into a process you can lead.
The Cameron-Brooks MissionAt Cameron-Brooks, we guide officers through the transition and accompany them along the journey to de-risk the transition and help them reach their goals.
We help JMOs transition into leadership developmental roles where they can apply their talents and lead teams and organizations that flourish.
If you want to talk more about your options, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Your transition partner,
Joel Junker | jjunker@cameron-brooks.com
Want to learn more? Request your free 1-on-1 coaching session: Personal Marketability Assessment | Cameron-Brooks.
From Army Artillery Officer to Managing Director in ConsultingLauren Kordzik, Principal at Cameron-Brooks, sat down with Cameron-Brooks alum Pat Curran to discuss his leadership journey from the military to consulting.
When Pat left the Army in 2013, he had a strong operations background and years of leading teams under pressure. After active duty, Pat started his business career at EMCOR and later continued to grow his career at CBRE and through his MBA at Penn State. Today, he serves as Managing Director at Greencastle Associates, a 100% veteran-owned consulting firm.
While Pat relied on his leadership skills from the Army, Pat emphasized the importance of continuous growth and improvement. Below are some key highlights from the conversation as well as Pat’s advice for evolving as a leader.
Building a Leadership Style for BusinessWhen reflecting on how he adjusted his leadership style, Pat shared a few key tips:
- Balance confidence and humility. Know what you bring to the table, but stay open to learning.
- Lead from the trenches. Build trust through what you do, not just your title.
- Be transparent. Be willing to admit mistakes and work with people, not above them.
- Evolve how you lead. Command structure works in the military. In business, influence, collaboration, and reading the room matter more.
In addition to advice about leadership style, Pat has advice for the aspiring consultant.
Advice for Building a Career in ConsultingFor those looking to one day be a managing director in consulting, Pat has some advice: Work on your people skills. Technical knowledge matters, but relationships are what move your career forward. Listen first, validate what you hear, and show clients you care beyond just getting the deal. * Think like an entrepreneur. Especially in smaller firms, be ready to jump in wherever you’re needed and help the company win. * Understand what consulting is really about. You’re there to solve client problems and deliver real results. * Keep reading. Pat recommends The Go-Giver, Trusted Advisor, Getting Naked by Patrick Lencioni, and What Got You Here Won’t Get You There* by Marshall Goldsmith.
Want to hear more from Pat? Check out our full conversation on the podcast.
At Cameron-Brooks, we help officers transition from the military into another fulfilling career in business. Whether you are looking to move from the military to consulting or you are looking to explore your options, we’re here to help.
Want to learn more about a career in consulting? Check out our career fields page.
Want advice about your marketability in the business world? We would be happy to talk.
In this episode, I sit down with Cory Bouck—former Navy Naval Flight Officer, Cameron-Brooks alum, and author of The Lens of Leadership: Being the Leader Others Want to Follow. Together, we explore how military-honed leadership translates into exceptional business results. Today, Cory is making a significant impact in the private sector at Johnsonville Sausage, where culture, coaching, and performance go hand-in-hand. Importantly, this is a great example of self-transcendent military leadership in action in corporate America.
This is Cory’s second time being a guest on the podcast. If you missed it, you can listen to his first episode here.
Here is what we cover in this episode:
Inside Johnsonville’s Leadership CultureCory opens the curtain on Johnsonville’s mission: create the environment where each of us is required to fully develop our God-given talents—and help others do the same.
- Leaders are called “coaches”
- Employees are “members”
- The Johnsonville Way shows up daily through values like Humble Candor, Collaborative Teamwork, Learning Agility, and Personal Commitment.
Together, these values create a culture of straight talk delivered with care, high standards, and real growth.
Why JMOs Fit and ThriveCory explains why junior military officers are prized: they lead up, down, and across, stay relentlessly focused on mission accomplishment, and learn fast. Moreover, that mindset maps directly to Johnsonville’s values and to the expectations of modern companies that need adaptable leaders who close gaps, build teams, and deliver outcomes.
The Lens of Leadership: Serve • Build • InspireDrawing from his book, Cory starts with followership—a set of learnable, practical skills that make you professionally essential while creating chances to demonstrate superior leadership. He shares tools like an Impact Map to connect new skills to on-the-job applications, team metrics, and company results. He also talked about the 70-20-10 learning model (learn most by doing).
By applying these tools, leaders can see tangible results while developing themselves and their teams.
Why ListenIf you’re a JMO considering a transition, this episode of PCS to Corporate America demonstrates how to:
- Maintain your service-first identity while growing as a leader
- Thrive in your first corporate role
- Evaluate company culture effectively
- Use AI as a force multiplier for high-impact leadership
Overall, listen to learn how to carry your military edge into business and become the leader others want to follow.
The Cameron-Brooks MissionAt Cameron-Brooks, we guide officers through the transition and accompany them along the journey to de-risk the transition and help them reach their goals.
We help JMOs transition into leadership developmental roles where they can apply their talents and lead teams and organizations that flourish.
If you want to talk more about your options, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Your transition partner,
Joel Junker | jjunker@cameron-brooks.com
Lessons from Cameron-Brooks Alumni on Military to Business Transition SuccessEach Cameron-Brooks Career Conference represents a major career event for our JMOs. In these military to business transition successes, officers together years of military service and months, (maybe even years of preparation in the Development and Preparation Program). Then, they interview with Industry leading companies in business. Our JMOs at the August 2025 Career Conference averaged 10.3 interviews over a two-day period. Additionally, every single JMO was pursued into the follow up process.
Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with my teammate Geoff Fries and three Cameron-Brooks alumni who attended the August Conference. In this episode, they share their experiences and insights pre-conference in DPP, during the conference, and during the post-conference where they earned offers, evaluated them and made a decision to launch their next career.
Together, we unpacked their stories and explored what their preparation, mindset, and execution looked like resulting in their military to business transition successes.
Below, I’ll highlight their lessons, strategies, and mindsets – from early preparation to behavioral interviews and ultimately into final decision-making.
Meet the Alumni: Three Distinct Paths to SuccessBefore diving into strategies, here’s where these three standout officers landed:
- Matt Dahlager, an Army Military Intelligence Captain, joined Ubicquia, a smart grid technology company that leverages sensors and AI to improve energy infrastructure. He’ll serve as an Area Sales Manager for the Ohio River Valley region.
- Spencer Preston, a former Marine Corps officer, accepted a role as a Summit Fellow at USAA in San Antonio, Texas. He’ll rotate through key leadership areas such as CEO staff, property and casualty operations, or CFO development roles.
- Weslee Warren, a Navy Surface Warfare Officer, joined Corning Optical Communications in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he’ll work as a Technical Program Manager driving fiber-to-the-premises projects and collaborating with engineering and product teams.
Building a Foundation: Start EarlyOne of the strongest themes in our conversation was the value of time spent in DPP. On average, candidates spend about 11 months preparing through the Cameron-Brooks program.
- Spencer prepared for 38 months.
- Wes spent about one year.
- Matt invested nearly two years.
During that time, Cameron-Brooks was able to meet them multiple times for in person and virtual preparation sessions, which allowed them to:
- Build Trust with Cameron-Brooks
Early engagement allowed each candidate to develop a trusted relationship with the Cameron-Brooks team – vital since our team members advocate for each candidate directly with partner companies. - Conduct Self-Assessment and Reflection
Before they could tell their story to companies, they had to understand it themselves. This meant revisiting military experiences in order to translate their military experiences into relevant business leadership accomplishment with clear impact and results. Leadership, problem-solving, mission alignment, etc. and how that translates into private-sector value. - Learn Business Skills and Apply them
They didn’t just study business – they applied it. By integrating recognized industry concepts that they learned in DPP such as Lean Six Sigma into their current military duties, they created concrete examples that later became powerful interview stories. - Invest in themselves
Hundreds of hours of practice, reflection, and preparation went into preparation before the Conference.
Learning to Speak the Language of BusinessEach alumnus emphasized how critical it was to learn the language of the Business.
Their Go-To Learning Tools:
- Books and Business Education: They read extensively – diving into leadership, finance, and operations management books, reviews, articles, white papers, and texts.
- Free Online Learning: YouTube finance tutorials, LinkedIn Learning, and Khan Academy were popular for brushing up on business fundamentals.
- AI-Powered Study Support: Interestingly, several used ChatGPT to help build personalized study plans or summarize key business concepts, allowing for faster learning retention.
- Company Awareness: They researched what each company valued most – whether that was data-driven decision-making, innovation, leadership pipeline development, or customer culture.
This preparation helped them walk into interviews speaking confidently about business.
Interview Excellence: Turning Preparation into PerformanceEvery Cameron-Brooks candidate knows the power of the “Tab Five”: our structured interview preparation framework. But Spencer, Matt, and Wes all agreed: you must be able to “eclipse” Tab Five. You must be able to go beyond the framework and have a real, human conversation. These 3 were able to get into the interview and successfully:
- Show Genuine Interest – Be curious about the company’s mission, market, and challenges.
- Connect Your Background – Translate military experience into business results (leadership, problem-solving, project management).
- Demonstrate BLT – Believability, Likability, and Trust. In the end, people hire people they trust.
Focusing on the Company’s NeedsThis is always a tough one, but sequencing the search. One of the hardest things to do is shifting the mindset. Start with the company’s problem and think like a problem solver. Take the “get hat” off, and put the “give hat” on.
Each company’s job description is, at its core, a problem statement. Successful candidates positioned themselves as the solution. To do so, they focused their answers on how they could help the company win.
Mastering the Follow-Up PhaseOnce the conference ends, things move fast. Alumni described it as “a blur” of flights, interviews, and rapid decision-making. They talked about traveling smart, staying organized, and diving deep into research to learn and know the companies better.
The Decision Phase: Choosing the Right OfferWithin just two weeks, each of these officers had multiple offers on the table – a testament to the quality of their preparation and fit.
But making the right choice required more than comparing salaries. It meant aligning the opportunity with personal values, long-term vision, and family priorities.
- Knowing Your “Why”Spencer put it best: “You’ve got to know your why. Why are you leaving the military? What did you love about it? And how do you carry that forward?”
He ultimately chose USAA not because of location or title but because it represented challenge and growth – two elements that would stretch him as a professional and a person.
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Culture and ChallengeAll three emphasized company culture as the deciding factor.
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Wes was drawn to Corning because of its culture of innovation and long-term development.
- Matt chose Ubicquia because of the company’s vision and the stability it offered his family.
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Spencer found USAA’s mission-driven environment aligned perfectly with his desire to keep serving in a new way.
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Stability, Family, and LocationWhile candidates were encouraged not to lead with location, it inevitably became a tiebreaker once other criteria aligned. They successfully sequenced the search, received offers, and then went into decision making mode. Though it didn’t drive their searches, Wes, Matt and Spencer ALL landed in their desired locations.
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Systematic Decision-MakingEach candidate used tools like pros and cons lists, financial comparisons, and cultural evaluations to make informed decisions. They also sought counsel – from spouses, mentors, and the Cameron-Brooks team – to ensure they balanced career opportunity with life priorities.
Key Takeaways: Lessons from the Front Lines of Career TransitionThe stories of Spencer, Matt, and Wes underscore what we’ve always known at Cameron-Brooks: success in the military-to-business transition isn’t about luck — it’s about preparation and mindset.
Here are their top lessons for future JMOs:
- Start Early – Really Early.
Give yourself time to build trust, self-awareness, and confidence. The earlier you begin, the more control you’ll have when the conference arrives. - Understand the Company’s Needs.
Don’t just tell your story – tell it through the lens of their problem. Be a “giver,” not a “taker.” - Be Open-Minded.
You may start thinking you want sales, operations, or engineering management, but the right fit might surprise you. Spencer originally wanted sales, but he found his leadership home in a rotational executive role. - Stay Flexible and Organized.
The post-conference phase moves fast. Travel light, stay ready, and lean on the Cameron-Brooks team. - Know Your “Why.”
The most meaningful careers align with your purpose, not just your paycheck. As Spencer said, “You’ll fall in love with a company way faster than you’ll fall in love with a location.”
Conclusion: Preparation Is the Difference Between Opportunity and Military to Business Transition SuccessAt Cameron-Brooks, we often say: you can’t control the market, but you can control your preparation.
The stories of Spencer, Matt, and Wes prove that principle true. Each of them put in the hours, stayed open-minded, trusted the process, and approached the journey with curiosity and humility.
The result? Three unique career launches — each built on a foundation of leadership, preparation, and purpose.
If you’re a military officer considering your next mission, take a page from their playbook: start early, stay curious, and remember that your leadership matters – in any uniform.
This Isn’t Just About Landing a Job – It’s About Launching a CareerThis isn’t just about landing a job; it’s about helping talented JMOs create purpose-driven careers and achieve long-term military to business transition success. Every officer who walks through the Cameron-Brooks program isn’t just making a career change. They’re laying the foundation for the next 40 years of leadership, growth, and impact.
For more than 50 years, Cameron-Brooks has helped Junior Military Officers transform their military leadership into business excellence – equipping them with the tools, mindset, and confidence to thrive in corporate America.
If you’re considering your options to stay in the military, or transition out, my encouragement is to start early. Now is the time! You can never time the market, but the right strategy, preparation, and mindset can open doors to exceptional opportunities – and we’ll walk that journey with you every step of the way.
Your transition partner,
Brock Dudley
Associate Principal, Cameron-Brooks
(210) 874-1495
Follow Cameron-Brooks on LinkedIn
A Journey Toward Self-Transcendent LeadershipIn January 2023, I began a long-term goal to earn a Master’s degree. Initially, my intentions were to learn, grow, and yes, to “check that box” that I had a Master’s degree. While I did all three of those things, earning my degree in December 2024, what really happened is that I examined my leadership, who I was, who I was becoming, how I impacted others around me, and how I wanted to lead for the rest of my career. As I look back, I learned that enabling others to thrive was a core part of self-transcendent leadership.
When I enrolled in the Gonzaga University Master’s of Organizational Leadership program, I would not have described myself as selfish. Yet through my coursework and reflections, I learned I had several self-embedded leadership behaviors. As I looked more closely, I learned that these behaviors stifle or inhibit others’ growth and development. By learning how to be more self-transcendent, focusing on others, and the greater good of the organization and people, a few things happened. Firstly, I became a more effective leader. Secondly, I enjoyed work more. Thirdly, I experienced more positive organizational outcomes.
In this episode of the PCS to Corporate America Podcast, I share some of my journey, explain why being self-transcendent is so important and necessary, and the steps we can take immediately to be less selfish and more serving of others and our organizations.
Self-Transcendent Leadership: Going Beyond YourselfIn transitioning from the military to a business leadership role, it’s easy to focus on personal goals—promotions, achievements, recognition. These are not bad. However, as leaders, our greatest impact comes when we go beyond ourselves. Self-transcendent leadership, inspired by Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning, means pursuing purpose beyond personal gain—serving others, creating excellence for its own sake, and finding meaning even in challenges.
Why It Matters In BusinessWe all live and work within organizations: companies, teams, boards, and communities. Leaders profoundly shape whether these organizations enable people to flourish or become stifling. In our work organizations, where we spend most of our waking hours, leaders have a duty to create environments where team members feel valued, engaged, and able to use their talents. This responsibility is especially critical for those making the leap from military service, where purpose and camaraderie are deeply ingrained.
Practical Ways to Lead Beyond YourselfSelf-transcendence doesn’t require grand gestures—it’s built in everyday moments. For example:
- Be present in conversations.
- Show genuine curiosity about your teammates.
- Smile and greet people each morning.
- Offer a word of encouragement or practical help, like bringing someone coffee.
- And when tough decisions arise—such as giving candid feedback or reorganizing a team—lead with honesty, kindness, and a commitment to the other person’s long-term good.
Questions to Guide Your Journey To Self-Transcendent LeadershipAsk yourself:
- How do I want others to be different because of my leadership?
- What do I need to let go of to lead for others, not just myself?
As Frankl wrote, “It did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expects from us.” In your transition to business, consider—what does your organization expect of you right now, and how can you answer with leadership that transcends self-interest?
The Cameron-Brooks MissionOur mission at Cameron-Brooks is to help guide officers through the transition and accompany them along the journey to de-risk the process of transitioning to the civilian world and help them reach their goals.
We aim to equip JMOs with the tools and the necessary reflection and preparation required to successfully transition into leadership developmental roles that will allow them to use their talents and skills to lead teams and organizations that will flourish.
If you want to talk more about your options, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Your transition partner,
Joel Junker | jjunker@cameron-brooks.com
2025 Mid-Year Review: How Junior Military Officers Can Win in Today’s MarketAs we’ve passed the midpoint of 2025 and we look towards the end of 2025, our CEO, Chuck Alvarez, and Senior Vice President, Joel Junker, offered an in-depth review of today’s economic and career landscape. Their discussion was both candid and encouraging. And in doing so, they provided clarity on how JMOs can win in today’s market.
This was recorded in in July 2025, and with recent economic data and news with respect to the labor markets, found it fitting to launch.
The “New Normal” EconomyThe global economy has entered what Chuck and Joel describe as a “new normal” – a period likely to last the next 10 to 20 years. Unlike past downturns, this environment is shaped by long-term, structural shifts:
- First, interest rates and inflation remain high. The Federal Reserve raised rates by 500 basis points, slowing consumer spending and making it harder for businesses to borrow money.
- Second, geopolitical uncertainty is making companies more cautious. Conflicts overseas, policy changes at home, and an election year have all slowed down hiring decisions.
- Third, artificial intelligence is reshaping the workplace. AI and automation are changing white-collar roles. Companies are building leaner teams but expect employees to bring stronger skills.
The White-Collar Recession: What It Means For JMOsJoel highlighted the ongoing white-collar recession. Compared to 2022, there are about 3% fewer white-collar jobs available, with companies paying more attention to every new hire. Adding to this:
- College graduates face unemployment rates between 6-7%.
- Veterans hover around 6% unemployment, higher than the national average.
- MBA graduates aren’t immune either – 25% of Harvard Business School’s Class of 2025 were unemployed at graduation.
At first glance, these numbers may seem discouraging. But the silver lining is that the jobs that remain are more complex, high-impact, and reserved for exceptional leaders. For prepared JMOs, this is a tremendous opportunity to transition out and add value to your future employer in a tighter market.
Why JMOs Have a Competitive EdgeDespite the tough environment, Chuck and Joel emphasized that highly capable JMOs remain in strong demand. Companies are looking for leaders who can solve problems, collaborate across functions, and drive results under pressure – all strengths forged through military service.
In fact, the shift toward fewer but more demanding roles plays directly to the strengths of transitioning officers. JMOs bring:
- Proven leadership in high-stakes environments
- Analytical and problem-solving skills developed in dynamic conditions
- A servant-leader mindset that aligns with today’s emphasis on collaboration and impact
However, natural ability alone isn’t enough. Preparation is the differentiator.
The Mindset That WinsJoel used a powerful analogy: you can’t “roll out of bed and run a marathon.” Just as an athlete trains months in advance, JMOs must approach their transition with disciplined preparation.
Key mindsets include:
- Excellence mindset – hold yourself to the highest standard and commit to continuous learning.
- Giver mindset – focus on serving others and lead with humility.
- Growth mindset – embrace change, pursue challenging assignments, and avoid the trap of underemployment.
This combination of preparation and mindset ensures JMOs not only compete but thrive against experienced business professionals and MBAs.
Preparation + Mindset = The JMO AdvantageAt Cameron-Brooks, we’ve seen this proven time and again. Our Development and Preparation Program (DPP) equips JMOs to compete for high-complexity roles, with candidates averaging 10 interviews per Career Conference and on average more than 95% of those leading to follow-ups or offers.
The takeaway is clear: with the right preparation and mindset, JMOs don’t just find jobs -they launch into careers that position them for long-term success.
Looking Ahead with ConfidenceChuck and Joel concluded with optimism. Yes, the economic landscape is challenging, but it also creates tremendous opportunities for those willing to prepare, learn, and lead. For JMOs, the road ahead isn’t about surviving the “new normal” – it’s about leveraging military leadership experience to thrive in this new normal.
This “new normal” isn’t something to wait out – it’s the reality we face. The U.S. Economy has always adapted, and JMOs must too. While the current market isn’t “easy” to navigate – and can feel overwhelming at times – Chuck and Joel provided encouragement to all the talented JMOs looking to transition to business: Opportunity still exists for those who are prepared and intentional. Companies continue to hire.
As Chuck reminded the team at Cameron-Brooks a few weeks ago:
“Always love whatever is happening to you.”
It’s a Stoic Principle – amor fati – and it’s about leaning into challenges instead of wishing things were different. New York times best-selling author, Ryan Holiday, says it best in The Obstacle is the Way:
“The rock in the path is the way”.
At Cameron-Brooks, we believe the next 10–20 years will showcase the incredible impact JMOs can make in the business world. For those preparing today, the future is not only bright – it’s full of possibility.
Want to know more about Cameron-Brooks? Want to know more about what is possible in a business career?
Reach out to me below. You can also go to Cameron-Brooks and do more research on your own.
Want to talk to Cameron-Brooks alumnus? We can do that too – contact me below.
Best of success in your professional careers!
Your transition partner,
Brock Dudley
Associate Principal, Cameron-Brooks
(210) 874-1495
Brock Dudley | LinkedIn
Cameron-Brooks June 2025 Career Conference Review: Insights for Your Military-to-Business TransitionTransitioning from the military to a professional business career is a pivotal moment for any Junior Military Officer (JMO). At Cameron-Brooks, our mission is to help JMOs navigate this career transition with clarity and confidence through a three-step approach:
1) Prepare
2) Search
3) Launch
Our June 2025 Post-Conference Review offered a deep dive into the April Career Conference results and shared actionable insights for those preparing for the August 2025 conference, and those in the Cameron-Brooks Development and Preparation Program.
I was joined by three recent Cameron-Brooks Alumnus who attended the Conference: Jesse DeVries (Caterpillar), Patrick McMahan (Intuitive Surgical), and Connor McNamara (Optimized Process Designs, LLC – a Koch Engineered Solutions company.
Whether you are actively preparing for your transition or simply exploring what’s possible, here are the biggest takeaways from our latest Career Conference and alumni panel.
June 2025 Conference Recap: A Fast-Paced Career LaunchpadThe Cameron-Brooks Career Conference is a 4.5 day, high-intensity event, where you’ll meet with Hiring Managers for open positions from industry leading companies spanning across multiple industries. At the June Conference, 46 JMOs attended, and 445 interviews were conducted. Every single JMO was “pursued” to the next round of interviews.
These open positions are highly complex, designed to be filled by high-performing junior leadership talent in order to get into a company’s succession planning.
With about two openings per position on average, some opportunities were highly competitive single openings, while others offered broader geographic flexibility and multiple openings. Every JMO had multiple pathways to success.
Navigating the Market and Maximizing InterviewsDespite a competitive economy – high interest rates and unemployment hovering around 4.2% (Which is relatively normal) – The JMOs interviewed for premium roles in leadership, operations, sales, and engineering.
Key lessons from the conference:
- Be a Giver: Successful candidates focused on solving the company problem first (The open position). When candidates successfully connected their background, built rapport and demonstrated genuine interest in that position, the companies reciprocated with a pursuit for the next round of interviews, and then offers onsite.
- Preparation Drives Pursuits: The best-prepared JMOs – those who dressed for success, mastered their stories, and tailored their answers – earned the most follow-up interviews. There was a direct correlation between time spent in preparation (Phase 1 -Preparation), and successfully launching (Phase 3 – Launch).
- Embrace a Broad Search: Flexibility in industry and location opened the door for a broader search (Phase 2 – Search).
The average time from conference to signed offer was 13.25 working days, with some candidates accepting in as few as six working days.
Preparing Like a Pro: The Cameron-Brooks ProcessOur alumni panel reinforced the importance of preparation prior to, during, and post-conference.
Pre-Conference Development & Preparation Program (DPP): Build your foundation, refine your stories, and understand how your military experience translates. * Study Groups: Considered the most valuable tool for refining answers and building confidence. * Mock Interviews: Essential to remove military jargon and communicate stories effectively. * Reading List:* Builds business acumen and helps connect with the interviewers, and recognized industry practices and topics such as: Lean, Six Sigma, Data Analytics, etc.
During the Conference Company Briefings: Every JMO received a 30-minute briefing on every company they interviewed with accelerating their knowledge on each company, and what skills were necessary to connect on and be successful in the interview, and subsequently the role they would be filling. * Coaching Zoom Room: Managed by the Coaches, allowed for instant feedback after interviews to adapt in real time and prepare for the next interview. * Asking Quality Questions:* One of the most important parts in an interview. Asking quality questions demonstrates three things to the Hiring Mangers: 1) What’s most important to the candidate; 2) Demonstrates the candidates desire to solve the company’s problem; and 3) The candidates intellectual curiosity.
Post-Conference Follow-Up Follow-up Briefings: Designed to go deeper into research on the company, the role, how to conduct field rides, plant tours and close for the offer. * Fast and Focused: Field rides, plant tours, and virtual interviews often start immediately. * Cameron-Brooks Follow-Up Team: Dedicated support from our team to manage offers and logistics. * On-Site Experiences:* Field rides and tours are game changers—turning interest into offers by showing real job fit.
Companies and Career Opportunities* + Give a listen to see what companies attended and for what type of roles!
Alumni Insights: Winning Your TransitionPat, Jesse, and Connor shared some insights on how they turned preparation into offers:
- Utilizing the Cameron-Brooks SkillBridge: Provided them with extra time to focus on preparation and self-care before transitioning.
- Prioritize Study Groups: Honest feedback and practice is invaluable.
- Tell Stories with Purpose: Adapt your military experiences to business challenges.
- Close Every Interview: Express genuine interest and why you want to move forward.
Their experiences reinforce the Cameron-Brooks principle: success comes to the prepared and adaptable JMO.
Final Advice for JMOsAs I shared in my closing remarks at the Post-Conference Review:
- Get plugged into your study group early.
- Read and apply insights daily.
- Engage with Cameron-Brooks alumni and staff.
This transition is not just about landing a job, but rather getting out and up into a business leadership trajectory by laying a solid foundation that will fuel the next 25 – 40 years with growth, challenge, and impact.
If you’re a JMO preparing for the August 2025 Career Conference, or transitioning out in 2026, now is the time to double down on preparation. Use the insights above, trust the process, and remember, Cameron-Brooks is here as your partner and guide in the transition.
Best of success,
Brock Dudley
E225: Avoid the Career Do-Over – Transition Rule #5When it comes to transitioning from the military to the business world, you want to avoid the career do-over. Many officers define a successful transition by landing that first post-military job. At Cameron-Brooks, we define the transition not by accepting a job. We define a successful transition as 3-4 years down the road when you’ve transitioned from a military leader into a business leader with a track record of results.
That’s why Rule #5 in our Career Transition Playbook is: Avoid the Career Do-Over.
Joining me is Lauren Kordzik, one of our Principals on the client side of our business, joined me to discuss the Career Do-Overs as she spends her time working with JMOs in our program at the Conference and in the Follow-Up Process. Lauren works closely with our client companies and has deep insight into what companies are looking for in high-performing JMOs. She also spends most of her time between conferences working with our Alumni who have successfully transitioned out, so she has credible and valuable insights and data points into personal and professional life post military.
Before we get into Rule 5 – the final rule in the Cameron-Brooks JMO Transition Rules to business – let’s recap the Cameron-Brooks JMO Transition Rules 1-4:
- E218: Transition Rule #1 – Don’t Do It Alone
- E219: Transition Rule #2 – Develop an Investment Mindset
- E220: Transition Rule #3 – Build a Non-Traditional Career Search Strategy
- E223: Transition Rule #4 – Embrace the Growth Mindset: Past Success ≠ Future Success
What Is a Career Do-Over?A career do-over happens when someone pivots out of a role too quickly – sometimes within 6 to 12 months – because the position didn’t meet expectations, or one feels underemployed. Essentially, it’s a restart that often stems from a misaligned strategy, impatience, or a misunderstanding of how to grow a business career.
Lauren put it best during a recent conversation: “The transition doesn’t end when you accept the job. It starts there. The honeymoon period fades quickly, and that’s when the real learning and growth begins.”
Why Job-Hopping Hurts Your TrajectoryWe often use the analogy of a wedding cake. A successful business career builds layer upon layer – roles, projects, mentors, results. But frequent job changes early in a career leave you with cupcakes instead of a tiered cake. There’s no foundation to support long-term growth.
Lauren offered another great metaphor: Candyland. Every job change sends you back to the beginning of the gameboard. You’re not progressing; you’re just starting over again and again. By the time someone hits their early 30s, they may have worked at 3 or 4 companies with little to show in terms of upward mobility or leadership progression.
Another analogy that I often use is taking early withdrawals from a retirement account. When you take early withdrawals, you can be penalized and have to pay taxes. If this were your career, you don’t just lose what you withdraw, but you also interrupt the compounding growth in your career, resulting in losses over time.
In both cases, short-term decisions can sabotage long-term success and limit the full potential of your investment. You also lose momentum, making it harder to build the kind of upward trajectory that leads to greater responsibility, leadership, and future opportunity.
Focus on Intrinsic Motivators Over Extrinsic RewardsOne of the biggest drivers of do-overs? Choosing a job based solely on extrinsic factors—money, location, title. While those are important, they shouldn’t outweigh intrinsic factors like culture fit, learning opportunities, and how well the role aligns with your natural talents.
Lauren referenced Stephen Covey’s “Big rocks in the jar” analogy. You must define what matters to you most (The Big Rocks), before starting your search. Ask yourself:
- Will this role allow me to grow?
- Am I working with people who will invest in my development?
- Do I believe in the mission and values of this company?
Be Open-Minded and Open to DiscoveryOne of the most common regrets we hear from JMOs who made early career pivots is that they didn’t explore broadly enough. They limited themselves by geography or industry and passed on roles that could have launched remarkable careers.
I think of a former F/A-18 Hornet Marine Corps pilot who initially dismissed medical device sales, only to discover through conducting a broad career search that it was a perfect match for his drive, communication skills, and passion for serving others. Today, he’s a Regional Sales Manager for one of the fastest-growing medical device companies that grew over 60% in total revenue last year. He is flourishing and so is the organization he plays a major part in leading.
Lauren reminds candidates: “Companies don’t expect you to show up on Day 1 ready to run the business. They’re investing in your potential.” She touches on a mutual investment in one another, and the investment in the JMO is helping them learn the business, grow, develop, and get into a company’s succession planning.
We’ve studied JMO transitions for a long time, and we define the successful transition as 3-4 years where a JMO transition starts off active duty, and ends with a strong JMO transitioning from being a leader in the service TO being a leader in business and part of a company’s succession planning process.If you want to be a future leader, it’s imperative to not only get out of the service but also to do it by laying the foundational work to become part of succession planning for future leadership roles in a company.Success = One Company, Multiple Roles in 3 – 4 YearsThe gold standard for a successful transition isn’t a prestigious company or fancy title – it’s building a track record. Stay with one company for 3-4 years. Rotate through different roles. Lead teams. Deliver results. That’s the foundation for development business career.
Final ThoughtsIf you’re preparing for your military-to-business transition, remember:
Don’t just chase the extrinsic factors: job titles, company, money, and location. Those are very important! However, focus on building a track record. The score will take care of itself, and all those things will come.
Don’t get distracted by the cupcakes. Build a wedding cake.
Avoid the career do-over by committing to the process, being open to new paths, and focusing on your long-term objectives.
Thanks to Lauren for joining me in this discussion. Her insights continue to shape how we support both our candidate and client partners at Cameron-Brooks.
Our mission is to help guide officers through the transition and accompany them along the journey to de-risk the transition and help them reach their goals.
We aim to equip JMOs with the tools and the necessary reflection and preparation required to successfully transition into leadership developmental roles that will allow them to use their talents and skills to lead teams and organizations that will flourish.
If you want to talk more about your options, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Your transition partner,
Joel Junker | jjunker@cameron-brooks.com
Beau Hughes – HF Sinclair: Corporate Procurement LeaderIt was an absolute pleasure to have my good friend, Beau Hughes, join me on the PCS to Corporate America Podcast. Beau works for HF Sinclair as a Procurement Supervisor in their Corporate Procurement team. Find out how Beau went from JMO to Corporate Procurement Leader in our latest podcast.
Beau was one of the first JMOs I had the opportunity to work with when I joined Cameron-Brooks in 2023. Since then, we’ve grown close, and I’ve enjoyed watching him build a successful life and career after the Army.
A former U.S. Army Logistics Officer, Beau launched his corporate career in November 2023 with HF Sinclair in Tulsa, OK. Right after accepting the offer through the November 2023 Career Conference, Beau and his wife welcomed their son into the world. Since then, things haven’t slowed down.
Within his first year, Beau earned a promotion and returned to a Career Conference as a hiring manager, where he hired another Cameron-Brooks Alumnus.
Beau’s transition from the Army to a rising leader in corporate procurement is full of lessons for junior military officers. His story is inspiring, practical, and worth hearing.
Transitioning to Civilian Life with PurposeWith a baby on the way and a strong desire to be more present at home, Beau made the decision to leave the Army in early 2023. Like many officers, he started the job search on his own and quickly saw how challenging it can be to navigate the civilian hiring process.
That’s when a friend pointed him to Cameron-Brooks. After connecting with our team in August, Beau attended the November 2023 Career Conference and landed a Procurement Specialist role with HF Sinclair.
“Cameron-Brooks made the process easy. I just had to show up prepared.”
Redefining Procurement: Strategy Over PurchasingAt HF Sinclair, Beau learned quickly that procurement is far more strategic than most people think.
“I get a little offended when people call it purchasing. We’re building partnerships to achieve the lowest total cost of ownership, not just buying stuff.”
His responsibilities include managing sourcing events, writing contracts, and being a strategic partner to internal teams. He found success quickly, even leading one of the smoothest refinery turnarounds in the company’s recent history.
Earning a Promotion and Managing Life TransitionsThe first year wasn’t easy, but it was worth it. In March 2025, a little over a year after starting, Beau was promoted to Procurement Supervisor and relocated to El Dorado, Kansas.
Despite a steep learning curve and the demands of a new role, Beau felt supported throughout the process.
“You’re not just thrown to the wolves. You’re challenged, yes, but supported the whole way.”
During this time, Beau also navigated becoming a new dad, moving states, and buying a home. He also mentioned the value of having more predictability in his schedule. He’s not necessarily working less, but he has more control.
Beau’s Advice for JMOsBeau had some solid advice for fellow officers considering a move to business:
- Be hungry and humble – Learn fast, ask questions, and show up ready to work.
- Own your learning – No one’s handing you a manual. Be proactive.
- Stay authentic – Companies want the real you, not a script.
- Trust the process – The Cameron-Brooks program works if you do the work.
“It’s not instant gratification, but it works. You just have to grind, learn, and grow.”
What Makes Cameron-Brooks Candidates Stand Out?Now that Beau is a hiring manager, he sees firsthand the quality of Cameron-Brooks candidates:
- They’re prepared.
- They present themselves well.
- They’re confident, not arrogant.
- They’re genuine.
Beau shared a story about a candidate who wore a suit to a casual interview. He didn’t have to, but it made a lasting impression.
Final Thoughts: Growth, Grit, and Giving BackBeau’s path is a great example of how preparation, adaptability, and the right support can lead to real success in the corporate world. His move from Army logistics to strategic procurement, and his promotion in under a year, show what’s possible.
If you’re thinking about making a similar transition, or if you’re already on the path, Beau’s story of going from JMO to Corporate Procurement Leader is a clear and encouraging example.
Beau is passionate about helping JMOs and often shares insights with those going through the process. I am, too. If you want to connect with either of us, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Beau Hughes | LinkedIn
Best,
Brock Dudley
(210) 874-1495 | bdudley@cameron-brooks.com
Brock Dudley | LinkedIn
E223: Transition Rule #4 – Past Success ≠ Future SuccessWhy do we say, “Past success does not equal future success?” This episode is for those transitioning JMOs who have experienced past success in the military and are working towards business leadership careers. Also, it is for those who have tasted success in the military and who want to avoid missteps in the transition.
I teamed up with Tim Kirchner, and together we cover the following topics:
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- Ego vs. Authentic-Self
- The ways past success can create a sense of comfort, control, and security. How it can make us feel like we’ve “arrived”.
- How it can cloud our judgment and decision-making skills.
- Different ways we naturally tend to lose focus and get caught up in urgent and daily tasks, and how those things can get in the way of our goals.
- I share my experience and how I struggled with an unhealthy belief of “being owed” something in my next chapter.
- Being clear about your desired result and the value of seeking guidance and adopting a growth mindset, regardless of experience level.
- Past success is a very strong indicator of future potential.
- Encouragement on not losing focus, making the transition a priority, and how to stay a student in the transition.
That’s why Transition Rule #4 is: Past Success ≠ Future Success—not unless you change how you think and prepare.
What Does “Past Success Does Not Equal Future Success” Mean?In the military, many leaders have led teams, made critical decisions, and delivered strong results. Success often followed a clear structure and defined roles.
However, the business world operates differently. Past achievements don’t automatically lead to future success in a new environment.
There are two challenges that frequently show up during the transition:
1. Ego
Some assume their accomplishments will speak for themselves. Yet, most hiring managers don’t fully understand military roles. It becomes important to connect the dots and clearly show how experience applies.
2. Lack of Focus
Transition preparation often gets delayed. Busy schedules take over, and planning gets pushed aside until it’s nearly too late.
Where Do These Challenges Appear Most Often?In Interviews:
Even high-performing JMOs have received feedback such as, “Didn’t show enough business understanding.” In these cases, the leadership skills were there—but the candidate hadn’t prepared in the way business leaders expected.
During Preparation:
Some officers in our Development & Preparation Program (DPP) initially struggled to stay on track. On the other hand, those who began early and followed a clear plan arrived prepared—and it showed in their interviews.
Why This Rule MattersSuccess in one setting doesn’t guarantee success in another. Military leadership typically involves giving orders and following a chain of command. In contrast, business leadership calls for influence, adaptability, and quick decision-making.
To thrive, adapting to new expectations is essential.
The Right MindsetStay Focused:
Clear career goals help guide daily decisions. Every step forward should move closer to that goal.
Stay Hungry and Humble:
A learning mindset is critical. Seeking advice from those who understand both military and business environments can make a big difference. Staying hungry to grow and humble enough to learn creates long-term success.
What to Do NextStart early.
Don’t wait to begin preparing. A strong plan—beyond just a resume—builds clarity and confidence. The earlier the process begins, the better the outcome. Simply put, early action leads to better results.
The Big TakeawayMilitary experience builds a strong foundation, but it’s only the beginning.
Growth in business comes to those who remain coachable, curious, and committed to learning. That mindset earns the next success.
Let’s Take the Next Step TogetherIf you realize past success does not equal future success, and you’re ready to prepare with purpose to build a plan for your next chapter, let’s talk. We’re here to help. Also, we’ll be back in a couple weeks with Rule #5 with Lauren Kordzik and Joel Junker.
Brock Dudley, Associate Principal
(210) 874-1495 | bdudley@cameron-brooks.com
Brock Dudley | LinkedIn
April 2025 Post-Conference Review: Leadership in an Uncertain Market
Our April 2025 Post-Conference Review is live! The officers who attended the Career Conference have officially completed the follow-up process and made important career decisions. Over the last four weeks, they met with hiring managers from companies across the country, both virtually and in person. These meetings gave them a deeper look at company cultures, job responsibilities, and long-term opportunities. We are incredibly proud of how each candidate showed up with strong preparation, professionalism, and leadership.
Despite ongoing economic challenges, including inflation, tariffs, and supply chain issues, companies continue to invest in top leadership talent. Every company at the conference came ready to hire. The strong pursuit rate and average number of interviews per candidate reflect the high level of preparation and performance shown by our JMOs. Their ability to communicate clearly, think critically, and adapt quickly helped them stand out.
To explore these trends and hear real stories from the field, check out our latest Cameron-Brooks Podcast episode. We spoke with recent alumni Chris Sharp, AJ Sotillo and Justin Martinez, who shared their personal experiences from the conference and follow-up phase. Each of them took a unique path, but common themes of resilience, clarity, and learning stood out.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
- Key trends from the April 2025 Conference
- How candidates approached follow-up interviews
- How they evaluated companies and chose the right roles
- The hardest parts of the transition
- Actionable advice for JMOs preparing for their own career search
Congratulations to the April 2025 candidates and the client companies who partnered with us. Your hard work, commitment, and willingness to grow continue to inspire our team and community.
Brock Dudley
210.874.1495 || bdudley@cameron-brooks.com
Transitioning from the military to business brings immense opportunities and new challenges. While you bring valuable skills from your service, focusing on personal well-being and the importance of self-care is crucial for effective leadership in your next career.
In this podcast, I interview Sarah Draper about how learning to pause, meditate, and spending time in silence are tools for self-care. Dr. Adrian Popa, podcast guest from Episode 213, introduced me to Sarah through her 2024 TEDx talk.
Sarah is a former FBI agent, a graduate of West Point, and an Army veteran. Today, she operates her own leadership and consulting practice. Sarah emphasizes that truly serving others as a leader requires taking care of yourself first. She notes a past belief in service-oriented cultures that self-care is selfish, but this leads to a cumulative negative impact of burnout.
Burnout, characterized by exhaustion, lack of professional efficacy, and sometimes cynicism, is a real risk. When leaders neglect themselves, they can unintentionally push their stress onto their teams, hindering performance. Learning to recognize when something feels “off” internally is vital for adaptation and growth.
Sarah shares tangible tools to build resilience and focus on the importance of self-care. Mindfulness meditation, even just 10-15 minutes daily, trains your mind to manage distractions and improves focus. A gratitude practice, like noting three good things, helps counteract our brain’s negativity bias and fosters a more positive perspective. Intentional breath work offers quick techniques to manage stress and regulate your nervous system in challenging moments.
Developing these “human skills” and fostering trusted relationships is key to continuous self-development and crucial for leaders navigating transitions. Prioritizing your well-being isn’t selfish; it’s essential for you to be your best leader in the business world.
I am incredibly grateful to have met Sarah, and I appreciate her devoting her time and support to transitioning military officers and Cameron-Brooks.
To learn more, check out our podcast, Cameron-Brooks: PCS to Corporate America. You can also visit our website at cameron-brooks.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
If you’d like to talk through your goals and build a plan, I’d love to connect. Let’s take the next step together.
Joel
This episode is for JMOs who are ready to transition and don’t want to take a step back in their next business career. In it, we:
- Define who this is for: JMOs aiming to lead and take on greater responsibility in a Business Leadership Career.
- Explain the “Traditional Career Search”: Glassdoor, LinkedIn, Indeed, USAJOBS, etc.
- Define the “Non-Traditional Career Search.”
- Explore why JMOs often default to the traditional approach.
- Share key takeaways and closing thoughts.
JMOs are traditional candidates for defense-sector roles, but in the private sector, they are seen as non-traditional candidates.
That is why Transition Rule #3 is: Throw Out the Traditional Career Search if you are aiming for upward mobility in business leadership.
What is the “Traditional Career Search”?* Searching based on past experience: “I have this experience in this industry,” or “I have this degree.” This focuses on what you have done, not your potential for leadership growth. * Narrowing your options by what you know: Location or Career Field, or both. “I am a Logistics Officer, and my home of record is Dallas, TX, so I will pursue Logistics in Dallas.” * Applying through job boards and online platforms: Glassdoor, LinkedIn, Indeed, USAJOBS. * “Networking” that often feels vague or produces unclear outcomes.
Important: The traditional search can work well for JMOs staying in defense, where their functional experience directly matches role requirements. But if you are making a hard pivot into business leadership, you need a different approach.
The Reality of Online Applications in 2025* Job postings on LinkedIn attract 150 or more applicants. Popular roles see 300 or more. * Indeed and Glassdoor listings often draw 200 to 500 candidates for a single role. * Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) filter out 75% to 90% of résumés before they reach a human.
The result? A success rate of only 2% to 5% for landing an interview via online applications.
What is the “Non-Traditional Career Search”?A non-traditional search takes a different approach. It focuses on:
- Highlighting your leadership experience, potential, and ambition as your key value.
- Embracing a Growth and Investment Mindset.
- Expanding and comparing multiple opportunities. This does not mean applying to 200 companies but making quality attempts.
Consider this: Of the 168 million people in the U.S. workforce, only 1.3 million are active-duty service members. Of those, about 200,000 to 234,000 are officers. JMOs (typically O-1 to O-3, with some O-4s) make up about 100,000 to 140,000. That is less than 0.1% of the total U.S. workforce.
JMOs are a specialized leadership talent pool. Their skills are highly valuable but often overlooked by traditional hiring methods. The key is getting in front of companies that recognize your unique potential.
The Big QuestionIf you are a JMO pivoting to business, ask yourself:
Do you know anyone who has lined up 10 to 12 quality interviews over two days? Interviews with hiring managers and decision-makers that bypass online filters, for roles that match or exceed their current pay and responsibility, and align with their separation timeline?
This is what a targeted, quality-driven search looks like. A broad search gives you the power of comparison, helps you gather facts and real data, and puts you in a strong position when it is time to choose between offers.
Facing Transition ChallengesWe know transition is tough. It is full of uncertainty, and it is natural to lean toward a traditional search. Well-meaning advice from family and friends can sometimes miss the mark if they lack expertise.
There is also the temptation to choose what is familiar, like a job close to home or with a recognizable title. But those options might not deliver the long-term growth you deserve.
Key Takeaways: Build a Search That Works* Stay focused on your long-term goals: fit, opportunity, and leadership growth. * Prioritize getting in front of companies that view you as a high-potential leader, not just another résumé.
Remember: The thing you want most often lies on the other side of what you do not want to do. That expanded, non-traditional search is where your future is.
Let’s Take the Next Step TogetherIf you are ready to explore your options, clarify your goals, and build a personalized plan, let’s connect. We are here to help you move forward with confidence and a clear understanding of how Cameron-Brooks can assist in your transition.
Brock Dudley, Associate Principal
(210) 874-1495 | bdudley@cameron-brooks.com
Brock Dudley | LinkedIn
Develop an Investment Mindset: As a Junior Military Officer, your military experience has shaped how you think, lead, and solve problems. But when it comes to your next step, developing an investment mindset for a military transition can be just as important as your skill set.
That’s why Transition Rule #2 is: Develop an Investment Mindset.
At Cameron-Brooks, we’ve seen this mindset make all the difference. It’s about shifting your focus from the short-term to the long-term, from immediate comfort to future growth. In our recent episode, I sat down with Joel Junker and Tim Kirchner to dig into this idea and explain why it’s so valuable.
What Is an Investment Mindset?Joel explains that an investment mindset means viewing your career the same way you’d approach a financial investment. You wouldn’t expect instant results from your retirement savings. Instead, you plan, stay patient, and make steady progress toward long-term returns.
The same thinking applies to your career. You may need to pass on the “perfect” location or initial title if it means taking a role with greater development potential. It’s about trusting the process, being intentional, and playing the long game.
Why Delayed Gratification Pays OffDuring our conversation, Tim emphasized the importance of delayed gratification. It’s tempting to focus on what feels good right now, like a higher starting salary or a shorter commute. But these short-term wins don’t always lead to long-term success.
Instead, think about where you want to be in five or ten years. What roles and experiences will help you get there? An investment mindset encourages you to choose a path that stretches you and helps you grow.
Facing the Challenges of TransitionWe also discussed how the transition from the military to business can feel uncertain. The military offers structure, clarity, and control. Civilian careers often feel more open-ended.
That uncertainty can trigger a need for control. Some JMOs rush into decisions simply to regain a sense of stability. However, these emotional decisions can work against your long-term goals.
Joel pointed out that the key is preparation. When you understand your options, you can make confident, well-informed decisions. That lowers stress and leads to better outcomes.
How to Build an Investment MindsetTo help you develop this mindset, we’ve outlined a few practical steps:
- Create a long-term career plan with goals that guide your short-term decisions.
- Prioritize growth opportunities over short-term comforts like location or salary.
- Educate yourself by reading books like Mindset by Carol Dweck and The 5 Patterns of Extraordinary Careers.
- Work on your communication skills, including how you share your story and goals.
- Be open to multiple career paths, and evaluate each one objectively.
- Talk to mentors who can guide you through the process and offer honest advice.
Reframing the Transition as an AdventureAs we wrapped up, Tim encouraged JMOs to look at the transition as an adventure. This mindset adds a sense of curiosity and energy to the process. Instead of seeing the unknown as something to fear, view it as a chance to explore, grow, and discover your next chapter.
Joel added that growth takes time. With a strong plan and consistent effort, the results will come. Every challenge is a step forward when you’re building toward something greater.
Let’s Take the Next Step TogetherAre you ready to think long-term and approach your transition with confidence? Developing an investment mindset for your military transition is a great place to start.
To learn more, check out our podcast, Cameron-Brooks: PCS to Corporate America. You can also visit our website at cameron-brooks.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
If you’d like to talk through your goals and build a plan, I’d love to connect. Let’s take the next step together.
Brock Dudley
(210) 874-1495 | bdudley@cameron-brooks.com
Brock Dudley | LinkedIn
Why Is Transition Rule #1 – Don’t Do It Alone?When talking about the transition, why did we make Transition Rule #1 -Don’t Do It Alone? At Cameron-Brooks, we’ve spent nearly 50 years helping Junior Military Officers (JMOs) make this transition successfully. A lot has changed in 50 years, and there is one thing for certain: There is so much information out there. There are a lot of resources and people out there who want to help you.
We’ve developed 6 Rules for the JMO Military to Business Transition to help break through the vast amounts of information and organize it for you. These rules provide a framework and a structure to help you gather information, plan, prepare and help educate you on your options outside of the military.
In this episode, we’re joined by Tim Kirchner, who has spent 20+ years in the recruiting Industry. He’s a key team member and leader at Cameron-Brooks. What is unique about Tim is that he’s seen both sides. He’s been at Cameron-Brooks for the last six years and has helped thousands of JMO’s learn about their options and helped communicate how companies view and understand them. He’s spent the majority of his professional career communicating with Hiring Managers and helping them find, build, and retain talent.
Tim was the main driver behind organizing these rules. He’s a wonderful teammate and leader, and we value that he’s seen a lot, and he brings a fresh perspective and a “different frame” of viewing things.
In this episode, we dove into the crucial first step: finding the right guide. We discuss key insights, practical strategies, and the value of a guide in the transition to help you build a plan, develop a strategy, and start building the foundation for your transition.
We start with Transition Rule #1: Don’t Do It Alone. In other words, Find Your Guide.
Why Should You Find a Guide?It will highly increase your chances of being successful in the transition, based on how you define success.
When starting something new, the most important thing to do is gather information and get educated on that topic. So naturally, how do we do that? We find information and people who know things that we don’t. We learn from people who have gone before us and from people who have experience.
What to Look for when You Find a Guide?The first thing that’s important when you find a guide is choosing one that you trust. With trust comes open, candid communication, that goes both ways.
For the JMO, it’s about communicating what’s important to you and thinking about your objectives in the transition. For the guide, it’s about listening and being honest about the realistic nature of achieving those goals based upon the proposed strategy.
We discussed the importance of trust, which stems from the book Trust by Dr. Henry Cloud. The five components of trust:
- Does the guide understand what is important to you?
- Does the guide have the expertise?
- Does the guide have the Integrity and Character to do what they say they are going to do?
- Does the guide have transparency in their motive to help you?
- Does the guide have a clear track record?
Transformation over TransactionJoel left us with some closing thoughts. Our mission at Cameron-Brooks is about transformation, not transaction. We don’t just place JMOs in front of Hiring Managers and Decision Makers for open developmental positions. It goes further than that. We strive to be Counterculture to help JMOs grow, reflect, and step into the next phase of their careers with confidence. We strive to provide confidence in your choice to find a guide.
Ready to Take the Next Step?Are you ready to follow Transition Rule #1 – Don’t Do It Alone? Want to learn more? Check out our podcast, Cameron-Brooks: PCS to Corporate America, follow us on LinkedIn or check out our website.
If you want to chat and learn more about your options, let me know. Always happy to set up a no pressure conversation.
Brock Dudley
(210) 874-1495 | bdudley@cameron-brooks.com
Brock Dudley | LinkedIn
Our January 2025 Post Conference Review is live, and I always look forward to the weeks following a Career Conference and visiting with our recent alumni. It’s the culmination of an incredible amount of effort both from the candidates and our team. Seeing these talented JMOs, some having spent over two years in the Cameron-Brooks Development and Preparation Program, receive offers and make career decisions is nothing short of inspiring.
It’s not just about the job offers; it’s about the journey. The relationships built. The challenges overcome. The lessons learned. Watching LinkedIn light up with posts from our alumni celebrating their new careers, surrounded by the support of their community, is one of the best parts of my job.
To all the JMOs, client companies, and the entire Cameron-Brooks team—thank you for making another Career Conference a success! And most importantly, congratulations to the January 2025 Candidates and Companies!
The PanelIn this episode, I sat down with three recent Cameron-Brooks alumni who shared their firsthand experiences from the Career Conference and the critical “follow-up” process. They pulled back the curtain on what it was really like—insights, surprises, and everything in between. Meet the panel:
- Liam O’Hara, TransDigm Group, Inc. – Captain, Army Air Defense
- Frank Cebreros, Amcor – Captain, Army Armor
- Ty McAvoy, Civco Medical Solutions – LTJG, Surface Warfare Officer
The “follow-up process” refers to the structured steps that take place after their Career Conference, where candidates interview with multiple companies in person or on-site with the objective to go deeper and learn more, and then secure offers. Once offers are in hand, they have the ability to evaluate options, compare, and then make the best decision for them based on:
- Fit!
- Career Goals
- Career Opportunities
- Nature of work
- Team Chemistry
- Culture
- Salary
- Location
Topics of Discussion and Sample Questions AskedHere’s a sneak peek of what we discussed and questions that were asked:
- Career Conference Statistics – January 2025 data
- Sample Opportunities – What industries and roles were available
- Best Interview Prep Tips & Techniques – What works
- Salary Expectations – Did the opportunities align with expectations?
- Why Cameron-Brooks? – The value of our partnership
- Hiring Manager Conversations – What to expect
- The Impact of Study Groups – How they drove preparation and confidence
- The Power of Community – Why going through this with a network matters
- How to Ace Your Interview – Actionable insights for success
And much more!
Key ThemesSome of the key themes that emerged from our conversation were:
1.) The Power of Relationships – Your network is everything. Having a community that sharpens you, pushes you, and walks alongside you through this transition is invaluable. Study Groups, the Discord platform, follow-up trips—these relationships make all the difference.
2.) Applying the Reading Program – Books like Integrity Selling and Financial Intelligence weren’t just theory—they shaped how these candidates approached their interviews and careers. Learning, applying, and operationalizing these concepts set them apart.
3.) The Follow-Up Team’s Impact – There’s an entire engine behind the scenes—coordinating logistics, travel, and on-site interviews. Field rides, plant tours, site visits—these aren’t just meetings; they’re opportunities to connect, learn, and solidify decisions.Final ThoughtsThese Career Conference recap conversations are a goldmine for those preparing for their own transition. Whether you’re deep in the Development and Preparation Program or just starting to explore your options, learning from those who’ve walked this path before you is invaluable.
If you’re a JMO looking for answers, we’re here to help. Cameron-Brooks has spent over five decades guiding military officers through one of the biggest transitions of their careers. I’d love to meet with you one-on-one to help define your marketability and explore your options along with answering any questions you have from our January 2025 Post Conference Review!
Let’s start the conversation. You can learn more at our website, on YouTube, or on LinkedIn.
Best of success,
Brock Dudley | bdudley@cameron-brooks.com | (210) 874-1495
Leaving the structured world of the military for the uncertainty of civilian life can be a daunting task. In this episode of the PCS to Corporate America Podcast, I speak with Mike Sweeney, a former Army junior military officer (JMO) who successfully navigated this transition over 20 years ago. Mike shares his insights and experiences on how defining goals, embracing preparation, and learning lead to career success. He offers invaluable advice to those currently preparing for their own transition.
The Importance of Preparation
Mike emphasizes the importance of preparation, particularly when it comes to interviewing. Drawing parallels to the meticulous practice routine of comedian Jerry Seinfeld, Mike stresses the need for JMOs to practice and rehearse their interview responses and specifically highlights the need to master the answer to “Tell me about yourself.” This preparation helps build confidence and allows one to be authentic in the interview.
Defining Your “Good Employment Offer”
Beyond acing interviews, Mike encourages JMOs to define what constitutes a “good offer“ for them. Rather than solely focusing on salary, he suggests considering factors like company culture, values, learning opportunities, team dynamics, and work-life balance. This personalized approach helps ensure alignment between individual aspirations and the chosen career path. Today, as a Leadership Coach, Mike encourages his clients to think about their career opportunities similarly.
Embracing Lifelong Learning
A key theme throughout the conversation with Mike is the importance of continuous learning and development. Mike is an avid reader and champions reading as a way to gain new perspectives, develop leadership skills, and cultivate a reflective mindset. He also says that, unlike when he and I transitioned 20+ years ago, to use other mediums like podcasts and videos for learning and self-development. The key is to be intentional and directed in consuming information that fosters growth.
Mike’s career is an excellent example of a successful transition from military to civilian life. His emphasis on preparation, thoughtful decision-making, and continuous learning provides valuable guidance for current JMOs navigating this significant life change. By engaging with resources like those offered by Cameron-Brooks and embracing a mindset of continuous growth, individuals can confidently embark on their post-military careers.
Thank you for listening, and I hope you enjoy the podcast!
To stay connected, we encourage you to check out our website and YouTube Channel and follow us on LinkedIn.
If you want to learn more about your transition options, please get in touch with us.
You can also check out our Transition Guide on “3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business” for additional transition tips.
To stay connected, I recommend subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following us on LinkedIn.
Joel
Learn how Fran Lawler went from JMO to C-Suite. This former officer is an incredibly successful leader. She is a 1995 West Point Graduate, served six successful years in the Army as a Medical Service Corps Officer, and transitioned to a business career in 2001 through Cameron-Brooks. She earned her MBA at Harvard and has held high-level human resources roles, including several Chief Human Resources Officer positions. She recently founded her own leadership consulting and coaching company, Harvest Cove Talent Partners.
Fran is also the first officer I recruited to participate in the Cameron-Brooks program. I met her in Leesville, LA, just outside Fort Polk, LA (now Fort Johnson) in May 2000. She agreed to be a podcast guest to share her experience and leadership lessons. She shares her incredible story, filled with lessons on resilience, adaptability, and the pursuit of personal growth. Fran’s insights shed light on what it takes to lead with authenticity and impact.
Identify Personal PurposeA pivotal moment in Fran’s career was crafting her personal purpose statement. This exercise helped her align her career aspirations with her deeper values, transforming her approach to leadership and teamwork. As Fran shares, finding purpose was a professional milestone and a personal breakthrough that shaped her trajectory.
The Power of Coaching and Leadership DevelopmentFran’s passion for coaching stems from her own transformative experiences. She highlights the importance of asking probing questions, fostering self-reflection, and empowering clients to discover their own solutions. As Fran emphasizes, the role of a coach is to guide, not to dictate, creating a safe space for others to explore and grow.
In our discussion, Fran reflects on how coaching has enhanced her professional relationships and deepened her connection with friends and family. This underscores the broader impact of coaching—its ability to enrich lives beyond the workplace.
Harvest Cove Talent Partners: A Vision for Growth and CommunityFran recently took a bold step by launching her firm, Harvest Cove Talent Partners. Inspired by her commitment to growth and human connection, Harvest Cove aims to support leaders and teams in achieving their full potential. The firm’s name reflects Fran’s mission to create a “harvest” of blessings and opportunities, cultivating a space where vulnerability and authenticity thrive.
Leadership Rooted in PurposeFran Lawler’s journey from JMO to C-suite is a testament to the power of adaptability, purpose, and continuous growth. Her story reminds us that true leadership goes beyond achieving goals—it’s about fostering connection, empowering others, and staying grounded in one’s values.
Through her coaching work and the creation of Harvest Cove, Fran exemplifies how leaders can inspire transformation while staying true to their purpose. Fran’s story is an inspiration for anyone navigating transitions or seeking greater meaning in their work.
Learn more about Fran’s journey and her insights on leadership and coaching by tuning into the full podcast episode.
Thank you for listening, and I hope you enjoy the podcast!
To stay connected, we encourage you to check out our website and YouTube Channel and follow us on LinkedIn.
If you want to learn more about your transition options, please get in touch with us.
You can also check out our Transition Guide on “3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business” for additional transition tips.
To stay connected, I recommend subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following us on LinkedIn.
Joel
Welcome back to another Post-Conference Recap. For the November 2024 Career Conference, we had three of our most recent alumni on a webcast to share their experiences about the Cameron-Brooks process and where they chose to launch their careers.
Aine Armstrong – LT, Navy Supply Officer
Maria Blom – CPT, Army Engineer Officer
Haadi Elsaawy – LT, Navy Surface Warfare Officer
They each offered great advice and perspective to other military officers who are preparing to transition. In this conversation, we cover many topics around some of the following questions:
- November 2024 Conference Statistics
- Economy Update
- Developmental opportunities at the November 2025 Career Conference
- Interview preparation tips and techniques
- Did the opportunities at the Career Conference meet your salary expectations?
- Why did you choose a partnership with Cameron-Brooks?
- What were the conversations like with these Hiring Managers?
- Study Groups
- Tips to Ace the Interview!
- And much more!
I think these Career Conference Recap webcasts are so valuable because they give those who have not been to a Career Conference a “behind-the-scenes” view of what it’s like. The transition can be hazy. It can be foggy, and in a sea of choices, it’s sometimes hard to know the right path to navigate in order to reach your end goal. This is what I like to call “Navigating between the buoys”. For those nautical folks out there, this is navigating in restricted waters!
These Career Conference recap conversations help those planning to attend a future Conference have the confidence to continue preparing for transition success, and for those not in the Development and Preparation Program, hopefully their advice and experience serves you well as you prepare for your interviews!
If you are a JMO and looking for answers, we are here to help. Cameron-Brooks has over 5 decades of experience guiding military officers as they transverse the challenges of transition from the military to the business world. I am glad to meet with you one-on-one to help better define your marketability and explore options. You can also find more information about Cameron-Brooks on our website, YouTube and LinkedIn.
It all starts with a conversation.
Best of success,
Brock Dudley | bdudley@cameron-brooks.com | (210) 874-1495
Welcome to another episode of the PCS to Corporate America Podcast. This is a special episode for me. I recently completed my MA in Organizational Leadership at Gonzaga University. I significantly changed as a leader and person as a result of this program.
The Leadership and Hardiness class co-taught by Dr. Adrian Popa and Kelsey Solberg, which I took this past summer, particularly impacted me. Dr. Popa and Kelsey graciously allowed me to interview them for this podcast.
In a world of constant change and challenges, resilience, and hardiness are critical qualities for leaders navigating transitions. Dr. Popa, Kelsey, and I dive deep into these themes.
This episode is packed with insights for those transitioning from military service to civilian careers or simply seeking greater purpose in their work. Below are key highlights from this enlightening conversation.
Exploring the Foundations of Resilience
Dr. Popa opens the podcast with a personal reflection on his childhood in Eastern Europe under a communist government. He shares how witnessing resilience in his family and community shaped his understanding of hardiness. Dr. Popa explains that hardiness is more than mere toughness; it involves the ability to adapt, grow, and find meaning despite life’s challenges.
Kelsey adds her perspective on resilience, which was shaped by her journey from student to leadership educator. Through her work at Gonzaga University and co-teaching the Leadership and Hardiness course, Kelsey emphasizes curiosity and connection as pathways to resilience. She discusses the transformative power of engaging with the world and fostering growth, even in the face of obstacles.
Finding Meaning in Transitions
One of the podcast’s most poignant moments came when I posed a common question faced by transitioning military leaders: “How do I find meaning in a career after leaving the service?” Dr. Popa and Kelsey reference Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning in their responses.
Dr. Popa explains that meaning is not found but created, often in the context of challenges. He emphasizes the importance of embracing agency and choice, even in moments of uncertainty. Kelsey adds that individuals coming from the military may already possess a unique ability to transcend themselves for a greater cause—an invaluable asset in any new role.
Practical Tools for Resilience and Growth
Together, we address the framework commitment, control, and challenge as a way to build hardiness. We encourage listeners to identify what they’re committed to, recognize their capacity to influence outcomes and view challenges as opportunities for growth. Dr. Popa reinforces this by sharing how these principles are operationalized during the mountain leadership immersions.
To learn more about commitment, control, and challenge, I encourage you to read Hardiness: Making Stress Work for You to Achieve Your Life Goals by Steven Stein and Paul Bartone.
Conclusion: Thriving Beyond the Uniform
This episode offers a roadmap for finding purpose and cultivating resilience in any stage of life. Dr. Popa and Kelsey remind us that the search for meaning is dynamic, evolving with each phase of our journey. Whether you’re transitioning careers, climbing mountains, or simply navigating life’s complexities, their insights provide guidance and inspiration.
Tune in to the full episode to explore how resilience and hardiness can help you thrive, no matter the challenge ahead.
Thank you for listening, and I hope you enjoy the podcast!
To stay connected, we encourage you to check out our website and YouTube Channel and follow us on LinkedIn.
If you want to learn more about your transition options, please get in touch with us.
You can also check out our Transition Guide on “3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business” for additional transition tips.
To stay connected, I recommend subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following us on LinkedIn.
Joel
Happy Holidays from the Cameron-Brooks Team!
In this podcast, Cameron-Brooks team members from our company’s candidate and client sides share lessons from 2024 and what we look forward to in 2025. As usual, you will hear from Transition Coaches Brock Dudley and me (Joel Junker), as well as two new voices from our client side, Lauren Kordzik and Megan Miller. We will feature them more in our 2025 podcasts.
Below are some highlights from the podcast.
Learning and Preparation Extends Beyond the TransitionOne of the key takeaways from the discussion is the importance of preparation—not just for the interviews but for the entire journey. We emphasize that understanding the business landscape is just as crucial as understanding your strengths and interests. Your path might have been clearly defined in the military, but in business, you need to proactively shape your career. This shift requires continuous learning and growth, and we provide practical tips to help you to do so.
These tips include:
- Be curious and ask questions.
- Have an attitude of humility to be open to feedback
- Read books, attend courses and workshops, and listen to podcasts from various sources. You will hear how we apply lessons learned from parenting, biographies not related to business, and more.
Stay True to YourselfWe brought our authentic selves and experiences to the conversation during our dialogue. We also share how it is important to be true to yourself. While adapting to the business world is important, you don’t need to change who you are at your core. The discipline, integrity, and work ethic you’ve developed in the military are assets that will set you apart and help you thrive in your new role.
InspirationOur goal with the podcast was to inspire and empower you to take control of your career and prepare for the transition. We want to assure you that while the transition to a business career may seem daunting, it is absolutely achievable with the right mindset, preparation, and support. Their insights serve as a reminder that the skills and values you bring from your military service are relevant and provide a strong foundation for a successful business career.
Thank you for listening to our , and I hope you enjoy the podcast!
To stay connected, we encourage you to check out our website and YouTube Channel and follow us on LinkedIn.
If you want to learn more about your transition options, please get in touch with us.
You can also check out our Transition Guide on “3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business” for additional transition tips.
To stay connected, I recommend subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following us on LinkedIn.
Joel
In July of this year, I climbed Mount Adams in southern Washington, just across the Columbia River from Hood River, OR. I did this climb as a part of my Leadership and Hardiness class at Gonzaga University for a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership. I complete my degree four days after this podcast publishes!
I learned much from my classmates, Team Denali, whom I prepared and climbed with, and my instructors. While climbing posed a significant physical challenge, I discovered the most profound life and leadership lessons during this climb. My colleague Brock Dudley interviewed me to draw out those lessons and share them in this podcast.
We cover the following lessons:
Beyond Goal Setting: The Value of Presence
We often get caught up in pursuing goals, striving to reach the next milestone or achievement. I struggle with this tendency, prioritizing tasks and objectives over personal connections. However, my experience at Mount Adams and my studies in Organizational Leadership at Gonzaga University revealed a critical shift in my leadership approach.
I learned the importance of being present in the moment and with the people before me rather than constantly looking toward the next goal. I learned to listen to others, find ways to transcend myself, and serve others, and results will take care of themselves as a byproduct of doing the right things. I learned that when we slow down, truly engage with others, and appreciate the journey, we find meaning and purpose.
The Mountain as Metaphor: Resilience, Hardiness, and Support
My experience climbing Mount Adams provided a powerful metaphor for life’s challenges. Just as navigating difficult terrain requires strength and perseverance, we also need resilience and hardiness to overcome obstacles and setbacks in our personal and professional lives.
Resilience is the ability to bounce back from setbacks, and hardiness is the capacity to handle the stress those setbacks create. The hardier we are, the more resilient we become. I reference the book Hardiness: Making Stress Work for You to Achieve Your Life Goals by Steven Stein and Paul Bartone to learn more about the three characteristics of hardiness: challenge, commitment, and control.
Thinking about these attitudes in the context of climbing a mountain is helpful. There’s the challenge of the climb itself, the commitment required to prepare, serve the other team members, and attempt the climb, and the need to maintain some sense of control over the situation despite unpredictable circumstances. These same principles apply to navigating the challenges of life.
The Crucial Role of Relationships in Building Resilience
While individual strength is important, I learned we don’t achieve anything worthwhile alone. Relationships are critical to building hardiness and resilience. Giving and receiving love and support from others creates a solid foundation for thriving, especially when facing adversity.
During the climb, I observed several examples of his fellow climbers/classmates serving one another: carrying each other’s packs, sharing gear, tending to injuries, and simply offering a listening ear and a warm meal at the end of a long day. These acts of kindness demonstrate that love isn’t always about “butterflies and roses” but about speaking the truth, offering support, and showing care even when difficult.
The Joy of Connection and Continuous Growth
One of my most poignant experiences on the climb involved connecting with a fellow climber/student, Kamryn. While taking a break during our ascent, we shared a conversation that transcended our age difference and formed a bond that encouraged us through the rest of the climb.
This experience taught me that the journey is more important than the destination. Summiting Mount Adams wasn’t the highlight of the experience. The most significant were the shared struggles, moments of connection, and acts of love and support along the way.
Thank you for listening, and I hope you enjoy the podcast!
To stay connected, we encourage you to check out our website and YouTube Channel and follow us on LinkedIn.
If you want to learn more about your transition options, please get in touch with us.
You can also check out our Transition Guide on “3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business” for additional transition tips.
To stay connected, we’d recommend subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following us on LinkedIn.
As we reflect on what makes Cameron-Brooks not just a company, but a community, one word comes to mind: gratitude. Every day, we are reminded of the extraordinary individuals who make our mission possible, and today, we pause to acknowledge the contributions that drive our success.We’re grateful for the dedication of our team. At Cameron-Brooks, every role is crucial, and the commitment our team members bring to empowering leaders is nothing short of inspiring. From preparing candidates for their transition to connecting companies with top-tier talent, your efforts make an immeasurable impact.
We’re grateful for the trust and partnership of our candidates. Transitioning from the military to the corporate world is a significant journey, and we’re honored to guide each individual through this process. Your courage, ambition, and openness to growth are what make our work so meaningful.
We’re grateful for the companies with whom we partner. Your confidence in our ability to provide exceptional talent and your dedication to fostering leadership in your organizations exemplify the values we hold dear.
We’re grateful for the legacy we share. At Cameron-Brooks, we are not just helping leaders take their next step; we’re shaping futures and building a stronger business community. The shared vision, teamwork, and belief in excellence across our organization fuel everything we do.
To everyone who is part of the Cameron-Brooks journey—our team, candidates, and corporate partners—thank you. Your trust, collaboration, and dedication inspire us every day. Gratitude isn’t just a sentiment; it’s the driving force behind our mission to bridge leadership potential with opportunity, building a brighter future for all. Together, we’re making an extraordinary impact, and for that, we are profoundly grateful.
Happy Thanksgiving,
The Cameron-Brooks Team
What does a post-military career in Operations look like? In today’s fast-paced and competitive business landscape, companies must find ways to optimize their operations, minimize costs, and meet customer expectations more effectively. The competitive advantage for any company is getting the right product, to the right customer, for the right price, at the right time by using the most cost-effective means. In this episode, we’re fortunate to enough to bring back four former JMO’s and Cameron-Brooks Alumni who are leading in the Operations and Supply Chain Management Career Fields to discuss their experiences, common misconceptions, and concepts like the integrated supply chain and why it is essential for sustainable growth and gaining the competitive advantage.
What is Operations and Supply Chain Management?The Operations Career Field encompasses all activities in Supply Chain Management and involves leading teams of people in: Inventory Management, Warehousing, Distribution Management, Logistics, Transportation, Procurement, and customer service.
Supply Chain Management is the management of the flow of goods and services and includes all processes that transform raw materials into final products. It involves the active streamlining of a business’s supply-side activities to maximize customer value and earn the edge in the marketplace. Companies are always looking to become more efficient and economical by analyzing data, conducting trend analysis, finding ways to improving and extend their asset’s (i.e. their fleets of vehicles: maintenance, etc.).
The Integrated Supply Chain?An integrated supply chain is the cohesive network that links all components of the supply chain—from raw material suppliers and manufacturers to warehouses, distributors, and retailers—into a single, streamlined system. Whether a company’s supply chain is vertically integrated, or horizontally integrated, the goal remains the same: create a more unified, agile, and efficient supply chain that can respond swiftly to market demands and disruptions.
You’ll hear four Cameron-Brooks alumni talk about their post-military careers in Operations, some common misconceptions, and what a day in the life is like. You will meet:
Danny Baker, Army Captain, launched his career with Catalent Biopharmaceutical.
Staci Lynch, Army Major, launch her career with Love’s Travel Stops.
Beau Hughes, Army Captain, launched his career with HF Sinclair Corporation.
Bobby Burns, Army Captain, launched his career with Excelitas Technologies Corporation.
Strong leadership is essential for companies managing operations and integrated supply chains due to the complex, dynamic nature of these systems. These four individuals and many other Cameron-Brooks alumni are thriving in this career field. Their ability to drive the strategic vision, make decisions, collaborate and communicate effectively, motivate and empower teams, navigate uncertainty and manage risks, all while maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction has allowed them to establish a solid resume block(s) and be successful in their first couple years in Business.
Companies are always evaluating their leadership depth and who is at the helm of their operations as they know they are better equipped to enhance efficiency, foster resilience, and achieve long-term success in competitive markets.
Of course, if you want to know more about how Cameron-Brooks can help you reach your personal and professional goals, or if a post-military career in Operations might be the right fit for you, give me a call or email me directly below. If you want to learn more on your own time, you can visit our website, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
Best of success,
Brock Dudley || bdudley@cameron-brooks.com || (210) 874-1495
Roughly half of the military officers who attend a Cameron-Brooks Career Conference are married when they are PCS’ing to Corporate America. Though we do not measure it, my guess is another 25% of the unmarried officers are in a serious relationship where their significant other plays a major role in the transition. Making the move is a team effort and a big deal. We know that firsthand because every former military officer who works at Cameron-Brook was married when we made the move from the military to the business world. That is why Cameron-Brooks puts a significant premium on inviting spouses and significant others to participate in the process and create pathways to ensure that can happen.
In this episode, you will meet Richard and Shelby Snyder. Richard is a former Army Field Artillery officer. He graduated from West Point in 2014 and spent 10 years in the Army. He recently attended the June 2024 Cameron-Brooks Career Conference and launched his career at Corning, Inc. I really enjoyed working with Richard as he prepared for his transition. One of the things I remember most about working with Richard was Shelby was always by his side. As a matter of fact, the first time I met Richard, I also met Shelby. She participated in our program alongside Richard and was there throughout the entire process.
This episode is fun because you’ll hear how Richard and Shelby worked through their decision-making process in order to ultimately choose a leadership role at Corning in Saginaw, Michigan. A few highlights that you’ll hear from the conversation are:
Prepare as a Team
Richard and Shelby worked together in the interview preparation process. From reading business books together to working through interview practice, Richard said that Shelby’s participation in the process was a key to his success. As a point of note, at the Career Conference, each of the 12 companies that Richard interviewed with expressed interest in pursing him. Needless to say, Richard was very prepared to interview, and Shelby played a big part in that.
Attend the Career Conference Together
The Cameron-Brooks Career Conference is an action-packed 4-day event. During the first two days of the Conference, officers are preparing to interview. They attending a 30-minute briefing for each of the specific companies for which they will interview, they are studying company literature and they are building a game plan for each interview. It is a busy two days, and some have likened it to drinking from a firehose. Having your spouse with you to take in, process and discuss the information that is coming at you can be a real win for your overall preparation.
Location Preference
There are so many unique aspects to the location discussion; the bottom line is location is really important to most military officers with whom we partner. We know it. We get it. We sweat it. As a matter of fact, during the matching process when Conference interview schedules are built, location is one of the preeminent factors we consider during the process. The advantage of having your spouse or significant other as part of the process is they get a say. Their voice is heard, and they get to be a part of the conversation. If you want to read more on this topic, we’ve generated a ton of content over the years. You can find some of our most recent podcasts and blog posts here, here, and here.
I am grateful that Richard and Shelby carved out time to meet with me and share their story. If you want to know more about Cameron-Brooks, you can find more information on LinkedIn and YouTube.
If you (and your spouse) want to meet over the phone to discuss your options, please let me know. I am glad to set up some time for us to meet.
Best,
Pete Van Epps || pete@cameron-brooks.com || (210) 874-1519
Welcome back to another Post-Conference Review. For the August 2024 Career Conference, we had three of our most recent alumni on a webcast to share their experiences about the Cameron-Brook process and where they chose to launch their careers.
Marina Muenster – LT, Navy Nuclear Surface Warfare Officer
Ryan De Franco – LT, Naval Aviator
David Lara – CPT, Army Air Defense Artillery
I started the webcast by asking one question, then went for the questions that the attendees on the webcast asked of the panelists. My question to the group was, “What was your biggest surprise from the Career Conference?” They each offered great advice and perspective to other military officers who are preparing to transition.
Prepare
Ryan said he put so much time into preparing to interview that when the time came, he spent less time thinking about the tactical nature of answering interview questions and more time listening, reflecting and delivering specific answers. This allowed him to focus his answer on the unique aspects of the role and, therefore, better connect his military experience directly to the role.
Be Curious
Marina was surprised by how much time was afforded to her to ask questions in the interview. It is natural to think an interview is all about someone asking you questions and you responding. Often, JMOs don’t realize that an essential part of the interview is asking questions to demonstrate your interest in the company and position. Our panelists give some great advice on how to navigate that part of the interview effectively.
The Interview is Often Conversational
David said the interview “is not a gotcha game.” Instead, the interview is a conversation. Hiring managers and decision-makers want to get to know you. They have an open position that brings value to their company, and they want to find the right person to fill that role. As David said, “They are not trying to trick you.”
After those questions, the officers who attended the webcast submitted the following questions:
- What was the single best thing you did to prepare for interviews?
- How open were you on location? Did you accept a job that matched your preference?
- Did the opportunities at the Career Conference meet your salary expectations?
- Did you involve your spouse or significant other in your process?
- Why did you choose a partnership with Cameron-Brooks?
- What were the hiring managers and decision-makers most interested in hearing about?
- What were the follow-up interviews (after the Career Conference) like?
- How did you get your study group going, and what was the rhythm and best practices?
- How did you use the DoD Skillbridge to best prepare?
- Were there any interviews where you felt it didn’t go well, but you were pursued after the interview?
- And more!
I think these webcasts are so valuable because they give those who have not been to a Career Conference a “behind-the-scenes” view of what it’s like. In a sea of choices, it’s sometimes hard to know the right path to navigate in order to reach your end goal. These conversations help those planning to attend a future Conference have the confidence to continue preparing for transition success.
If you are a JMO and looking for answers, we are here to help. Cameron-Brooks has over 5 decades of experience guiding military officers as they transverse the challenges of transition from the military to the business world. I am glad to meet with you one-on-one to help better define your marketability and explore options. You can also find more information about Cameron-Brooks on our website, YouTube and LinkedIn.
It all starts with a conversation.
Best of success,
Pete Van Epps || pete@cameron-brooks.com || (210) 874-1519
Joel and I teamed up to talk about one of our favorite topics: Leadership! As some may know, Joel is currently a graduate student in the Gonzaga Master of Organizational Leadership program. He’s taken a couple of classes in heartiness and resiliency and read the book Leading at the Edge by Dennis Perkins, so I gave it a read!
In this episode, we discuss a couple of key leadership strategies that Shackleton exemplified, and Perkins identifies in his book through extensive research and a life dedicated to learning about leadership.
Dennis Perkins has spent a major part of his life trying to understand what it really means to be a leader – particularly under conditions of adversity, ambiguity, and change. His passion to understand the art of leadership began at the United States Naval Academy. He went on to commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps and serve as a Company Commander in Vietnam. His leadership “post-graduate” education continued well past the USMC. Perkins went onto attend Harvard Business School, then later obtain his doctorate in Psychology from the University of Michigan. Perkins proceeded to join the Yale School of Management as a faculty member and is now the CEO of The Syncretics Group, a consulting firm dedicated to effective leadership in demanding environments.
Joel and I picked a couple of strategies that resonated with us and how we felt they applied to the JMO leading in the military, and to leaders in business. Joel also recently climbed a Mountain in his Masters. While not in the Antarctic for 800 days, it was quite an experience. While a six-to-nine-month deployment may not equate to being stranded in the Antarctic for 800 days, it takes strong leaders to help their crew, their units, their organizations through challenging times.
Quick summary of the book below.
Leading at the EdgeLeading at the Edge: Leadership Lessons from the Extraordinary Saga of Shackleton’s Antarctic Expedition by Dennis Perkins uses the story of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s 1914 expedition as a framework for exploring leadership in extreme circumstances. Perkins draws leadership principles from Shackleton’s incredible ability to lead his crew through crisis and adversity. This book demonstrates how leadership lessons from the edge of survival can be applied to organizations confronting contemporary challenges such as competition; economic uncertainty; and the need for constant innovation, growth, and change.
Beset and trapped in solid ice packs, the crew was engaged in a fight for survival. The “Endurance” (Shackleton’s Ship) eventually was crushed by ice and sank. Through remarkable leadership, Shackleton managed to keep his men alive and motivated. He led a harrowing open-boat journey over 800 miles of treacherous seas to seek rescue, eventually saving all his men without a single loss of life. Lansing’s narrative highlights the courage, resilience, and teamwork that enabled them to survive this epic ordeal.
Perkins’s ten key leadership strategies that Shackleton exemplified are laid out below:
Ten Strategies1. Never lose sight of the ultimate goal and focus energy on short-term objectives.
2. Set a personal example with visible, memorable symbols and behaviors.
3. Instill optimism and self-confidence but stay grounded in reality.
4. Take care of yourself: Maintain your stamina and let go of guilt.
5. Reinforce the team message constantly: “We are one – we live or die together”.
6. Minimize status differences and insist on courtesy and mutual respect.
7. Master conflict – deal with anger in small doses, engage dissidents, and avoid needless power struggles.
8. Find something to celebrate and something to laugh about.
9. Be willing to take the Big Risk.
10. Never give up – there’s always another move.
Hope you enjoy the episode!
Brock Dudley || (210) 874-1495 || bdudley@cameron-brooks.com
YouTube Channel
When Cameron-Brooks partners with a military officer, we really do view our relationship as a partner. I know when many officers find Cameron-Brooks, whether through an internet search, on social media or just through word of mouth, they often approach us with an immediate and short-term need. Namely, they are getting out of the military and want to find meaningful work that will allow them to use their leadership to make contributions to their new organization and will allow them to continue to grow and develop professionally.
While certainly, that represents one of the ways we help military officers launch meaningful careers, that is not the only way we partner with military officers. Before they begin interviewing, we guide officers through a curriculum-based Development and Preparation Program (DPP)© Additionally, after an officer accepts a position and launches their career, we commit to walking alongside them throughout their career.
In this episode, Cameron-Brooks Principal Lauren Kordzik shares some best practices regarding walking alongside officers as they launch their careers and how to accelerate your career in the first year
You may remember Lauren from Episode 147. Lauren spends much of her time at Cameron-Brooks working with our client companies, so in that episode, she shared her experience with why companies hire military officers for high-potential leadership roles. Another important function that she does at Cameron-Brooks is she conducts “first-year check-ins” with officers who have launched their new business careers. In our conversation, Lauren explains the “upsides” and “watch-outs” of some of the most common themes that tend to surface during these conversations.
The three themes we discuss that will help accelerate your career in the first year:
- Appreciate your ability to make a choice as to where you will work next and be mindful of the trade-offs with the choice.
- Be patient and be proactive. Know that you will likely encounter a learning curve, but also have the courage and conviction to make important decisions early and often.
- Expect uncertainly. When you make the move to your new role, there will be an excitement that is undeniably exhilarating. After the “newness” wears off, uncertainty and doubt tend to creep in. Many say just know and appreciating this will help get them through those initial times of uncertainty.
In this episode, we also mention some great books that you will help explore some of the ideas discussed as you either continue to prepare to make the transition to the business world and as you already on your journey.
The Dip by Seth Godin
The 6 Types of Working Genius by Patrick Lincioni
Of course, if you are interested to see if Cameron-Brooks can help you reach your personal and professional goals, give me a call or shoot me an email. I’m glad to set up a quick meeting to explore the possibility of partnering with and being a guide of you on your journey. You call also learn more about Cameron-Brooks on our website, YouTube channel and LinkedIn.
Until next time, make it a great day!
Pete Van Epps || pete@cameron-brooks.com || (210) 874-1519
When a military officer leaves the military in search of a high-potential leadership career in corporate America, there are many ways they can use their leadership experience to launch their business career.
One area where officers have launched their careers and accelerated is in the career field of business analysis. This is the career field where you will provide program, process, or project leadership and support for either an internal or external customer. This type of work focuses on building and maintaining key relationships with customers by developing an in-depth knowledge of their business needs to improve or optimize results. This can be done in a wide array of functional areas and industries, such as finance, marketing, data analytics, program/project management, consulting, and many more. As a matter of fact, functionally speaking, business analysis is the broadest of the career fields we represent. Many different types of roles and functions fit into this bucket. Essentially, if the primary function of the role isn’t team leadership, engineering management, or professional sales, it will fall into the business analysis category. That is not to imply the category is a “catch all” – it is to say that a post-military career in business analysis is a broad field. A common misconception about business analysis is the opposite. Often, at first glance, people assume the career field is mostly sitting behind a desk and crunching numbers all day, never interacting with others or leading. On the contrary, a post-military career in business analysis consists of leading important projects, programs, and/or processes, both inside and outside of the organization, that help the business move forward.
In this episode, Joel Junker interviews three Cameron-Brooks alumni from three different industries to hear more about their experience and careers within the business analysis career field. You will learn more about the common misconceptions associated with the career field, key attributes and interview connecting points, as well as what a day in the life may look like from each of our panelists’ perspective.
This episode is the fourth installment in our career field series. You can learn more about engineering management, professional sales, and manufacturing by clicking the links.
If you are new to Cameron-Brooks, you find more information about who we are, what we do, and how we can help on our website. You can also hear officer testimonials, interview tips, and other transition preparation guidance on our YouTube channel.
When I interview junior military officers (JMOs) to determine their fit with the Cameron-Brooks program, I ask them to describe their leadership style. They often label their style as “I am a servant leader.” When I help the officers in our program prepare answers to the question, “What is your leadership style, or similarly, how do you build a team?” I hear much of the same, such as, “I use a servant leadership style approach.” When I hear JMOs describe what they mean, I wonder if they genuinely understand servant leadership.
To help gain clarification, I interviewed Dr. Michael Carey, a professor at Gonzaga University School of Leadership Studies who was the first director of the Organizational Leadership program in 1987 to be a guest on the show. Dr. Carey is the coordinator for the Master in Servant Leadership program and teaches several classes. Gonzaga University is recognized as one of the leading institutions in Servant Leadership.
I am currently a graduate student in the Gonzaga Master’s of Organizational Leadership and have taken two classes in the Servant Leadership concentration, one of them with Dr. Carey and another with Larry Spears, the founder of the Spears Center for Servant-Leadership and former longtime President and CEO (1990-2007) of The Robert K. Greenleaf Center for Servant-Leadership.
My conversation with Dr. Carey aims to easily define and explain Servant Leadership and how we can all be Servant Leaders at work, at home, and in other organizations. In addition to Servant Leadership, we also cover Transformational Leadership, which is related.
The conversation is not academic at all and is highly applicable to military officers still serving, those preparing for the transition, and the Cameron-Brooks Alumni listeners as well. Listen and learn more about servant leadership and the JMO.
To learn more about Servant Leadership, Dr. Carey recommended the topics listed below.
Robert Greenleaf is considered the founder of the Servant Leadership concept. He wrote the essay “The Servant as Leader” in 1970. The institute he started on Servant Leadership is now based at Seton Hall University. You can find numerous resources and articles on Servant Leadership at the Robert K. Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership at https://www.greenleaf.org/.
He also referenced the Spears Center for Servant-Leadership, which I had described previously.
Both of these websites have blogs and book recommendations.
Here is my favorite Robert Greenleaf quote that I try to follow each day, “The servant-leader is servant first, it begins with a natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first, as opposed to, wanting power, influence, fame, or wealth.”
Thank you for listening to the Cameron-Brooks podcast! As you consider your potential transition from the military to the business world, if you’d like to discuss your marketability or how Cameron-Brooks can guide you to launch your career, please contact us directly. Schedule a call here.
Cameron-Brooks has a 50-year track record of guiding military officers to create a step-by-step plan to learn about their options, connect their military experiences directly to opportunities in corporate America, craft a resume that will stand out to hiring managers, and ultimately launch a successful business career.
Let’s talk about a post-military career in professional sales. Business-to-business (B2B) sales is one of the most important functions in the business world. It is where a company that makes a product or service interfaces directly with a customer. As the name suggests, B2B sales is all about selling products and services to other businesses in order to help them meet their professional goals in the market. From a JMO perspective, Sales is also one of the most misunderstood career field categories. When I initially talk to military officers about Sales, I often hear objections such as they do not want to go into a role that is 100% commission, high pressure, and high travel. Additionally, they think sales is a zero-sum game where you have to “do” something to someone in order to win.
Business-to-business sales are different. With B2B Sales, your objective is to create a trusting relationship with a customer, demonstrate your credibility in solving their problem or creating value, and deliver a product or solution that helps your customer be more effective in their marketplace.
In this episode, you will hear three Cameron-Brooks alumni talk about their post-military career in Professional Sales, their experience as sales professionals, as well as dispel some common myths about the sales profession. You will meet:
Bridget Walton, USMC Command and Control 1LT, launched her career at Motorola Solutions.
Blake Boyd, Army Armor CPT, launched his career at Abbott.
Billy Cattron, Army Infantry CPT, launched his career at Altec.
Each of those former military officers attended the January 2019 Cameron-Brooks Career Conference. One of the most interesting aspects of the webcast is that although each of these officers started their career in a different industry, each shared similar experiences about understanding customer needs, creating solutions, and ultimately bringing value.
At Cameron-Brooks, we have seen countless numbers of military officers launch their careers in B2B sales. If you want to hear more about a sales career, including career progression and growth, check out podcasts with Aaron Carter, Anthony Applegate, Jonathan Brewer and Connor Pratt!
Of course, if you want to know more about how Cameron-Brooks can help you reach your personal and professional goals, you can learn more on our website, LinkedIn, and YouTube, or you can call or email me directly.
Best of success,
Pete Van Epps || pete@cameron-brooks.com || (210) 874-1519
I think one of the hardest parts of the transition from the military is the unknowns and uncertainty about what is next. Not everyone experiences this uncertainty. Many JMOs who move from the military have their immediate future locked up, whether they choose to attend a full-time academic program such as an MBA or law school or if they work in a general schedule (GS) role for the government agency or department, those options are often secured many months for they separate from the military.
Moving from the military to the business world is often very different. Corporate America hires for and fills open positions, whether recently vacated or new positions created because of the company’s growth. At each and every Cameron-Brooks Career Conference, companies attend with an actual open position and, very often, multiple open positions. By that, I mean each role has a boss and a salary with a start date in a specific location, and these positions are important and valuable to the company.
We continue to feature these Post-Conference Reviews because we want to provide a glimpse behind the curtain. We aim to help officers still serving on active duty hear and see future possibilities.
One of the most valuable aspects of these Post Conference Review webcasts is the live Q&A where officers attending our next Career Conference have the opportunity to ask those who just finished their Conference.
Here are the three key takeaways our alumni shared from their experiences, which shed more light on the process and how to maximize interview success.
Start Early
Each of our candidates came to the Career Conference ready to interview, and each said they wished they had started preparing for the transition earlier. Two alumni specifically mentioned wishing they had switched their mindset earlier in the process to apply what they were learning in their military roles. That would have enhanced their experience and helped them connect more effectively in interviews.
Read (or Listen)
The adage is familiar and true – leaders are readers! One of the biggest missteps officers make when preparing to transition is minimizing the importance of increasing their knowledge through reading and learning. Officers sometimes assume that their military experience is sufficient to describe their military experiences in a business interview effectively. Reading expands your knowledge, which, in turn, broadens your exposure. If you find that it takes too long to finish a book, try listening instead. Regardless, you will benefit and improve.
Build Community
Through the years, one of the most, if not the most, beneficial activities officers engage in is working with other officers to prepare for interviews. Whether it is strength in numbers, group accountability, or just making new friends and colleagues, participating in a study group will absolutely ramp up your preparation.
Many of you who listen to this podcast are already participating in the Cameron-Brooks program. If you are not actively participating but want to learn more, please contact me directly. I am glad to talk through your options, help you set goals, walk through your marketability and guide you to launching a successful career in Corporate America.
Want to maximize interview success? You can always learn more on our website and our YouTube channel.
Best of Success!
Pete Van Epps || (210) 874-1519 || pete@cameron-brooks.com
Cameron-Brooks Website
YouTube Channel
We started this podcast 8 years ago on May 26, 2016 and as we’ve reached our 200th episode, we are extremely grateful for the officers with whom we get to work with on a daily basis. We’re grateful to serve JMOs! We started the podcast with the goal of providing another avenue for military officers to hear and learn more about making the move from the military to the business world. For our first 100 episodes, we mostly focused on interviewing our alumni. In doing so, we have built a base of knowledge that many officers have dipped into to gain insight and confidence as they prepare to transition. For our centennial episode, Joel interviewed our founders, Roger Cameron and Rene Brooks. From there, we have broadened the content. Of course, we still do regular interviews with our alumni, but we also bring other content to the platform, from author interviews to roundtable discussions on current topics to “minisodes” like this episode.
In this episode, Joel, Brock, and I each express our gratitude for our service to this nation and tell our stories of how that service came to be. While we each have a very different story to tell about how we came to service, I think you will hear an override expression of just how grateful we are for what we have been given.
On this Independence Day, we want to thank those who listen to this podcast. If you like what you hear, share it with a friend and give us a like. We will continue to push each other to create relevant, informative, and helpful content. Here’s looking toward Episode 300 and beyond!
Make it a great day,
Pete Van Epps || (210) 974-1519 || pete@cameron-brooks.com
If you want to learn more about Cameron-Brooks, you can find more information on your website and our YouTube Channel.
Welcome back! As Transition Coaches, a topic that we often help officers think through as they are making decisions about getting out of the military is short-term thinking versus long-term career thinking. It is completely natural for officers leaving the military to focus and think in the short term. They have a future date in which they are going to exit the military, usually with in the next 12 months or less, and they need a plan. Because of this, there are typically two main issues that tend to drive decision-making in the transition. First, officers now have full autonomy to make a decision about their future and second, officers, at least while in the military, have never had to fully manage their careers or have had full power to make important career decisions.
In this episode, our three Transition Coaches, Joel Junker, Pete Van Epps and Brock Dudley meet to has a discussion about a topic that we discuss often with military officers – short vs. long-term career thinking and decision making.
In the first part of our discussion, Joel sets up the discussion by referencing The Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge. In the book, there is an illustration where Senge describes a person envisioning their future self vs. their current reality. In the gap between where you are and your current reality, there is tension. Tension is good, but working through that tension also takes time, discipline, and resolve. Through the years, we’ve seen countless military officers take this approach to their transition. They take a realistic inventory of where they are today and where they want to be 5-10 years from the transition; then, they build a plan. That plan sets up the tension because it often means you will sacrifice some elements of short-term gain for ultimately achieving your professional goal and achieving your vision.
In the discussion, we were each able to weigh in on critical components of long-term decision-making and created a short, actionable list for military officers who want to align their transition strategy with a focus on their future career vision.
- Set a vision for yourself. Look out to the next 5-10 years. Define where you want to take your career and start doing things today that will support that vision.
- Write your vision out. Get it out of your head and onto a piece of paper or somewhere you will see it regularly. It will keep you focused and motivated and help you to do the type of activities that support moving toward your vision.
- Tell somebody. Find people in your life who you trust and who speak the truth to you. There is great power in having accountability in your life to help you achieve your goals, challenge you to be the best version of yourself, and help you reach your goals.
If this is something you are interested in exploring, give us a call. Our company is completely dedicated to helping military officers through a decision making process and career search strategy that is designed to you you reach your goals and dreams.
Pete Van Epps || (210) 874-1519 || pete@cameron-brooks.com
If you want to learn more about Cameron-Brooks, you can find more information on your website and our YouTube Channel.
Welcome back! This is the second installment in our Career Field series podcasts. In our first episode (Episode 192), we featured three Cameron-Brooks alumni who explained their careers within the Engineering Management Career field. In this episode, we invited two of our alumni who launched their careers within Manufacturing. After listening to them, you’ll have a better understanding where a post-military career in manufacturing can take your career.
Michael Warwick is a former Army Infantry/AG officer. He attended the August 2017 Career Conference and started his career at Oldcastle Building Envelope, which creates glass products for commercial and residential buildings. He spent 5 years at that company, becoming the Plant Manager of his facility before being promoted to General Manager, covering Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. In that role, he managed all aspects of the business, from production to sales and business development functions. This allowed him to pull different levers to positively affect the profit and loss (P&L) of the overall business. In 2023, he moved to American Bath Group (ABG), a company that produces a myriad of different products that are installed in bathrooms. As a Division Manager, he manages and oversees two different companies within ABG, Swan and Florestone. In this role, he oversees both lines of business, from production, distribution, branding and marketing to new product development.
Brandon Slocum is a former Army Armor officer. He attended the January 2018 Career Conference. He launched his career at Pactiv Evergreen. In the first few years of his career, he watched Pactiv move from a privately held to a publicly traded company. He started as an Operations Unit Manager, managing different teams and lines of product production. From there, he spent some time as an Operations Talent Manager on the Training and Development team, where he traveled to different Pactiv facilities throughout the country to standardize practices across the companies. For the last 4+ years, he’s served as a Plant Manager in two different locations. He started as the Plant Manager in their Chicago facility, leading 275 team members in making packaging material for different high-volume restaurants. Currently, he is leading the Temple, TX facility, leading 550 team members, managing the entire South/Southwest of consumer products for Hefty and Reynolds, as well as products for Costco, Walmart, and Sam’s Clubs.
In this episode, Michael and Brandon answer three key questions: what exactly is manufacturing? What are the common misconceptions people have about starting a career in manufacturing? What are the key competencies that someone must possess to lead a successful post-military career in manufacturing?
I think you’ll find Michael and Brandon’s experiences encouraging and exciting. The interesting thing is when both of these leaders attended the Cameron-Brooks Career Conference, they interviewed with around 10-12 different companies within different industries and across different career fields, including manufacturing. In doing so, they were able to assess different opportunities to find the best opportunity among many. When Michael chose Oldcastle and Brandon chose Pactiv, they made a decision that launched their career with the best fit, and they’ve never looked back. If you are interested in doing that type of career search, reach out to me directly.
Best,
Pete Van Epps || pvanepps@cameron-brooks.com || (210) 874-1519
Cameron-Brooks has a 50-year track record of guiding military officers to create a step-by-step plan to learn about their options, connect their military experiences directly to opportunities in corporate America, craft a resume that will stand out to hiring managers, and ultimately launch a successful business career.
Welcome back! This episode continues our Post-Conference Review series. As many of you know, Cameron-Brooks holds five Career Conferences per year. After every Career Conference, we lead a webcast with a few of our most recent alumni to let them share their experience with the Conference and the follow-up interview process. Hear some real JMO transition stories.
We continue to conduct these webcasts because officers continue to provide feedback on these episodes and how helpful they are. Though everyone’s experience through the Cameron-Brooks process differs, our alumni continue to provide valuable insight that will demystify the entire process. In this episode, you will meet:
Mikayla Blaska is an Army Infantry Captain, Ranger qualified, who graduated from Princeton University with a BA in Psychology in 2019. She accepted a position with Motorola Solutions as a Territory Sales Finance Manager.
Kevin Hanigan is an Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle pilot who graduated from Ohio State University with a BS in Electrical and Computer Engineering in 2012. He accepted a position with Liberty Advisory Group as a Principal Consultant.
Gage Wampler is an Army Chemical Captain who graduated from the Virginia Military Academy with a BS in Computer Science in 2019. He accepted a position with Amcor as a Liquid Business Development Account Manager.
We tackled a wide array of topics during these real JMO transition stories and most of the questions came from the group who attended the live webcast.
- What was the best part of the Conference?
- How do you professionally handle a business interview in a virtual environment when there is more than one person in the room?
- How do you prepare for back-to-back interviews when meeting different industries, companies, and functional career opportunities?
- What was the follow-up interview process like?
- Were there any professional certifications you pursued before the Career Conference that set you apart?
- Was your college degree a factor in your interviews?
- What type of training will you receive at your new company?
- How do you manage the vast amount of information at the Career Conference?
We finished with a Lighting Round of questions to ensure that all questions were answered. Overall, it was an informative session, and their experience certainly provided a lot of insight into the process.
If you like hearing these real JMO transition stories and are considering what is next for you after the military, give me a call to discuss your options. Often, a short conversation with someone who has seen thousands of officers transition can be helpful in your process. Whether you decide to stay in or get out and regardless of whether you commit to a career in Corporate America, just having a conversation about your future plans and goals can help. If that is you, call me or email me directly to get started.
Best,
Pete Van Epps || pvanepps@cameron-brooks.com || (210) 874-1519
Let’s talk about the value of the Cameron-Brooks Preparation Program. The number one feedback comment I hear from Cameron-Brooks Alumni is, “I wish I had started preparing earlier.” Regardless of whether the officer started 12 months or 2 months before interviewing, they all wish they had more time.
Another common feedback comment I hear is, “The transition from the military to a business leadership career and civilian life is more of an adjustment than anticipated.” They are changing career fields, industries, and organizations. They have to adapt and adjust to new cultures, processes, and personality styles.
Start Preparation EarlyIn this podcast, I make the argument that JMOs need to start gathering information and preparing for the transition as soon as they even consider leaving the military. Just before I wrote this post and recorded the podcast, I spoke to a naval officer who made the decision two years ago to leave the Navy, and he starts terminal leave in a month. I asked him what he had been doing to prepare for a transition. He talked about earning a project management certificate. When I quizzed him further, he had not read any books on business and did not have knowledge of common business concepts like Lean and Six Sigma.
Finally, I asked him how confident he was in his interviewing skills, and he rated himself an 8 on a 10 scale. I asked him about his most significant accomplishment in the Navy, and he struggled to explain it in a way that demonstrated his specific leadership actions. I also asked him about his leadership style; once again, he lacked depth. This is really common; learning how to interview takes time, practice, and feedback.
Apply Business Concepts While in the MilitaryToo many officers rely on a Skillbridge program to prepare for the transition. When they do this, they miss out on learning about business concepts and applying them in their military jobs. Companies love to hear how officers applied Lean, Six Sigma, coaching, mentoring, and sales models while in the military. It helps them relate what the military officer has done to their environment. The only way to do this is to start preparing well before the transition.
Cameron-Brooks Walks Besides Officers Just Considering the TransitionAnother major point in the podcast is that the Cameron-Brooks preparation program also has huge benefits for those just considering the transition. There is a misperception that we only work with those who have made the firm decision to get out. We walk beside many officers who are just considering the transition. We enroll them in the preparation program so they can learn about their marketability and options in business. We help them get clarity on their career goals and whether or not a transition makes sense. To take advantage of this, one should contact Cameron-Brooks as soon as they start thinking about the transition.
I close the podcast with an explanation of the Cameron-Brooks preparation program and its benefits. Our program helps officers make good decisions in the transition, interview well in the transition, and hit the ground running in their new careers. It’s hard to argue about the value of the Cameron-Brooks Preparation Program once you understand more about it.
Thank you for listening to the Cameron-Brooks podcast! As you consider your potential transition from the military to the business world, if you’d like to talk about your marketability or how Cameron-Brooks can guide you to launching your career, please contact us directly. Schedule a call here.
Cameron-Brooks has a 50-year track record of guiding military officers to create a step-by-step plan to learn about their options, connect their military experiences directly to opportunities in corporate America, craft a resume that will stand out to hiring managers, and ultimately launch a successful business career.
Harry Truman, the 33rd President of the United States, said, “Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.”
Therefore, JMOs should read.
Leaders read because they continuously pursue learning and development. They know they never “arrive” and know everything. Additionally, whether they are politicians, business people, military leaders, teachers, or wherever they lead, they know their environment is dynamic. They read to stay sharp, adapt to new challenges, explore new ideas, and understand ideas and views that conflict with their own.
Often when I speak with Junior Military Officers (JMOs) considering the transition, they tell me they have not read much since they left college. I have to admit that I did not read much during my first two years in the military. Fortunately, a new commander implemented a reading program in my third year, and I also started preparing with Cameron-Brooks for my transition. I developed a habit of reading well before the transition that I continue today.
In this podcast, I explain four reasons why JMOs should make a habit of reading before the transition. They are:
- Developing a habit of reading that will carry forward to being a business leader post-transition.
- Learning business concepts and applying them in the military before transitioning, providing excellent experiences to share in an interview.
- When interviewing, the JMO will need to understand the language of business. One would not travel to a foreign country without learning some of the language and customs—the same with transitioning to business.
- The need to incorporate business concepts into interview answers. I provide an example where one individual had not developed an understanding or root cause of problem-solving and project management, and as a result, his interview answers lacked depth and specifics.
My colleague, Brock Dudley, wrote a blog post in February 2024 about the correlation between reading and successful interviewing.
JMOs should read — especially if you are making the transition. I highly recommend developing a reading habit today. If you have not already done so, start with PCS to Corporate America, 4th Ed. The book has a recommended reading list at the back. I wrote a blog post on 5 Books Every JMO Should Read ASAP a few years ago.
In the podcast, I mention Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates’ reading lists. You can find them hyperlinked in their names.
Thank you for listening to the Cameron-Brooks podcast! As you consider your potential transition from the military to the business world, if you’d like to talk about your marketability or how Cameron-Brooks can guide you to launching your career, please contact us directly. Schedule a call here.
Cameron-Brooks has a 50-year track record of guiding military officers to create a step-by-step plan to learn about their options, connect their military experiences directly to opportunities in corporate America, craft a resume that will stand out to hiring managers, and ultimately launch a successful business career.
Welcome back! Today you’re going to get three tips to manage your career after you transition to business. I am glad to introduce you to Kingsley Spiller. He’s a former Army Infantry officer who moved to corporate America in 2016. He spent his time in the Army as a Platoon Leader, Executive Officer, and Battalion Logistics officer and finished up his career with a deployment to Afghanistan. He launched his business career as a District Manager at Aldi. In this episode, you will get a chance to hear Kingsley’s story. Specifically, Kingsley gets into some of the decisions he’s made in his career thus far as it relates to career development and where he sees his career going. If you are still in the military and wondering what it’s like to navigate your career successfully as you get started, this episode is for you!
In this conversation, Kingsley walks through three actions he’s taken to ensure success and growth as a leader at Aldi.
Start Strong
It all starts with getting into the right company. Kingsley interviewed for over 10 companies at his Cameron-Brooks Career Conference. He was able to evaluate different industries, companies and career options to find the best option for him. Not only that but within each of the options, he could evaluate many of the intrinsic values of each of the opportunities in order to select the best among many. This allowed him to get into the right role and use the leadership skills he gained in the military to start strong and make an immediate impact in the organization.
Be a Giver
Kingsley said one of the first things he did when he got to Aldi was looking for challenging assignments. He volunteered for hard jobs and took on the work that no one else wanted. This is exactly what corporate America is looking for in the JMOs. We want people who will go the extra mile without being asked and do it with a great attitude. Unbeknownst to Kingsley, this is one of the reasons he was able to rise quickly in his organization, which allowed him to build his brand and be seen as a leader in his organization.
See the Big Picture
Like most transitions or major changes in life, after the “honeymoon” phase, there is typically a dip. It’s typically not an insurmountable issue or problem. It’s more like the excitement of being recruited has subsided. The newness and novelty of the new thing have passed. This is often where people quit and start over. Kingsley does a great job talking about seeing the picture of his career. He knew that the next chapter of his professional book after the military wasn’t the last chapter! Often, JMOs tend to see the world in the very next step, not realizing that pivot transition phases of life and decisions made in the process will affect future chapters.
Kingsley has done a great job making an immediate impact when he started at Aldi, seeking out the toughest assignments and seeing the big picture regarding managing his career.
If you are wondering about your options as you consider the future, let’s have a quick chat on the phone. We have built a reputation for helping military officers make the move from the military to the business world, and we are standing on over a half-century of experience. If you are interested in launching your career in a leadership role in the world of business, I want to meet with you. Feel free to call or email directly to get started.
If you want to learn more about how we help military officers or your career options, visit www.cameron-brooks.com. You can also hear about other officers’ experiences with Cameron-Brooks.
Best of success,
Pete Van Epps // (210) 874-1519 // pvanepps@cameron-brooks.com
Welcome back! We recently wrapped up our January 2024 Career Conference. The primary takeaway from the Conference is that companies remain motivated to pursue JMOs for their important leadership openings, and the prepared candidate will succeed at the Career Conference. Diving deeper, the key takeaways were:
The Economy
The economy tends to be a question on JMOs’ minds. Specifically, is the economy strong enough to support my transition, and will I find the right job when I exit the military? A fact I love to quote is that Cameron-Brooks has been helping military officers PCS to Corporate America for over half a century, and in all time, we have never canceled a Conference. Not during the “dot-com” recession in the early 2000s, not during the “Sub-prime mortgage recession” in 2008-2009, and not during the “Covid recession” in 2020. Never. Why? Well, just like the military never stops commissioning second lieutenants and ensigns, the business world never stops hiring and promoting leaders. That said, when we are navigating economic headwinds, opportunity heavily favors the prepared. And when you make a military transition with Cameron-brooks, we make sure you are prepared!
Read (or Listen)
Through the years, some of the most prepared candidates I’ve seen at Career Conferences are those who call themselves “voracious readers.” I believe that those people tend to have an advantage over those who don’t read much because they are way better at connecting the dots in an interview. Follow my logic – imagine you are not much of a reader, and you get an interview question like, “Tell me about a time you led your team to reach an important goal or objective.” Well, with no context to the position, company, or industry, you may just throw out an answer with a lot of hope that you’ll hit the target. Now, imagine in your transition preparation, you’ve read or listened to a book on Lean/Six Sigma, operational excellence, project management, finance, data analysis, and team leadership and you get the exact same question. With your knowledge, combined with the context of the position, company, and interest, you’ll tell the right experience in the right way and not only hit the target but nail the bullseye!
Alumni
In this episode, we feature three of our most recent alumni. It is so impactful to hear them tell their stories because they successfully navigated the interview process, earned offers, selected the best for them and their families, and are preparing to launch their new careers in the business world. In this episode, you’ll hear from
Harry Donahue, Army Civil Affairs, USMA 2015
Austin Weiher, Army Intelligence, USMA 2019
Colin Stringert, Army Infantry, University of Wyoming, 2019
If you are looking for help, let’s talk about making a military transition with Cameron-Brooks! We have a track record of guiding military officers to create a step-by-step plan to learn about their options, connect their military experiences directly to opportunities in corporate America, craft a resume that will stand out to hiring managers, and ultimately launch a successful business career.
If you want to hear more from our alumni, check out our YouTube Channel where you’ll find many officers sharing their experiences with Cameron-Brooks.
Best,
Pete Van Epps // pvanepps@cameron-brooks.com // (210) 874-1519
Welcome back!
In this episode, we’re going to talk about why it’s important to get your foot in the door—THEN navigate your career. You’ll meet three Cameron-Brooks alumni who have successfully made the transition to the business world, all have been promoted and navigated their careers wisely. Two of them happen to be married!
We were fortunate enough to have Chazz Hoskins, along with Luke and Marquette Leveque share their experiences with us. This episode was originally intended for them to share their experience in the Engineering Management Career Field. In this episode, Joel and the Panel discuss the misperceptions of Engineering Management, explain what Engineering Management is along with the competencies required to be successful, describe how diversified the work is, and provide the listeners with some sample industries.
However, we felt our alumni were great examples of former junior military officers who made decisions early on in their careers that helped them establish a track record of success, build a skillset, and then make decisions that pivoted closer towards their ideal personal and professional goals.
Chazz made the transition from the Air Force as a Developmental Engineer and launched his career with Lam Research as a Manufacturing Engineer in Silicon Valley. Lam Research makes advanced microchips that are in many familiar products we use every day such as our mobile phones, computing devices, entertainment systems, and even smart cars! He and his wife then decided it was time to move back to Ohio. Chazz navigated his career and now works with Silflex, a division of Lam Research, they’ve bought a home and are living in their dream location. Chris built a skillset and navigated to the ideal location!
Marquette and Luke Leveque were classmates at the Naval Academy, Navy Nuclear Submarine Officers, came through the Cameron-Brooks program in 2018 and attended the April 2018 Career Conference. TOGETHER, they launched their careers at Boston Scientific, a leading medical device company that makes innovative solutions and medical devices to help improve the health of patients around the world.
Marquette began her career in a Process Development Manager role where she led a team of engineers to successfully implement large-scale manufacturing processes for new biopharmaceutical products. She then wanted to be closer to the customer and is now in a marketing role with Boston Scientific. Luke launched his career as an Operations Project Manager where he led a cross-functional team moving new products out of the research and design stage into the manufacturing stage, and ultimately into commercial use. Luke has now shifted into a marketing role on the commercial side of the business leading their laser therapies team. Luke and Marquette navigated their career to the desired roles!
Career ManagementWhen I meet with junior military officers to discuss their career goals, I ask a lot of questions to get to know them. One of those questions I ask is, “Why are you leaving the military?”. I often get the answer, “For more career control”. Makes sense! In the military, most decisions are made for you. You haven’t necessarily had to make decisions as it pertains to “Career Management”. Your detailer, branch manager, or assignment officer makes it for you. It’s also a specific career path within your MOS. If you deviate from it, you may not be selected for command or make the next rank and will be forced to make the transition out.
For example, you are told when to move, when it is time for a new assignment, which organization, or unit you will join, etc. While this can make life hard for military officers, it does free them from the responsibility of “Career Management”. To some, that may be ideal. For some, it’s not.
In the business world, there are no scholarship contracts, assignments officers, early outs, PCS commitments, ADSOs, or mandatory job changes. Regardless of your company, you are free to switch careers, stay where you are, entertain other opportunities, apply for an open position, or take broadening assignments to be exposed to other aspects of the business. In Corporate America, you are truly at the helm of your career. This a freedom, but it comes with responsibility and can be a double-edged sword.
Build a SkillsetWe’ve studied JMO transitions for a long time. We can say that a successful transition starts with getting off active duty and ends with a strong JMO transitioning from being a leader in the service TO being a leader in business and part of a company’s succession planning process, just like our alumni are doing in this episode. Before you do that, you have to get your foot in the door! They’ve built a skillset, built trust within their organizations, and have pivoted to the ideal!
Cameron-Brooks has been helping military officers move from the military to corporate America for over half a century. We view ourselves as a guide and experts in helping military officers conduct a broad and enriching career search. Even if you aren’t sure, give me a call or send me an email. I’d like to help you explore this path to see if it’s right for you. Even if it’s not, a conversation can help you define your goals and build a plan.
Best of success in your business career! Remember, you’ve got to get in the game to start playing. That’s why it’s important to keep in mind…foot in the door-THEN navigate your Career.
Brock
bdudley@cameron-brooks.com // 210-874-1495
Thank you for listening to the Cameron-Brooks podcast! As you consider your potential transition from the military to the business world, if you’d like to talk about your marketability or how Cameron-Brooks can guide you to launching your career, please contact us directly. Schedule a call here.
Cameron-Brooks has a 50-year track record of guiding military officers to create a step-by-step plan to learn about their options, connect their military experiences directly to opportunities in corporate America, craft a resume that will stand out to hiring managers, and ultimately launch a successful business career.
When I meet with junior military officers JMOs to discuss their career goals, I ask them, “What will make a happy, successful career for you?” I deliberately ask them an open ended question to leave a lot of space on where they can take their answer.
I might hear things like, “Using my technical skills,” “Solving problems and making an impact,” or, “Learning, growing and developing.” However, the number one response I have heard over my 25-year career is, “I want to have meaning and purpose.”
Finding purpose in your post military career is a common concern.
Purpose and Passion Are DifferentYes, I agree! Finding meaning and purpose in your post military career are critical to career and life satisfaction. We all want to do work and live a life that matters. We want to know the time and effort we put forth will make a difference in this world.
Yet, over the last year or so, there has become a shift in the response. I now occasionally hear, “I want to do something that I am passionate about.” When I ask them to elaborate, often they describe working in industries where they have hobbies such as, “Crossfit,” “Outdoor activities,” “CrossFit”, “Sports,” and others. Some might say something like, “Working to preserve the environment.”
You Grow Into and Develop PassionI see passion as something that we grow into over time. It is similar to love in a relationship. Over time and with experience, it deepens and becomes stronger. The problem when I hear JMOs talking about passion is that they seek something external to give them that meaning. They are looking for CrossFit, the environmental impact, alternative energy, or the outdoors to do it for them. In the end, it won’t satiate them.
Purpose Comes from WithinI see purpose as something that gives your work meaning. Purpose comes from within you. It is not external. You find meaning from what you give and the joy of using your talents to make an impact. Purpose, or meaning, which I am using interchangeably here, does not come from wearing a uniform, company name, or industry. Those are external. They do support and facilitate it, but they can’t do it; only you, the individual, can. You can do this by leading and developing people, leading change to build an organization, using your talents and growing, and more.
I do not want to hold anyone back from pursuing their dreams. That is not the intent of this podcast or post. Rather, my intent is to make the case that pursuing meaning is more important, and from my perspective, passion and purpose are different.
In this podcast, I tackle the topic of passion and purpose. It’s a lot easier to talk about than write about here. I want to admit that this is MY opinion fully, and I know people will disagree with me. I would love to hear from you. I am not trying to be right, but rather help JMOs understand that finding meaning in work is important and that it will come from inside them and not to look externally for it.
Thank you for listening to the Cameron-Brooks podcast! As you consider your potential transition from the military to the business world, if you’d like to talk about your marketability or how Cameron-Brooks can guide you to launching your career, please contact us directly. Schedule a call here.
Cameron-Brooks has a 50-year track record of guiding military officers to create a step-by-step plan to learn about their options, connect their military experiences directly to opportunities in corporate America, craft a resume that will stand out to hiring managers, and ultimately launch a successful business career.
The DoD launched a pilot program in 2011 called SkillBridge. The intention of the program is to provide service members and spouses with an in-depth and real-world training opportunity as they prepare to move from active duty to post-military employment. Today, the program has grown to almost 3,000 different SkillBridge opportunities.
Cameron-Brooks is one of them! So what is the Cameron-Brooks SkillBridge experience like? It’s the ideal opportunity for high-achieving JMOs that want to transition to a growth position in business.
Cameron-Brooks has been an approved DoD SkillBridge provider since 2022 and many officers have participated in our 12-week, curated training program as they prepare to attend the Cameron-Brooks Career Conference and follow-up interview process.
What can come from a Cameron-Brooks SkillBridge opportunity? Lots more opportunity!
In this episode, I talk to Wyatt Boyd. Wyatt shares his Cameron-Brooks SkillBridge experience in preparation for the January 2023 Career Conference. At the conference, he interviewed with 10 industry-leading companies, and just about every one of them demonstrated a high level of interest in pursuing him for follow-up interviews. Wyatt conducted multiple follow-up interviews and received offers for employment along the way. He ultimately received and accepted an offer with Abiomed, a Johnson and Johnson company. Wyatt describes how he was able to benefit from the Cameron-Brooks SkillBridge program in order to maximize his opportunities, earn multiple offers for employment, and ultimately select the opportunity that best matched his career goals.
So, what does Wyatt attribute to his success? In a phrase:
Preparation is the Key to Success
Wyatt was able to focus on some key areas while on the SkillBridge, including:
- Development and Preparation Program (DPP©) Tabs and Modules: This 5-tab curriculum is designed to lead the participant through a thorough self-analysis, business skill development, in-depth career field option research, and interview answer construction.
- Development and Preparation Program (DPP©) Required Reading Program: This 10-book reading program is designed to educate and inform the participant on crucial business concepts such as Lean/Six Sigma, Project Management, Corporate Finance, Data Analysis, Business to Business Selling, Operational Excellence, Rapport Building, Team Leadership and other important business concepts.
- Resume Creating Guidelines – This tool, in conjunction with a proprietary pre-formatted Microsoft Word template, is designed to guide the participant through a resume creation process in preparation for business interviews.
- Interview Skills Workshops – The participant will participate in 3 different levels of an Interview Skills Workshop:
– Basic Interview Skills Workshop: This workshop is designed to teach the fundamentals of interviewing, including how to build rapport, connect their military background, and the methods to answering the 28 most commonly asked interview questions.
– Intermediate Interviews Skills Workshop: This workshop is designed to continue to instill the fundamentals of
interviewing while allowing the participant to practice their interview skills under the supervision of a trained Transition Coach.
– Advanced Interview Skills Workshop: This workshop is typically provided in a smaller setting (4-5 participants) in
order to allow the candidate to practice advanced interview skills like answering less common questions, asking
quality questions, and closing the interview. - Career Field Media: This resource is primarily comprised of seven 1-hour videos designed to educate the participant on the 4 major categories of career fields that Junior Military Officers typically pursue: Engineering Management, Team Leadership, Business Analysis, and Business-to-Business Sales.
- Interview Preparation Workshops: This workshop, in conjunction with the proprietary Interview Guideline Worksheet, is designed to guide the participant to create a game plan for each interview in which they will participate. The game plan will include a strategy for connecting their military background and experience directly to the position for which they will interview, creating statements of interest about the company and position, asking quality questions that demonstrate their interest and ability in the position, and closing the interview with a strong steaming of interest.
If you want to learn more about how to make a successful transition and are interesting in participating in the Cameron-Brooks SkillBridge experience let’s connect. You can reach me directly at pete@cameron-brooks.com.
If you want to learn more about how we help military officers move from the military to the business work, yo can find a ton of valuable information on our website, YouTube Channel and on LinkedIn.
Welcome back! If you’re questioning whether or not you need help with your military transition, this podcast is for you.
In this episode, you will meet Colin Floyd. Colin is a former USMC Air Defense officer who attended the August 2023 Cameron-Brooks Career Conference. When I first met Colin, he was attempting to find a job on his own in a medium-sized city in North Carolina. Our first interaction was great – I enjoyed meeting him and learning more about his career goals, but at the time, what he was trying to do and how Cameron-Brooks helps officers were not aligned. We parted ways as friends, and I wished him the best in all of his future endeavors.
Fast forward a couple of months, and Colin and I reconnected. He said his situation had changed, and he wanted to explore a partnership with Cameron-Brooks in order to help him reach his career goals. He said he’d had sent his resume to “dozens” in his local area and had not heard back from any. His goal has always been to use his military leadership experience to move to the business world, but didn’t have any business experience, didn’t have a network of people who could help him get interviews and didn’t have a plan. Well, outside of sending his resumes to any and every company he could see, he didn’t have a plan.
I am glad he called back and was and I am glad we partnered. It’s ok to need help with your military transition. In a relatively short amount of time in our program, Colin created an interview-ready resume, gained valuable interview skills, increased his overall business knowledge, and explored different career fields to determine both his interest and fit. Ultimately, Colin attended the August 2023 Career Conference, where he had 11 interviews with hiring managers and decision-makers. He went on to conduct follow-up interviews with multiple companies from the Conference, ultimately accepting an offer for a sales and account management role at Berry Global.
During our conversation, Colin described his company and role, and I think that for those wanting to know more about launching your career in sales and account management, his experience can be helpful in learning more. Additionally, a few points I hope you glean from this podcast are:
Define Your Goal
I often talk to military officers who are convinced they are going end their time on active duty but, beyond that, aren’t thinking past, “I am going to find a job.” The adage holds true: if you don’t have a goal, you won’t know if you are on the right track. I encourage you to set a goal, not only for the day you get out but 5+ years down the road. This step is critical as it will guide you to build a plan to get there.
Have a Plan
Once you know where you want to go, it’s time to build a plan. Where are you going? What skills and experiences are required to get there? Do you need help? If so, who do you know? What knowledge do you need to gain to be successful in reaching your goal? Answering these questions and more will get you moving toward developing a solid plan.
Have a Guide
People trust experts to do things that they can’t do themselves. Even as I write that, it grates against my nature. I want to do things myself and I do. Simple things like changing my oil, detailing my car, or spraying pesticides around my house. You know, easy stuff. Heck, whenever I need to do something, I go to YouTube first because I know someone out there has tried it. That said, I don’t go to YouTube for tax advice. I go to my accountant, Jake. Jake is an expert in tax code. I don’t have the time or desire to learn the tax code or keep up with the ever-changing tax laws. When I know I need an expert, I don’t waste time – I go to the expert. If I know it will be more costly, whether it’s time, money, or quality, I call an expert. So it’s smart to lean on an expert when you need help with your military transition.
If you have been out there trying to do it on your own or don’t want to start down that road even start out by going it alone, give me a call. I can help you define your goal and build a plan for success. Cameron-Brooks has been helping military officers move from the military to corporate America for over half a century. We are experts at helping military officers conduct a broad and enriching career search. Even if you aren’t sure, give me a call or send me an email. I help you explore this path to see if it’s right for you. Even if it’s not, a conversation can help you define your goals and build a plan.
Let’s have a conversation about defining your goals and building a plan. Give us a call. Of course, if you want more information before you reach out, you can explore a plethora of resources on our website at www.cameron-brooks.com.
If you need help with your military transition, want an extraordinary post-military career, we are here to help. Cameron-Brooks has a 50-year track record of guiding military officers to create a step-by-step plan to learn about their options, connect their military experiences directly to opportunities in corporate America, craft a resume that will stand out to hiring managers, and ultimately launch a successful business career.
Best of Success,
Pete Van Epps
pete@cameron-brooks.com // (210) 874-1500
My experience has taught me that if I want to achieve excellence in something, I should study and learn from the people who have achieved success in that area already. Why should I reinvent the wheel? So, when Cameron-Brooks Alumnus Liam Burns messaged me on LinkedIn that he wanted to be a guest on the podcast and share how he managed his 30+ year career, I jumped at the chance to interview him.
Liam is a former Navy Surface Warfare Officer who transitioned to a business career in 1991. He spent the first fifteen years of his career in various sales and marketing leadership positions with Johnson & Johnson. He used that experience to start consulting, executive coaching practices, and C-suite leadership positions with start-up medical companies for the last fifteen years.
In the podcast, Liam explains that the key to a successful career is building a strong foundation in the first ten years. With that foundation, one will have many options in the future. These options include living in an ideal location like Liam does now in Denver, choosing to continue as an executive leader in a larger company, pivoting to start-ups, or even striking out on your own and starting your own company. Liam has done all three!
I asked Liam, “What’s the key to establishing that foundation?” Liam referenced the book The 5 Patterns of Extraordinary Careers: The Guide for Achieving Success and Satisfaction by James M. Citrin and Richard Smith. Citrin is the CEO of Spencer Stuart North America, an Executive Search firm and Cameron-Brooks client.
As or the 3 keys to an extraordinary post-military career, Liam specifically references Pattern 5: Find the Right Fit. The key to establishing the foundation is choosing positions and companies based on your ability to leverage your strengths, do work that interests you, and work with people you like and respect.
I strongly encourage anyone considering a change or launching a career to evaluate their choice based on those three factors. Make those a priority.
Unfortunately, there is a lot of other noise out there that clouds decisions. Sometimes, people want a great career but prioritize the path because it is the path of least resistance; it’s easy. The authors do not say this is easy, in fact they say it take work and preparation. Other times, people decide to pursue a career because of the pay or the location. The authors specifically advise against prioritizing extrinsic factors. In fact, they say that when one prioritizes strengths, interests, and fit, those other factors will follow! Just like they did for Liam.
If you listen to this podcast and want more than these 3 keys to an extraordinary post-military career, we are here to help. Cameron-Brooks has a 50-year track record of guiding military officers to create a step-by-step plan to learn about their options, connect their military experiences directly to opportunities in corporate America, craft a resume that will stand out to hiring managers, and ultimately launch a successful business career.
Don’t wait. Give me a call at (210) 874-1502 or email me at jjunker@cameron-brooks.com – we can have a conversation about your plans and goals and if Cameron-Brooks is the right guide to help you get there.
Joel
If you are (or have ever) considered a move from the military to the business world, you have probably wondered if the current economy will support your transition. And the question is not just, “Will I get a job when I get out of the military?” The answer to that question is invariably YES! Finding a job, any job, is not the issue. The real question – the amplified version of the question posed in the title of this podcast is, “Will the current economy allow me to launch my business career by stepping into a leadership role in an industry-leading company where I can use my skills to make an impact and grow professionally?”
Unlike previous podcast episodes, episode 187 of the PCS to Corporate America podcast was recorded LIVE with 45 guests asking questions and covering the topics surrounding the question “Will the current economy support your transition?”
The Economy
We conduct 5 Career Conferences each year; of course, 2023 was no different. In the face of higher-than-normal inflation, higher-than-normal interest rates, and higher-than-normal uncertainty, companies still came to each Conference in 2023 with open positions. Not only that, but the positions were developmental roles commensurate with a military officer’s level of leadership. Why? Well, just like the military doesn’t stop commissioning officers, companies don’t stop hiring future leaders. In 2023, we partnered with hundreds of companies from different industries, including healthcare, consumer, technology, building materials, and construction, energy and power, industrial and others.
DoD SkillBridge
Believe it or not, the DoD SkillBridge program has been around since 2011. It started as a pilot program to address concerns about U.S. military personnel returning to civilian life following the 2008 financial crisis. Lawmakers wanted to ensure service members leaving the military at that time would be able to find work. The program has gained an incredible amount of momentum in recent years. It has helped junior officers, senior officers, junior enlisted, senior enlisted, National Guard, Reserves, veterans and even spouses! The program is broad and has obviously helped many people. As a company that has helped military officers transition for over half a century, we know the value and leadership advantage that a JMO brings to the table. Unfortunately, we have seen some JMOs’ lose that advantage (or at least water it down), as many companies tend to lump every SkillBridge applicant, regardless of experience, into the same category. We are grateful to be a DoD-approved SkillBridge provider. If you’d like to know more about how the program can fit into your transition plan, just let anyone at Cameron-Brooks know that you are interested.
Certifications
It is natural to think that different certifications, be it a Lean/Six Sigma Greenbelt, a PMP and Data Analytics certification, will lead to increased marketability by simply taking the class or earning the credential. It makes sense that a military officer would try to bolster their military resume with a program to authenticate their commitment to business. In such cases, military officers tend to use the certification as a ticket. We encourage officers to see the certification less as a ticket and more as a tool. By increasing your knowledge of a specific ubiquitous business concept (i.e., Lean/Six Sigma or Project Management) it enables you to 1.) consider your own military experience relative to the skill and 2.) learn new skills that you can apply at work in order to increase your experience on the topic. In both cases, this actually WILL increase your marketability, not by providing a path to get more hiring managers to interview you, but by being able to better explain your military experience to business leaders.
“Will the current economy support your transition?” With the right plan, preparation, guidance and coaching, yes!
Thank you for listening to the Cameron-Brooks podcast in 2023! As you consider your own potential transition from the military to the business world, if you’d like to have a conversation about your marketability or how Cameron-Brooks can guide you to launching your career, please contact us directly. Schedule a call here.
Here’s a happy and meaningful Holiday Season and a prosperous 2024.
Cameron-Brooks has a 50-year track record of guiding military officers to create a step-by-step plan to learn about their options, connect their military experiences directly to opportunities in corporate America, craft a resume that will stand out to hiring managers, and ultimately launch a successful business career.
Today we interview three former officers and give you three keys to success! I often get positive feedback on the Post Career Conference reviews webcasts that we do after every Conference. People tell me that it is so helpful to hear the stories of recent Cameron-Brooks alumni as they navigated the Career Conference and Follow-Up Interview Process in order to secure their next career. That is exactly the reason that we introduced these webcasts over three years ago and why we converted the Q&A with the alumni to podcast episodes. It’s one thing for me, Pete Van Epps, Cameron-Brooks Career Coach, to explain the process, but it’s quite another to hear a few military officers who recently finished the process tell their story. On this episode, I am glad to introduce three of our most recent alumni:
Valerie Roberts – Navy Intelligence Lieutenant who accepted a position as an Associate Brand Manager position with Mars, Inc.
Beau Hughes – Army Logistics Captain who accepted a position as a Procurement Specialist with HF Sinclair.
Rhyan England – Army Air Defense Captain who accepted a position as a Senior Account Manager with Motorola Solutions.
Even though this podcast with chocked full with way more than 3 pro tips to find success at the Career Conference, here are three keys to success that you can use in our process to maximize opportunity at the Cameron-Brooks Conference.
- Read! I know you have probably heard it many times, but leaders are readers. For those officers who have committed to moving from the military to corporate America, I sometimes see them look at a professional business reading list as a “nice to have” as opposed to a “need to have.” I think that is the wrong move, at least for the companies and roles that we represent at the Cameron-Brooks Career Conference. At the Conference, officers interview with A-tier companies for open positions that are commensurate with a JMO’s leadership experience. The hiring managers and decision-makers that you will meet with typically interview and hire people with industry experience. A professional reading program with necessary books like Good to Great, The Goal and What is Lean Six Sigma will help a military officer quickly bridge the gap between their military experience and the position for which they are interviewing in the business world.
- Build Rapport – In an interview, the hiring manager or decision-maker isn’t just trying to determine if the JMO is qualified. As a matter of fact, oftentimes they go into the interview knowing the person is qualified. In that case, the interview boils down to if the hiring manager can see you fitting in with the team. In other words, they are measuring your attitude (are you a glass have full type?), your enthusiasm, your interest. Successful interviewing isn’t just crafting great interview answers – it is also demonstrating interest in the company and position and building rapport. For more on the topic, check out How To Wow by Francis Cole Jones or listen to Joel interview her in Episode 102 of the Cameron-Brooks podcast.
- Join a Study Group (Practice interviewing!) – one of the most common themes we hear in the post-Conference webcast the just how valuable being a part of a study group is to officers. I often liken a study group to being a part of an athletic team. You don’t just show up to the game on Friday night. It starts with the fundamentals, then you run plays, then you introduce a scout team or practice squad to play against. The study group is the same way. The first few meetings are just going through the fundamentals of saying your interview answers out loud. Then, you move to try to answer questions and connect to a specific type of role. Finally, you do some role play or scenario-based “mock interviews” without stopping. While it is difficult to perfectly replicate or predict everything that will happen in an interview (just like you can’t predict exactly what your opponent will do on Friday night), you can practice multiple scenarios in order to prepare for the big event. This is perhaps one of the most important of the three keys to success.
If you listen to this podcast and feel like you need a guide to help you reach your career goals, we are here to help. Cameron-Brooks has a 50-year track record of guiding military officers to create a step-by-step plan to learn about their options, connect their military experiences directly to opportunities in corporate America, craft a resume that will stand out to hiring managers, and ultimately launch a successful business career.
Don’t wait. Give me a call at (210) 874-1519 or email me at pete@cameron-brooks.com – we can have a conversation about your you plans and goals and if Cameron-Brooks is the right guide to help you get there.
Pete
Welcome back. In this “3 reasons for gratitude” episode, Brock and I sat down with some coffee to discuss the benefits of being thankful and having a strong sense of gratitude. As we approach Thanksgiving, we thought it’d be a great idea to share the things that we are most thankful for in our lives that may resonate with you all. We briefly touched on the personal and professional things we are thankful for such as family, friends, mentors, and individuals that have made an impact on our lives. As we enter the holiday season, we are grateful for our nation’s military and first responders.
Our goal is this episode was to provide you with material that you can take and apply to your personal and professional lives. How can you use this to be a better spouse, sibling, parent or friend? How can you use this to grow as a leader in the workplace? That said, here are our 3 reasons for gratitude and why you should make it a daily practice.
- Gratitude increases clarity and improves mental health.
- Gratitude gives the ability to discern what really matters in life
- Gratitude enhances empathy and reduces aggression.
BONUS Reason (#4): Grateful people sleep better. I am a huge proponent of sleep and the positive effects it has on your personal and professional life. I strongly recommend the Book “Why We Sleep” by Matthew Walker, PhD. You can also listen to it as an audiobook!
Here are 10 tips on how to fit gratitude in your life:
- Every day, say aloud three good things that happened. …
- Keep a gratitude journal. …
- Say thanks to your partner. …
- Cool a hot temper with a quick gratitude inventory. …
- Thank yourself. …
- Use technology to send three gratitude messages a week. …
- Savor the good moments. …
- Check for silver linings.
- Look outward not inward
- Change your perspective
Happy Thanksgiving to you all! Stay tuned.
We are grateful for all of the JMOs that have partnered with us for their military transition. If you want to know more about who we are and what we do, there are a load of resources that you can tap into at Cameron-brooks.com. You can also find more information on our YouTube Channel and follow us on LinkedIn.
Are you waiting to prepare for your military transition? Junior military officers have a distinct advantage over those who graduate college and straight into the workforce. Simply put – they have leadership experience and leadership potential.
There is just no denying that JMOs are given the opportunity to lead as soon as they hit the force. They get to lead teams, manage programs, solve problems, and ultimately make their organization better. You would be hard-pressed to find a company that gives a new college hire the level of leadership and responsibility that a military officer gets from the get-go.
And it’s not just that first job in the military. A JMO’s leadership experience builds and grows on itself with each successive promotion. It’s that leadership experience and potential that corporate America is looking for.
That said, one of the biggest mistakes some military officers make when they exit the military is assuming that their military experience is sufficient preparation to make the move from the military to corporate America. That is actually a logical assumption if a JMO were moving from active duty to either a government (GS) job or a role at a defense contractor. Because there is so much overlap between the military and those types of opportunities, the transition is basically seamless.
When a JMO moves from the world of defense to the world of customers and profitability and everything is new, the stakes are higher. Getting into a role at a leading company in corporate America and into a role that is commensurate with a JMO’s level of leadership requires a different type of preparation. Why? Well, because the hiring manager who typically fills the positions we are talking about almost invariably hire people with industry and/or company experience. It’s not unusual for a hiring manager in corporate America to desire the type of leadership experience that a JMO brings to the table, but it’s also not unreasonable to expect that the JMO is able to explain their military experience in such a way that helps the hiring manager “see” their military experience (tanks, jets, intelligence, air defense, etc.) in their world (manufacturing, medical devices, consumer packaged goods, energy, etc.)
In this episode, we meet the newest Cameron-Brooks Transition Coach, Brock Dudley. Actually, you’ve already met Brock. He was featured on Episode 177 as he discussed why he trusted Cameron-Brooks with his transition. Now that Brock has been to two Career Conferences and seen firsthand what it takes to be successful at the Conference, he shares some insight, not only as someone who recently made the transition but also as someone who coaches candidates through the process.
We discuss the massive advantage of starting the preparation process early. What books should be reading now? What should you focus on when conducting interview preparation? Why should you better understand your career options before stepping into an interview? We answer to these questions and more in the podcast.
And we get it – you are busy. You have a full-time job that, at times, can before very stressful and usually comes with a very high operational tempo. There are also many things outside of work that demand your time and attention, but like everything else in life, we prioritize what is important.
Remember, if you are waiting to prepare for your military transition, don’t. Making the move from the military to corporate America does not have to be hard. If you want some help building a preparation plan that aligns with your timing and busy life, we can help. At Cameron-Brooks, we have coached thousands of officers through the transition. We have a 50-year track record of helping military officers create a step-by-step plan to learn about their options, connect their military experiences directly to opportunities in corporate America, craft a resume that will stand out to hiring managers and ultimately launch a successful business career.
Don’t wait. Invest in your future now – you’ll be so glad you did.
For three decades, I have led teams, coached leaders, helped thousands of Junior Military Officers (JMOs) transition to business, and worked with hiring managers to hire and develop leadership talent. One common theme is that people want meaning and purpose in their work. They want to create something or serve someone beyond themselves. They want to live undivided lives where their values align with their profession.
Organizations Need to Create Meaning and PurposeNow, more than ever in my career, I am convinced we need leaders in corporate America to create and support organizations that provide a place for purpose and meaningful work. I believe the JMO transitioning to a business leadership career can be a part of the solution.
When I speak with JMOs about their marketability for business careers, they often explain that they want to leverage their functional experience in logistics, engineering, project management, or acquisitions. Yes, corporate America does want that, but the JMO’s greatest strength, which we desperately need in business and all types of organizations, is your leadership and ability to engage team members. We need the JMO experience of creating a sense of purpose with a team, providing clear objectives, removing obstacles, and mentoring and coaching individuals.
The podcast planning team and I needed an episode to help JMOs understand their value to corporate America is more than their functional experience. We need their leadership to build organizations and create meaningful and purposeful work where people show up and can live undivided, authentic lives.
JMOs Have Experience Creating Meaningful WorkAt the same time, we came up with this episode idea, I talked with Cameron-Brooks Alumnus Bobby Eisenhart. His boss just offered him a significant promotion; the key reason was his ability to engage the workforce.
Since his transition in 2011, Bobby has worked at three major consumer packaged goods companies, leading teams of up to 300 people. His strength and primary reason for success is his ability to engage his team members. I asked Bobby to be my guest to discuss how he uses his JMO experience to create a positive environment and explain why corporate America needs more leaders like him.
In addition to his military experience, Bobby attributes his employee engagement philosophy to what he learned in the book Drive by Daniel Pink. Bobby explains how he uses Pink’s concepts of communicating clear objectives, allowing team members autonomy to accomplish the goals, the leader’s responsibility to provide support, and aligning purpose and meaning with work.
Everyone Deserves to Work for a Great LeaderEverybody deserves to be a great leader. We need more leaders like Bobby in corporate America. You can be a part of the solution.
If you want to know more about who we are and what we do, there are a load of resources that you can tap into at Cameron-brooks.com. You can also find more information on our YouTube Channel and follow us on LinkedIn.
Welcome back! On this episode, we bring you a Career Conference BTS (Behind the Scenes) as we wrap up our August 2023 Career Conference. We enjoy doing these episodes because it’s a bit of a “peek over the fence” as some of our most recent alumni share their experiences through their process and journey. In this episode, we feature:
Brad Franke, a former Navy Submarine lieutenant, graduated from the United States with a degree in Economics and Political Science and spent 7 years in the Navy. Brad accepting an Engineering Management position with Edward Lifesciences.
Aaron Markey, a former Army Armor captain, graduated from the United States Military Academy with a degree in Engineering Management and spent 6 years in the Army. Aaron accepted an Engineering Team Leadership position with Modine.
Hamilton Jones, a former USMC captain, graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a degree in Comparative Politics and spent 6 years in the USMC. Hamilton accepted a position with Senior Account Management position with Motorola Solutions.
I was able to lead the team through multiple discussion points, such as your biggest surprise from the Conference, the most valuable thing you did to prepare for the Conference, the follow-up interview process, and how you ultimately chose the company that you going to work for. I really enjoy leading this part of the discussion because it is so rewarding a watch an officer engage in a deep level of preparation before the Conference and then navigate the Career Conference and the follow-up interview process.
For the second half of this Conference BTS podcast, the panelists fielded questions from the group who were attending the webcast live. This is always such a valuable part of this webcast because the questions asked likely reflect the questions many of you have regarding your processes and your transition.
We will continue to do these post-conference webcasts. Our next Career Conference is November 3-7, 2023 and we’ll release the audio and video to the webcast in early December. Until then, best of success!
If you want to know more about who we are and what we do, there are a load of resources that you can tap into at cameron-brooks.com. You can also find more information on our YouTube Channel and follow us on LinkedIn.
We are in mid-September and kicking off the football season. With Cameron-Brooks Team Members who attended Texas A&M, Baylor, Notre Dame, West Point, and the Naval Academy, we are huge college football fans.
Football is a holiday season here in Texas, you know. So, to celebrate, I hosted a podcast with my good friend, Troy Prehar, who played football at West Point from 1990 to 1993. Troy’s second oldest son is a freshman football player at Mary Hardin Baylor, and Troy is also a youth football coach. Additionally, his brother, Mark, played football at West Point. Football runs deep with Troy and his family.
Troy partnered with Cameron-Brooks in 1996 and transitioned from the Army to a medical device sales career. Troy has held numerous sales and sales leadership roles over his 27-year career. During this time, Troy has mentored hundreds of junior military officers (JMOs) transitioning from the military into sales careers.
During this podcast, Troy tells his transition story. He explains how his dad modeled a life of service as someone who served a career in the Army as a commissioned officer. Troy also shares how JMO leadership relates to success in sales. Additionally, Troy explains why he thinks those who play athletics at any point in their life have a leg up on success in sales and a business career.
Over the years, we have helped numerous former collegiate football players and other NCAA athletes. We recently hired Brock Dudley, who played soccer at USNA. Brock is joining the C-B team in October, and many of the C-B team members are already recruiting him to coach their kids’ youth soccer teams.
I hope you enjoy this fun podcast with Troy and join us in kicking off the football season by listening in.
If you want to learn more, head to our website and YouTube Channel and follow us on LinkedIn.
If you want to learn more about your transition options, please contact us.
You can also check out our Transition Guide on “3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business” for additional transition tips.
Choosing to make a move from the military is an important decision and one that most military officers do not make lightly. We understand. At Cameron-Brooks, we have over a half-century of experience helping military officers navigate that decision. Our company is led by our CEO, Chuck Alvarez, who transitioned from the Army in 1993, and our Senior Vice President, Joel Junker, who transitioned in 1999. I made the move to Corporate America in 2003, and our most recent team member, Brock Dudley, started at Cameron-Brooks earlier this year.
In this podcast episode, Joel and I discuss the three biggest reasons we heard through the years as to why military officers transition from the military. Quality of Life This is probably the number one reason we hear as to why officers transition. It's not that officers aren't proud of their service - quite the opposite. Most of the officers that I speak with are glad to have served and are proud to wear the uniform. As officers progress in their careers, they tend to also start families and have children and their interests grow broader regarding community service. Deployments, underway, and long periods of watch standing tend to take their toll. Joel and I agreed that officers tend to find a much higher quality of life outside of the military, but we also agreed that life outside of the military has its set of challenges with longer work hours and business trips. The biggest difference that we have found is that the nature of the work tends to accommodate the trade-off of long work hours or higher travel. Career Control Regardless of your military branch, you have a branch manager, detailer, career manager, or monitor who has the responsibility of managing officers' careers. Some officers really appreciate this because they don't have to think or worry about managing their careers. There is security in this. In some ways, there is less uncertainty in letting someone else manage your career. You know that on a specific date, you will get orders telling you where to go and when to be there. In Corporate America, everyone is responsible for managing their own career. Some people are very attracted to the fact that they get to decide what job they will apply to and when they will do it. Promotion For the first three officer ranks, with rare exceptions, everyone is promoted at the same rate and all earn the exact same salary increase, regardless of performance, results, or effort. Promotions in the business world follow a different protocol. We are promoted and compensated based on results. Many officers long for that sort of incentive structure because they like to bet on themselves. They are wired to deliver high-quality results and they want to win. The inequity of everyone receiving the exact same reward regardless of results is enough to move officers to an environment where their contributions directly affect their compensation and promotion.
This podcast is not designed to convince anyone to stay in or get out of the military. Joel and I wanted to have this discussion to help officers hear perspectives about options. A point we were sure to touch on in the recording of this episode is how we know that the move to Corporate America is not right for everyone. For many officers, military service is their primary motivation and they are certainly willing to trade off other things for that end goal. To them, we say THANK YOU. We are grateful for the men and women who continue to serve our nation.
Regardless if you have made the decision to transition from the military or not, if you are interested in exploring options, we want to help. I have many conversations with officers who are on the fence about what is next, and often, a quick discussion about future plans and goals can be clarifying and helpful. If that is you, I would be happy to make myself available for a conversation.
Here's to your success! Pete Van Epps
If you want to learn more,
Ted Lindell is a former Marine Corps F18 Officer who transitioned to a business career with Conagra Brands in 2017. His transition journey started in 2015 when Ted and his wife, Carrie, reflected on what they wanted for their family. They decided they no longer wanted the long deployments and the risk of Ted’s flight operations. They wanted a better quality of life. While they knew they were going to leave the Marine Corps, beyond that, they had two main options on what to do next.
One option, they could exit the military and focus on just the quality of life by conducting a job search focused on the northeast region of the US near family. This would meet the need to be home more frequently, spend time with each other and their children, and be close to siblings and parents. This would have narrowed their search and opportunities to a smaller geographic area. Fewer options meant an increased risk of starting in a “good enough” role but not the right fit. As a Marine Corps F18 pilot, settling was not in Ted’s DNA. He knew that would quickly lead to looking for another position within one or two years post-transition.
As Ted was finishing up his master’s degree, he knew he wanted career growth and development and quality of life. He did not define the quality of life by geography but rather by the fit with a community, schools, and activities for his children. He also knew that if he had a fulfilling career, he would stay with a company instead of pivoting and uprooting his career and family. Ted chose to balance his career ambitions and quality of life goals by doing a broad career search.
Ted’s choice led him to partner with Cameron-Brooks, where he attended a Career Conference interviewing with a broad range of companies and career paths. an Internal Audit position with Conagra in 2017. This position provided him with broad exposure to the almost $12B company and allowed him to build a network within the company. Within two years, he was promoted to a new role and earned four promotions in six years.
Interestingly, he accepted a position in Omaha, NE which he would never have considered without conducting a broader search. However, after visiting the city, though some distance from his preferred geographic location, he found the mid-sized Midwest city an excellent fit for his family. After evaluating all of the factors, including quality of life, company fit, career path, and the nature of the work, he made the decision to launch his career with Conagra Brands.
Ted and Claire’s reason for leaving the military is a common one. While they wanted a better quality of life, they also considered Ted’s professional goals. This led him to explore various options, finding the right fit at Conagra Brands and successfully transitioning with four promotions in his first six years in business.
I encourage you to listen to the full podcast because Ted’s choice is one that most JMOs have to make before their transition, yet they do not always know the likely outcomes of each option.
To stay connected, we encourage you to check out our website and YouTube Channel and follow us on LinkedIn.
If you want to learn more about your transition options, please get in touch with us.
You can also check out our Transition Guide on "3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business" for additional transition tips.
You've already met Quinton Cookis. We actually featured him a year ago on Episode 154 of the podcast. Now he's experienced one year in Corporate America. Quinton is a former USMC Logistics officer who attended the June 2022 Carrer Conference. He interviewed with 14 different hiring groups and launched his career with Campbell Soup Company as an Associate Brand Manager. When we recorded Episode 154, Quinton was preparing for his transition and participating in the DoD Skillbridge program through Cameron-Brooks. That episode focused on how he was using the Skillbridge program in order to maximize his success at the Career Conference (which is what he did.)
It's been one year in Corporate America, so now is a great time to check in with Quinton. In this episode, we hear about what he's been up to since starting work in Corporate America. I think you'll really enjoy this episode because Quinton does an excellent job describing what he does as a Senior Associate Brand Manager, how his military background directly relates to much of the work he does, and how he has been able to take advantage of different circumstances that have allowed him to essentially pour jet fuel on his career.
We spent time specifically digging into why he chose Campbell, what a typical day in his life looks like, the most pleasant surprise he's experienced in his one year in Corporate America, and his overall quality of life. We also discussed a disruptive event that occurred during the first three months on the job, what he did about it, and how it ultimately propelled his career.
To stay connected, we encourage you to check out our website and YouTube Channel and follow us on LinkedIn.
If you want to learn more about your transition options, please get in touch with us.
You can also check out our Transition Guide on "3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business" for additional transition tips.
In this episode, JMO Brock Dudley explains: "Why I trust Cameron-Brooks with my transition to business."
As a transitioning Junior Military Officer (JMO), you have several options for making the transition. You can do it on your own, attend full-time grad school, attend a job fair, or partner with one of the several recruiting firms. To help JMOs understand the options and what Cameron-Brooks offers, we have had numerous Cameron-Brooks Alumni as guests to talk about their experiences.
We have a unique episode on the same topic where I interviewed Brock Dudley, who is preparing to attend our upcoming August 18-22 Career Conference. Brock and I cover many topics in our 30 minutes together. They include:
What made Cameron-Brooks the right transition path for him. How he made the decision to separate now versus taking another assignment. His experience with the Cameron-Brooks Skillbridge Program. And, most importantly, what’s going through his mind and how he feels while waiting for the August Conference.
We explore this last point more in-depth. Brock is going through what all of our Alumni went through; he feels a little nervous as he waits for the Conference. He trusts Cameron-Brooks to deliver on our promises, yet, there are uncertainties. He does not yet know with whom he will interview, the locations, salaries, or types of jobs. Brock explains how he feels and why he is committed to the process. In other words, "Why I trust Cameron-Brooks."
Brock’s experience and insight from this webcast differ greatly from the Alumni guests. He does not have the perspective of the Conference, the follow-up process, or a year or more in his new career. He is in the middle of the process. This is a great podcast to listen to if you want to know what it is like leading up to the Cameron-Brooks Conference, how you will feel, and what you will be doing to prepare.
To stay connected, we encourage you to check out our website and YouTube Channel and follow us on LinkedIn.
If you want to learn more about your transition options, please get in touch with us.
You can also check out our Transition Guide on "3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business" for additional transition tips.
Welcome back. As many of you know, we like to record an episode after each Career Conference capturing some of the Conference's best practices from a few of our most recent alumni. We have found that these podcast episodes help soon-to-be transitioning military officers get a good handle on what to expect and how to be as prepared as possible. This episode features three of our most recent alumni - each attending the June 2023 Career Conference.
Ben Carey is a 7-year Space Force Captain who is going to go work for Campbell Soup Company as an Associate Brand Manager. Meredith Frey is a 4-year Army Logistics Captain who is going to go work for NextEra Energy as a Senior Project Manager. Jack Thompson is a 5-year Navy Cryptologic Warfare officer who is going to go work for Eurofins Scientific as a Project Manager.
Each officer brought their own unique perspective to the conversation and was able to shed much light on their experience through the entire process, from the beginning of the Career Conference all the way through accepting an offer for employment.
I am convinced that their insight will shape expectations and further develop the preparation plans for the officers in the Development and Preparation Program (DPP) who plan to attend a future Cameron-Brooks Career Conference.
We covered a lot of ground through the conversation, essentially highlighting best practices and lessons learned from their experiences. We were able to cover some key questions, such as:
What was your biggest surprise about the Career Conference? What did you do really well before the Conference that was pivotal in your preparation? Knowing what you know now, what do you wish you would have done differently to prepare for the Conference? What were some of the key criteria you used to choose the company you are going to go work for? What was the follow-up interview process like, and what was the difference between the virtual Conference in the in-person follow-up interviews?
Toward the end of the podcast, I opened it up for those who attended the meeting live to ask any question of the panelist.
My hope is that this podcast is helpful to you in your decision-making process and preparation for your future endeavors.
To stay connected, we encourage you to check out our website and YouTube Channel and follow us on LinkedIn.
If you want to learn more about your transition options, please get in touch with us.
You can also check out our Transition Guide on "3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business" for additional transition tips.
To stay connected, we'd recommend subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following us on LinkedIn.
Welcome back to the podcast! One of the questions that I get on a fairly regular basis is, "What's going on with the economy?" I totally get it! So let's have a 2023 mid-year economy check. From the Spring 2020 to now, we've seen the economy move in a few different directions. I remember being in the Army and wondering if the economy was strong enough to support me, an Army Field Artillery officer with no business experience but with a lot of desire to contribute, grow, and succeed.
One of the most enlightening things that occurred in 2020 is what didn't happen. Even during May, June, and July, during what some would argue was the height of economic uncertainty, Cameron-Brooks did not cancel a Career Conference. We entered the year planning to conduct 5 Career Conferences, and at the end of the year, that is exactly what happened. Because of that, I am convinced that companies will never stop hiring leaders. It's no different than the military in that aspect. The military never stops commissioning officers. In wartime or not, each branch of the military brings new leaders on board every year.
What is the point? Well, in 2020, there was a slowdown. In most of 2021 and all of 2022, there was a ramp-up and acceleration. Through the first three Career Conferences of 2023, we've seen a leveling off. And that is exactly how it works. The economy, and really the business world, is a cycle. Sometimes it's up, sometimes it's down - but it never stops. So, will the economy support your transition? Absolutely. Of course! With the right strategy, you can launch your business career and accelerate your career. What is the right strategy? There are a few different factors, but two of the most important are your attitude and your ability to communicate. JMOs who come to corporate America with a desire to solve problems and make an impact are always in need. Couple that with preparation and an ability to communicate your background effectively, and companies will be willing and excited to make an offer to you.
I hope you enjoy and gain value from my conversation with Joel. In this episode, Joel also referenced a few additional resources to help you learn more - our recent blog about interviewing with the economy in mind and our 2022 year-end podcast - Episode 165.
Want to learn more about how to make a successful transition? Contact Cameron-Brooks, and we can walk you through a 50+ year proven preparation program to ensure you succeed in the interview and your career.
To stay connected, we encourage you to check out our website and YouTube Channel and follow us on LinkedIn.
If you want to learn more about your transition options, please get in touch with us.
You can also check out our Transition Guide on "3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business" for additional transition tips.
To stay connected, we'd recommend subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following us on LinkedIn.
Almost 80% of the junior military officers (JMOs) we help transition from the military to a business leadership career are either married or have significant others involved. This creates complexity in developing a transition strategy that makes it possible for the JMO and civilian spouse/significant other to reach their career goals. In this episode, you will learn transition strategies for JMOs with a professional spouse. You will want to listen to this podcast to hear how one couple pivoted their strategy after speaking with Cameron-Brooks and propelled their careers forward.
In this podcast, I interviewed Mark and Jade Rupinski. Mark, a former Army Logistics Officer, accepted a Senior Project Manager position with NextEra Energy Resources. Jade manages a legal office and will now open a new office for her firm in south Florida, near NextEra’s headquarters. The Challenge of Narrowing to One Location When I first met Mark in January this year, he had been applying for positions in Tampa, FL, because it would have been a good location for Jade’s career, and he thought it would have plenty of opportunities for him. After applying for many opportunities and even having some interviews, he realized that the positions and career paths did not allow him to step out and up from the military to business. He felt like most were a step down from what he had been doing. This is a typical experience when conducting a location-specific search. Involve Your Spouse or Significant Other Early Mark then brought Jade into our conversations, where we talked about how by allowing Mark to conduct a broader search than just Tampa, FL, he would more likely find the opportunities that would meet potential. The key would be how flexible Jade’s career could be on location. She went back to her firm, and they gave her eight cities where she could quickly move to. This allowed Mark to have nine interviews and multiple options for follow-up interviews and offers. Agree on a Strategy Before You Start the Career Search This is one of the most critical transition strategies for JMOs with a professional spouse. By having these conversations before they started their career search, Mark and Jade developed a strategy that allowed them to both reach their goals. To be sure, there is much complexity in managing two careers leaving the military. By gathering a lot of information well before their transition, clarifying their goals with each other, and Jade exploring options with her company, they set their goals and developed and plan. That is a recipe for success.
The mistake some couples make is that they do not gather all the information beforehand to understand their strategy's tradeoffs. They ended up waiting until they had offers from companies and then deciding. It is much better to have these difficult conversations and have an agreed-upon plan BEFORE getting too far along in the career search. Waiting can lead to making impulsive decisions or deciding under pressure.
My goal for this podcast is to show you another way to approach the transition. Have a dialogue with your spouse and create a strategy before you start the transition. I encourage you to ask questions of a professional like Cameron-Brooks to understand the tradeoffs of different strategies. You will then more likely reach your goals.
Want to learn more about how to make a successful transition? Contact Cameron-Brooks, and we can walk you through a 50+ year proven preparation program to ensure you succeed in the interview and your career.
To stay connected, we encourage you to check out our website and YouTube Channel and follow us on LinkedIn.
If you want to learn more about your transition options, please get in touch with us.
You can also check out our Transition Guide on "3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business" for additional transition tips.
To stay connected, we'd recommend subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following us on ...
Many Junior Military Officers (JMOs) transitioning to business are curious about what to expect in an interview and what hiring managers want to see or hear. From a high level, they wonder how they should communicate their experiences to business leaders. Then they even worry about the more minor details. Do they call the hiring manager by their first name or more formally? Do you have the same questions? Hear Directly from a Hiring Manager
You can listen to this podcast and hear directly from Erik Fihlman, who has hired JMOs for his global company for over ten years. Erik is also a former Navy officer, so he has been on both sides of the interview.
You will be surprised to learn that the most essential characteristic Erik looks for is someone who can carry on a conversation. This will blow the paradigm that an interview is a recruiter or hiring manager working down a list of questions; all the candidate does is provide answers. Instead, Erik explains he wants to speak to candidates who can share ideas back and forth, is naturally curious, and quickly builds rapport. He does not want a one-sided conversation. Attitude is More Important than Credentials Many JMOs think that knowing how to do the job is most important. Erik says that is not the case. He explains that he wants a winning attitude more than anything else. Someone optimistic who can succeed in adverse circumstances. He said he wants someone to collaborate with people within and outside the company. Erik, like many hiring managers who recruit from Cameron-Brooks, says he and other leaders in the company will teach the JMO how to do the job well.
Want to learn more about how to succeed in the interview? Contact Cameron-Brooks, and we can walk you through a 50+ year proven preparation program that will ensure you succeed in the interview and in your career.
To stay connected, we encourage you to check out our website and YouTube Channel and follow us on LinkedIn.
If you're interested in learning more about your transition options, please feel free to contact us.
You can also check out our Transition Guide on "3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business" for additional transition tips.
To stay connected, we'd recommend subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following us on LinkedIn.
We are honored to bring this episode to you. You might say it’s a story of “hoops to heroes”. Last year, Melissa Miles, Cameron-Brooks alumnus from 1994, approached Cameron-Brooks and shared with us a project that she and West Point teammates Melody Lutz and Dena Caradimitropoulo were working on. Melissa (Miss) and Dena were USMA class of ’81, and Melody was USMA class of ’84. Miss, Melody and Dena were among the first graduating classes with women at West Point (the first class with graduating women cadets was the class of 1980.). Basketball was the first varsity athletics team that women formed at West Point. Those three, along with many others, were pioneers as some of the original members of the Army Women’s Basketball team.
A few years ago, Miss and Dena formed a nonprofit organization with the purpose of commissioning a professional writer to tell this special story, as seen through the eyes of West Point leaders, team supporters, coaches, and Army women’s basketball players. It covers from the start of the program in 1976 to the present day. It also covers players’ military and professional careers and contributions. Among the book’s themes are leadership, service to country, resilience through adversity, athletic accomplishment, diversity, inclusion and more.
The story of women at West Point has been told from several angles but never from the viewpoint of the Army women’s basketball team. It tells the story of how the team helped acclimate women to the academy, gain their acceptance and further the institution’s athletic and academy ideals — literally going from hoops to heroes.
In addition to Miss and Melody, Royd Lutz, USMA ’84, also joined the conversation. He and Melody were classmates and have been married for nearly 40 years. He, too, is a Cameron-Brooks alumnus (1989) and brings an excellent perspective to the conversation as someone who had a front-row seat as women started attending West Point and the Army Women’s Basketball team was formed. Fun fact: Royd and Melody’s son, Cliff, is also a Cameron-Brooks alumnus (2017).
I hope you enjoy listening to the history of Army Women’s Basketball. You can grab a copy of the book, as well as learn more at www.hoopsandheroesbook.org. We plan to record additional episodes in the future highlighting more stories and experiences from the book. For now, enjoy!
If you’re interested in learning more about your transition options, contact us.
You can also check out our Transition Guide on “5 Common Mistakes Junior Military Officers (JMOs) Make Transitioning and How to Avoid Them” for additional transition tips.
To stay connected, we’d recommend subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following us on LinkedIn.
Welcome back for another special episode where we will give you keys to interview success! Rob Davis interviewed 3 of our most recent alumni from the April 2023 Career Conference for our post-April 2023 Conference review webcast. At the time of the interview, all three alumni had already accepted an offer of employment. These episodes are particularly valuable as it allows those who are planning to attend an upcoming or future Career Conference a glimpse behind the curtain to how everything transpired. It is also helpful for those just curious about how a Cameron-Brooks Conference runs.
Our featured alumni included:
Taylor Compton: Navy Submariner, USNA ’15 Applied Mathematics
Javy Rodriguez: Army Infantry, USMA ‘ 16 Economics
Zach Thompson: Army Armor, USMA ’15 Military History
In this episode, Rob spends the initial part of the webcast covering some of the details, statistics, etc. about the April 2023 Career Conference and sharing some of the companies that attended the Conference, types of roles represented, and even locations of the roles. He also shares a sample interview schedule of a candidate from the April 2023 Career Conference. It is valuable and interesting to hear about the variety of companies and positions that an officer could interview with. The fact that no two officers had an identical schedule demonstrates the Career Conference is personally tailored to each officer’s qualifications and preferences. This ain’t no job fair!
Some of the specific topics that were covered in this April Career Conference Recap included:
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- Key best practices leading up to the Conference that allowed the alumni to be successful.
- Did the Conference meet, exceed, or fall short of expectations?
- The biggest surprise from the Conference.
- Were the alumni’s preferences with regard to industries, positions, and location taken into account?
- How the follow-up interview process works.
The panel fielded questions from the live audience along the way, which really brought a ton of perspective to the conversation.
If you want to learn more about how Cameron-Brooks can help you in your transition process or more keys to interview success, please contact us.
To stay connected, we encourage you to check out our website and YouTube Channel and follow us on LinkedIn.
You can also check out our Transition Guide on “3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business” for additional transition tips.
Welcome back! We are pleased to welcome Connor Pratt to the podcast. Connor is a former USMC Logistics officer who attended the Cameron-Brooks Career Conference in January 2018— and the perfect example of how a prepared officer has options when making the transition to business. He spent eight years in the USMC and held many positions, including Battalion Maintenance Management Officer, Platoon Commander, Battalion Motor Transport Officer, and Joint Logistics Directorate Officer. Connor has a degree in Marine Transportation from the US Merchant Marine Academy. When he attended the Career Conference, he interviewed for roles in Team Leadership and General Management, Business Analysis, and Business-to-Business Sales.
Breaking Down Misconceptions
At the Career Conference, Connor interviewed with 15 different industry-leading companies, including Boston Scientific, Corning, Kaeser, and Altec. He intimately chose to work for Globus Medical, a world-leading spinal and trauma medical device company. He started his career in a business-to-business sales role, and we spent the first part of the conversation diving into his day-to-day work life. Because many Junior Military Officers have a skewed view of what life is like starting in a sales role, it is always good to hear from someone who has been at it for many years now and understand their perspective on the nature of the work.
A Prepared Officer Gets Results
Connor spent 13 months in the Cameron-Brooks Development and Preparation Program© (DPP) before attending the January 2018 Career Conference. During that time, Connor participated in a robust professional reading program, learned about the different career field options available to him, created a relevant and specific professional resume, and prepared to interview with multiple hiring managers. Through that in-depth preparation process, Connor attended the Career Conference and got every company he interviewed to pursue him. In this episode, he explains how he thoroughly engaged in the DPP to get those kinds of results.
Have Friends and HAVE FUN!
Connor’s friend, Chris Wilkeson, attended the November 2015 Career Conference. The two pieces of advice that Connor gives that helped him to be more successful through the process are: 1) keep in contact with those who went before you and 2.) have fun. The first seems logical; the second seems counter-intuitive. That said, the officers that are more successful at the Career Conference are those who are prepared and, thus, have the mentality to have fun. At the Conference, you will meet a wide variety of interesting and experienced business professionals. Those officers who see that as an opportunity tend to have more success through the process; that is just more fun!
To stay connected, we encourage you to check out our website and YouTube Channel and follow us on LinkedIn.
If you’re interested in learning more about your transition options, please feel free to contact us.
You can also check out our Transition Guide on “3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business” for additional transition tips.
To stay connected, we’d recommend subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following us on LinkedIn.
If you are a JMO, do you have what it takes to be a Development Candidate?
I interview thousands of JMOs a year who tell me they want to leave the military and continue their leadership career in business. They express the desire for increased responsibility and the opportunity to grow and develop to reach their full potential. They want to become a part of the top 10% of leaders in corporate America. I get excited; they describe what Roger Cameron labeled the Development Candidate in the early 1970s when he helped companies discover the JMO.
Ability to be a Development CandidateWhen Roger created this Development Candidate concept with his client companies 50+ years ago, he said it takes two things to be a Development Candidate: ability and desire. He then went on to say that ability is the easy part. Ability is the track record of success over time. A JMO who has been a leader and top performer in college and in the military, demonstrated by academic success and military evaluations, has the demonstrated ability to go on to a successful business career.
Desire to be a Development CandidateThe more challenging part of the equation is the desire. Too many JMOs want to be a Development Candidate but are not willing to make the necessary investments to become one. Specifically, in this podcast, I explain that I am hearing more and more JMOs say they want to be a Development Candidate but are unwilling to flex on exploring opportunities outside of their ideal geography. Roger would say that this has always been the challenge for high-potential JMOs, but I feel it has even become more so due to the recent pandemic and job boom.
The Challenge with Making Location the PriorityDuring the pandemic, many companies were hiring for remote positions, and most JMOs at a Cameron-Brooks Conference had the opportunity to interview for one. They could have “their cake and eat it too.” Additionally, in 2021 and 2022, the companies that emerged from the pandemic were eager to hire. It was probably one of the hottest job markets I experienced in 23 years at Cameron-Brooks. With that, those JMOs transitioning in 2021 and 2022 had more opportunities to land a great opportunity in an ideal location.
This has all changed, and we have returned to the pre-pandemic market. At the start of 2022, according to Inc. Magazine, 20% of all job postings on LinkedIn were remote. That declined to 13.2% in December 2022. They expect it to trend down as companies start promoting hybrid work in the office three to four days per week. Indeed, many people still work remotely, but companies and even new employees have found it is best to start a new career in person and then later go remote.
Second, the Fed is raising interest rates to increase unemployment, which takes the pressure off wages and reduces inflation. We are experiencing this here at Cameron-Brooks, returning to a normalized number of openings at the Conference (though starting salaries have continued to increase).
So as the economy settles, job openings normalize, and companies return to in-person work, are you ready to adjust your career search strategy to get on board a leading company that will value your unique skillset, invest in you, and hires you into a position that will lead to increased responsibility?
Unpopular but Sound AdviceI realize that my ideas may be less popular and can seem hard. Some reading this or listening to the podcast might think I am only providing this advice because it makes it easier for Cameron-Brooks to work with a candidate. I ask you to take a look at the top leaders in companies. How many returned to their home city out of the military or after college and had their entire career there? Very few. They went to where they could grow, develop, take on challenging assignments, and build their experience.
None of this says you should be able to move anywhere in the US or not have preferences. That is extreme. You can and should have preferences, but if you want to be a Development Candidate, you will need to prioritize the quality of the company, the position fit, and the career path if you’re going to reach the top-tier leadership positions of a company. By the way, this is the same advice I give my professional working daughters. The advice is the truth which is sometimes hard to hear or read.
I hope the podcast causes some reflection and dialogue.
Joel Junker
To stay connected, we encourage you to check out our website, and YouTube Channel, and follow us on LinkedIn.
If you’re interested in learning more about your transition options, please feel free to contact us.
You can also check out our Transition Guide on “3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business” for additional transition tips.
To stay connected, we’d recommend subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following us on LinkedIn.
Many blogs, books, and LinkedIn posts advocate negotiating the initial employment offer. Their advice sounds well-intentioned and thoughtful on the surface. They assume the company needs to provide a better offer, is holding back, and wants the candidate to negotiate. These resources provide the questions and statements to ask that will help the candidate earn more base salary, signing bonus, and potentially more vacation. Unfortunately, these well-intentioned advisors do not explain the risks of negotiating. When a candidate negotiates an offer, you are essentially turning down the initial offer and asking for a different one.
For 23 years, I have advised military officers on transitioning well into business. Transitioning well includes earning and accepting an offer professionally. When these officers bring up the idea of negotiating an offer, I first want to understand their reasons. If their primary reason is that is what they are being advised or read, I explain to them the downside before they start a negotiation. I explain that they would essentially be turning down the initial offer. There is a potential that the company could not just decline your request but withdraw the offer. I have not personally seen that happen, but I have heard companies consider it.
Put Yourself in the Hiring Manager’s PositionTake a moment to imagine this scenario where you are a hiring manager. You just interviewed this top-notch junior officer. You want this person on your team. You go through the appropriate approvals requesting a specific base salary, bonus potential, and benefits. You have just expended some of your professional capital to get this offer approved. You are excited to make this offer to the candidate you like. Now, you present the offer, and the candidate asks for $10K more, five more days of vacation, or a signing bonus. How would that make you feel? Probably not as excited about the candidate anymore. The relationship is not as strong as it once was.
Negotiating with Multiple OffersSometimes candidates want to negotiate offers if they have multiple offers pitting one offer against another, essentially trying to get the companies into a bidding war. My recommendation is that if they are close, do not do this. Hiring and human resources managers do not want to do this. Sometimes, I support a candidate in asking for additional compensation if two offers are wildly apart; and his or her favorite company is the lower offer. The candidate can go to the company and say, “You are my top company, is there additional consideration on the compensation?” This gets the conversation started. This is another critical point; if they deliver on a higher level, there is an expectation that you will accept. You asked, you received, and now you have to give back—quid pro quo.
Do not negotiate an offer with companies that are not your top choice. Be professional. If you negotiate, you are telling the company they are your top choice. What if they respond positively and you decline the offer? No harm, right? You are not going to work there. Wrong, small world; the business world is even smaller. Be professional and protect your brand and the brand for military officers entering business careers.
Negotiating and working with a Recruiting FirmYou should not have to negotiate if you are working with a recruiting firm like Cameron-Brooks. The recruiting firm should work with the companies before they start the interview process to advertise and deliver their best offers. Are there times Cameron-Brooks’ candidates negotiate? Occasionally, but it is rare because the companies advertise compensation and benefits packages before they interview, and when they offer, they deliver on those ranges. Cameron-Brooks clients know that hiring candidates who come through our program is competitive. They do a lot of work before the interview process to present their best offers to the officers at the end of the hiring process.
Want to learn more about negotiating offers as a military officer entering a business career? Listen to the full podcast. I go more in-depth on all of these points.
To stay connected, we encourage you to check out our website, YouTube Channel, and follow us on LinkedIn.
If you’re interested in learning more about your transition options, contact us.
You can also check out our Transition Guide on “3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business” for additional transition tips.
To stay connected, we’d recommend subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following us on LinkedIn.
Welcome back for a special episode where we will give you keys to interview success! Pete Van Epps interviewed 3 of our most recent alumni from the January 2023 Career Conference for our post-January 2023 Conference review webcast. At the time of the interview, all three alumni had already accepted an offer of employment. We really enjoy doing this type of episode because it gives those who are planning to attend a future Career Conference (or those who are curious about the details of the conference) a “peek over the fence” to how exactly everything went down.
Our featured alumni included:
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- Hannah Legler: Lieutenant, Navy Helicopter Pilot, USNA ’13
- Eric Poletti: Lieutenant, Navy Submariner, USNA ’16
- Wyatt Boyd: Captain, Army Field Artillery, USMA ’18
In this episode, Pete spends a few minutes going over some facts and figures about the January 2023 Conference as well as sharing some of the companies that attended the Career Conference and the types of roles they represented. He also shares the interview schedule of a candidate from the Conference. Hearing the breadth of companies that just one officer interviewed with is very interesting. The variety of interviews, coupled with the fact that no two officers had an identical schedule, highlights that the career conference is personally tailored to fit the officer’s needs and wants.
Some of the specific topics that were covered included:
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- The biggest surprise from the Conference
- The most beneficial thing you did to prepare for the interview
- Differences between the interviews at the Conference and in the Follow-up process
The panel fielded questions from the live audience along the way, which really brought a ton of perspective to the conversation.
If you want to learn more about how Cameron-Brooks can help you in your transition process or more keys to interview success, please contact us.
To stay connected, we encourage you to check out our website and YouTube Channel and follow us on LinkedIn.
You can also check out our Transition Guide on “3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business” for additional transition tips.
The key to career progression is initiative! In this episode, I am glad to introduce Chris Benson. Chris is a former USMC Field Artillery officer who attended the January 2014 Career Conference. After the follow-up interview process concluded, he received multiple offers for employment and ultimately chose to work for INVISTA. INVISTA, a company within Koch Industries, is one of the world’s largest integrated producers of polymers, chemicals, and fibers.
Why INVISTA?
Chris earned many offers through his process but said one of the main reasons he chose INVISTA was because of their guiding principles. Koch Industries operates using Principle Based Management and fosters a culture of empowering employees to build the organization and serve their customers. Even within INVISTA, Chris was given multiple job offers and chose the role to start as a Shift Supervisor because the work closely related to what he did in the USMC. The interesting thing about it is that he decided to work for INVISTA after he met them, not before. Sometimes I see military officers make a decision about who they want to work for before ever meeting them. Chris does a great job sharing why he chose INVISTA and how he arrived at his decision.
6 Jobs in 9 Years
That’s right, 6 jobs in 9 years. Some may say that sounds a lot like the military. Make no mistake, Chris is a development candidate and earned each of the promotions he received along the way. He attributes his success to a willingness to learn new things and volunteer for initiatives outside of his direct sphere of responsibility. In doing so, he said he expanded his capabilities, which led to different roles availing themselves to him. In a word, he took the initiative and owned his career. In Corporate America, companies leverage their ability to empower people who want to be empowered.
We spent time talking about the different roles he has held at INVISTA, the challenges of working through a “restructure,” and leveraging location preferences to continue to grow professionally.
Some advice that Chris passes along to JMOs is to be a life-long learner and take the initiative- as long as you take the initiative, opportunities are everywhere.
A couple of books that he recommended are What Leaders Really Do by John Kotter and Good Profit by Charles Koch.
To stay connected with Cameron-Brooks, I encourage you to check out our website, YouTube Channel, follow us on LinkedIn.
If you’re interested in learning more about your career options and how to make the most of your military to business transition, contact us.
You can also check out our Transition Guide on “3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business” for additional transition tips.
To stay connected, we’d recommend subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following us on LinkedIn.
Welcome back to another episode of the PCS to Corporate America Podcast, where we answer the burning question…”How will the 2023 economy affect JMO career options?”
This episode is the second half of an interview I did with Cameron-Brooks CEO Chuck Alvarez. Chuck and I reviewed JMO to business career transition best practices and the outlook for 2023. I recorded the full interview on December 15, 2022, in a webcast format that you can watch here. You can also listen to the first of the interview in Episode 164.
What We Covered in Episode 164 (Part 1) – Trends for 2022* Why Cameron-Brooks client companies continue to have high demand for Junior Officer leaders. * Why Cameron-Brooks client companies hiring demand remained robust, and why we had many more open positions than candidates. * Transition lessons we learned in 2022 that every JMO should know in preparing to make a pivot to a business leadership career.
What We Cover in Episode 165 (Part 2) – Outlook and Best Practices for 2023* A recession-proof transition strategy and preparation plan if we happen to encounter a downturn. * Transition missteps to avoid. * Why it is so important to avoid job hopping in your first 3 to 5 years out of the military. * How the Cameron-Brooks Career Search Strategy helps JMOs develop a track record of success in business.
I hope you enjoy both podcasts.
To stay connected, we encourage you to check out our website, YouTube Channel, follow us on LinkedIn.
If you’re interested in learning more about your career options and how to make the most of your military to business transition, contact us.
You can also check out our Transition Guide on “3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business” for additional transition tips.
To stay connected, we’d recommend subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following us on LinkedIn.
Happy New Year! All of us at Cameron-Brooks hope you had a wonderful Holiday Season and feel refreshed to reach your goals in 2023.
At the end of every year, I interview Cameron-Brooks CEO, Chuck Alvarez, to review JMO to business career transition best practices and get his outlook for the following year. We record this in a Webcast video format that you can watch here. If you prefer to listen to it, follow the links in this post. We started this at the end of 2020 to educate officers on the unique JMO transition lessons learned during the pandemic. We received so much positive feedback; we made this an annual event.
While it seems the virus is now just a part of our lives and a new way of living, it is still making an impact on the economy. We are experiencing inflation, the federal reserve raising interest rates, and some lingering supply chain issues. The combination of these issues raised the dreaded “R” word – recession to hit the news.
This caused many JMOs to ask questions about what we expect in the next year. Chuck speaks with hundreds of business leaders every month and has a pulse for hiring demand across just about all industries. Thus, he has a unique perspective on the economy and hiring.
We divided the conversation into 2 podcast episodes.
Episode 164 (Part 1) – Trends for 2022* Why Cameron-Brooks client companies continue to have so much demand for Junior Officer leaders. * Our client companies’ demand remained robust, and we had many more open positions than candidates. * JMO Transition lessons we learned in 2022 that every officer should know in preparing to make a pivot to a business leadership career.
Don’t Miss Episode 165 (Part 2) – Outlook and Best Practices for 2023You do not want to miss the second half of the conversation. Tune into Episode 165, which will post on January 31. Chuck describes a blueprint to recession-proof your transition if we happen to encounter a downturn. His advice will ensure you find a great fit, establish yourself in a business career and avoid the common pitfalls of being underemployed or job hopping the first few years out of the military.
We hope you enjoy both podcasts.
To stay connected, we encourage you to check out our website, YouTube Channel, and follow us on LinkedIn.
If you’re interested in learning more about your transition options, contact us.
You can also check out our Transition Guide on “3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business” for additional transition tips.
To stay connected, we’d recommend subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following us on LinkedIn.
If you were ever wondering about military-to-corporate history or the history of Cameron-Brooks, this is the episode for you. On this show, we welcome Mary Lou White to the program. Mary Lou is one of the founding members of Cameron-Brooks and has been helping Junior Military Officers move from the military to Corporate America for over 45 years! As you can imagine, she has seen a lot in that time.
In this episode, we take it all the way to the beginning. As a native of California, she met Roger Cameron and Rene Brooks. Roger and Rene were both working for a company names Career Seminars at that time. The company worked with JMOs but also did other types of recruiting. After Career Seminars underwent a restructuring, Roger and Rene decided to build their own company focused on helping military officers transition to the business world. The rest, as they say, is military-to-corporate history.
Mary Lou takes us on a journey from the early days of Cameron-Brooks, her favorite candidate (spoiler alert: she married him), life before technology, and the way things “used to be.” Throughout our conversation, there were a few things I took away:
- Mary Lou is a very special person. She’s funny, insightful, and dedicated. Her enthusiasm and attention to detail are unparalleled. She has devoted her career, over four and half decades, to the meaningful work of helping others reach their professional goals. In the process, she built an encyclopedic body of knowledge and a Rolodex (see what I did there) of lasting relationships.
- The more things change, the more they stay the same. Though the technology, equipment, processes, and people have changed along the way, the core mission of Cameron-Brooks has never wavered. Our goal is to change peoples’ lives by helping them reach their professional goals and dreams. Through Mary Lou’s experience, I think that message comes through loud and clear.
- Emulate Mary Lou! By that, I mean be servant-hearted. I’ve known her for about 20 years, and I can say with absolute certainty that she demonstrates a servant’s heart in everything that she does, and it’s one of the things that has allowed her to be so successful at Cameron-Brooks through the years.
I hope you enjoyed listening to this episode as much as I enjoyed recording it.
We are proud of the role we’ve played in military-to-corporate history. Contact us if you’re interested in learning more about your transition options.
You can also check out our Transition Guide on “3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business” for additional transition tips.
We recommend subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following us on LinkedIn to stay connected.
Learning how to use your technical aptitude to propel your career is our focus for this Episode. We welcome back Chazz Hoskins. Chazz was featured on Episode 82 of the Cameron-Brooks podcast. This podcast is a career check-in, but as a reminder, Chazz is a former Air Force Development Engineer who transitioned to Lam Research. Chazz’s last job in the Air Force was as a data analyst working on missile telemetry within a fighter squadron.
Lam is foundational to the semiconductor industry, and they make the machines that make some of the most sophisticated semiconductors in the world. From the Career Conference, Chazz was able to evaluate multiple employment offers, so we spent a couple of minutes exploring why he chose to launch his business career at Lam.
He started at Lam as a Pilot Manufacturing Engineer. His job was to manage the component supply chain, quality surveillance, contingencies for faulty components, safety and cost implications, and create documentation for manufacturing procedures. Being a Pilot Manufacturing Engineer, he orchestrated the first build of the newest products that helped the company compete with the latest innovation.
What is your problem-solving methodology?
Considering the importance of his role “on the bleeding edge of technology,” I wanted to understand better how someone goes from doing missile telemetry in the Air Force to building some of the most important semiconductor machines in the world, as those two things are not related. It all comes back to knowing how to use your technical aptitude to propel your career. If you took nothing else away from this podcast, remember this: in an interview where you are a non-traditional candidate, be prepared to describe your problem-solving methodology. Regardless of the industry or product, your leadership in problem-solving is what corporate America is looking for in the technical JMO.
Stay Connected to Cameron-Brooks!
His next role brought him to Silfex, a division of Lam. Silfex supplies the entire semiconductor industry with critical, high-purity silicone components. Silfex was building a new plant in Dayton, Ohio, and Chazz took a shot at the Quality Engineer position. To prepare for the role, he called Rob Davis, one of the Transition Coaches at Cameron-Brooks, and Rob helped to prepare him for the interview. He aced the interview and got the job. As a Quality Engineer, he ensures “no bad products escape the plant.” He said if that happens, it can cause millions in damage to Lam’s customers.
Do you want to make a successful military-to-business transition like Chazz? Do you want to be in a top leadership role at a leading company? If you do, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel to help you get there. You can follow former military officers who have become key business leaders‘ steps for career success.
If you’re interested in learning more about your transition options, contact us.
You can also check out our Transition Guide on “3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business” for additional transition tips.
To stay connected, we’d recommend subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following us on LinkedIn.
Successfully transitioning from military officer to business leader is a strategic multistep process. In my 23 plus years as a military to business headhunter and recruiter, I have coached 5,000+ junior officers through the 8 stages of a military to business transition.
In this 30-minute podcast, I explain the 8 Stages of the Transition to give you a roadmap to help you reach your goals. Like any roadmap, I help you identify your destination, the different routes to get there and where you can take disastrous wrong turns and how to avoid them.
Before I jump into the 8 Stages of the Transition, I devote time to defining the successful transition. It's critical you understand the difference between just finding a job with good pay and location and truly establishing yourself in a new industry, company and career field. The latter is the successful transition and requires the 8 Stages. The former is landing a new job and only requires about 3 or 4 of the Stages. The 8 Stages will seem like overkill if you just want a job, but if you want to truly transition from a military officer to a business leader and transform your career, you will want to walk through each phase well.
Stage 1: Questioning This stage takes place sometime in your military career. You start questioning if you are in the correct career. You start to ask yourself the following questions:
Is the military the career I want to reach my personal and professional goals? Do I have the life I want? Is my work and life in balance? Do I want to spend this much time away from home? Do I enjoy this work? Am I interested in something else?
These questions help you understand if you are on the right path. If you feel good about your answers and where you are, you are done! Stay in the military for now. You might return to this stage later in your career. If your answers cause you to question your military career, you will move to stage two. Stage 2: Discovery If you made it to this step, you have had this thought or feeling you should consider leaving the military. If you really want to ensure that leaving the military is right for you, you have to define what problem you are addressing. You want to ask yourself the following questions:
Is this a quality of life issue? Is this a question of reaching my professional potential? Is it that I am more interested in some other career other than the military? Am I looking for more control over my career? Am I looking for a career with more upside and pay and promotion based on performance?
Stage 3: Clarity Stage Once you have clarified what problem you are solving by leaving the military, you want to set goals. The first two stages are helpful in learning why you are leaving, but "A" players don't just leave; they "go toward" something. So you want to set some goals. Ask yourself the following questions:
What does my personal and professional life look like in 5 years? What kind of work am I doing? What skills am I using? What am I learning What type of people am I working with? What does my personal and family life look like?
I recommend getting a journal and writing out your answers to all questions in each stage. Your answers will be helpful to return to if you ever question your decision. Stage 4: Develop the Plan In the previous phase, you set your goal or objective. Like a good military leader, now you need a plan to reach your objective. To help you create a plan for going from military officer to business leader, ask yourself:
How many opportunities would I like to interview with? What does my network look like to line up interviews? Can I go it alone, or do I know people who can help me? Should I reach out to military recruiting firms? Attend job fairs? How will I prepare? Who has done this before that can help me understand what I need to do to prepare?
Stage 5: Prepare
Welcome back to another episode of the Cameron-Brooks Podcast. In Episode 157, I talked about the similarities of financial investing and managing your career for future opportunities— which ties right into why finding the right opportunity fit is more important than location. After I recorded that podcast, I wanted to find an alum who modeled this. Coincidently, I spoke with C-B Alumnus Chris Parks that day. Chris called asking me for advice. He just had an incredible offer to leave his current company and be a Director of Sales at another company. Chris had only been out of the military for 5 years, so this was very fast to be considered for a Director level position.
During my conversation with Chris, I asked him how he earned such an opportunity so quickly. He credited it to two decisions he made in the transition. I asked if he would share those decisions on our podcast. Decision 1 Chris agrees: The right opportunity is more important than location, so he prioritized opportunity. Chris accepted a position in sales with Pactiv Evergreen in Sacramento, CA through Cameron-Brooks in 2018. He said, "California was the last place I wanted to go." However, the company really needed someone there and explained if he did well, he could move. After 18 months of hitting his sales goals, Chris took a promotion to his ideal location in New Hampshire. He invested, made a sacrifice and got a huge return in 18 months - great job, ideal location. Decision 2 Chris said he then prioritized the fit with the company over what some would say are more exciting industries. Pactiv Evergreen is a packaging materials company. Chris sold packaging materials mostly to restaurants and other food-related companies. He would be the first to say selling software gets a lot more attention from people at a cocktail party. However, he just really clicked with the other people at his company and customers. That great fit allowed him to thrive. What are the lessons? Getting into the right role where you can excel early can help you achieve faster promotions. Additionally, you are more likely to thrive if you are in an environment that "fits" you. The location on a map or a zip code or the type of product you sell will not really contribute to your career success as much as the opportunity and the people you work with.
Chris' story will cause you to think about how to make the transition and what to prioritize. Just remember...the right opportunity is more important than location and can have a lifelong impact on your career.
Do you want to make a successful military to business transition like Chris? Do you want to be in a top leadership role at a leading company? If you do, you don't need to reinvent the wheel to help you get there. You can follow former military officers who have become key business leaders' steps for career success.
If you're interested in learning more about your transition options, contact us.
You can also check out our Transition Guide on "3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business" for additional transition tips.
To stay connected, we'd recommend subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following us on LinkedIn.
Let's dive into an economic discussion for transitioning JMOs. As military officers consider moving from the military to corporate America, we often receive questions about the state of the economy. These questions typically come in a few different forms, but the question behind the question is this: will the economy support my transition from the military, and will I find employment that is meaningful and commensurate with my level of leadership and experience? The question is extremely logical. Many officers consider leaving the military for a myriad of reasons, but regardless of the reason, the military is perceived as a safe option, and so they want to ensure their transition to Corporate America will be successful.
This episode has two parts. The first part is a discussion that Joel Junker and Pete Van Epps had recently about the state of the economy. They basically have an economy discussion for transitioning JMOs where they talk about employment situations, both past, and present, as well looked into some of the historically worst economic downturns in our current times and how JMOs have faired through them. That essentially led to making this (obvious) point: no one can predict the economy. Yes, there is a lot of noise in the media as experts predict what is to come. We are not suggesting you ignore what you are hearing. What we do encourage is to gather information, weigh your options and build a plan based on your future goals. We can help with that. As mentioned in the podcast, our three Transition Coaches have over 45 years of combined experience in helping military officers explore and navigate the uncertain waters of leaving the military and launching a career in the business world. You can explore our Transition Guides to learn more.
The second part of the interview is a recording of a webcast that Pete did with four of our most recent alumni from the August 2022 Career Conference. The conversation was lively and enlightening. Here are a few of the questions we discussed in the webcast:
Biggest surprise about the Conference? What did you do REALLY WELL before the Conference that helped you? What do you wish you would have done DIFFERENTLY knowing what you know now? What is the biggest thing you LEARNED at the Conference? Favorite interview and why? How did you decide on the company you said yes to? What were some of the most important criteria that went into the decision? One pro tip for those attending a future Conference?
If you're interested in learning more about your transition options, contact us.
To stay connected, we'd recommend subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following us on LinkedIn.
Welcome back to another episode of the Cameron-Brooks Podcast. Do you want to make a successful transition from military to business? Do you want to be in a top leadership role of a leading company? If you do, you don't need to reinvent the wheel to help you get there. You can follow former military officers who have become key business leaders' steps for career success.
One such former military officer I recommend following is Ben Berkowick. I first met Ben in Pensacola, FL in December of 2008. At that time, Ben was a Navy Naval Flight Officer preparing to make the transition to business the following year. Do you recall the Great Recession of 2009? Ben made the transition during one of the weakest job markets in the last 60 years. Not only did he successfully land a position in sales with Biosense Webster, a division of Johnson & Johnson, but he also went on to several promotions and is now an Area Vice President of Sales with Biosense Webster.
In this podcast, Ben and I cover: Ben's 5 Steps for Success Ben had a 5 step plan to reach his goal of becoming an Area Vice President of Sales.
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Set a goal, make your plan and execute your plan
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Ask for feedback - early and often
3. Get a mentor - PLEASE! (Major emphasis here!)
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Take Risks
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Don't rush it Find Mentors Inside and Outside of the Company While Ben has 5 steps for success, we zero in on the importance of finding mentors. Ben shares how mentors act as a confidential sounding board for ideas and challenge you. They help you navigate career choices and experiences. Another way to look at it, they are often guides who have knowledge or insight into your career path and can offer insight on how to navigate that path. Mentors are like trails, hiking or Sherpas, who help you navigate a path you haven't been down before. They have intimate knowledge of the best strategies to walk or hike the trail to the summit and pitfalls to avoid. Wouldn't you want someone's help who has been up that trail before? Take Action and Find Mentors Ben and I challenge listeners to find a mentor in the next 90 days. We explain the work you need to do before approaching a mentor, how to approach the person and then how to set up the relationship.
Often people are afraid to reach out to others to be a mentor. Our experience is that people want to help and look forward to these types of relationships. With our challenge and guidance in this podcast, you will have the playbook on how to start a mentor relationship.
Whether you are in the military, just starting your career journey or are a seasoned business leader, Ben's 5 step plan with a focus on finding a mentor will help you continue to reach your personal and professional potential.
If you're interested in learning more about your transition options, contact us.
You can also check out our Transition Guide on "3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business" for additional transition tips.
To stay connected, we'd recommend subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following us on LinkedIn.
I like to use the lessons of investing to help Junior Military Officers (JMOs) understand the tradeoffs and choices they will make during their career search process. In this podcast, I walk through the value of investing early in your life. I share the financial benefits of sacrificing today for reaching financial and career goals in the future. Chiefly, I explain how that same investing discipline applies to making sacrifices and tradeoffs early in your career, leading to reaching your career goals. The Value of Investing Early You can search online about the benefits of investing early and the almost impossible nature of trying to reach financial goals by starting later. When you do, you will find tables and charts like the one I found from USAA. The article states the amount you will have at age 65 if you start saving $250 a month starting at different ages (it assumes an eight percent average annual investment return).
If you start at age:
25: You’ll accumulate $878,570 by age 65
35: You’ll accumulate $375,073 by age 65
45: You’ll accumulate $148,236 by age 65
There are huge advantages to investing early and often. You will end up in a lot better place at 65 if you start young. How this Relates to Career Management Invest in your career when you are young, and you will reach your goals later.
I encourage you to start with your career goals. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Do you see yourself as an executive development candidate? If so, you need to be on that path at the 5-year mark and have a strong track record of success with a leading company in a development role. To do that, you want to avoid the common mistakes in the transition out of the military and avoid any do-overs. It doesn't work if you say you want to be a key business leader in 10 years but wait for 5 years to gain the experience to get there. You just can't catch up.
This is just like investing. Want to retire at 65? Determine how much money you will need at that point. Then, work backward. What do you need to save each month to get there? It will be a lot easier if you start investing when you are young versus in your late 30s or 40s. You might not even be able to catch up and reach your goals if you wait until you are middle-aged. Some Investments You Might Have to Make in Your Career Easier investments include:
Reading books to advance your knowledge Finding and spending time with mentors Earning certifications Taking time to prepare for competitive interviews
Harder investments (significant sacrifices) include:
Location (the big one). I hear many officers tell me how they want to be a leader in a growing company that will invest in them. Yet, in the next sentence they tell me they will only consider one state or city.
Let's go back to the investing analogy. If I have $1,000 and my goal is to retire when I am 65, but I also like to golf and eat out. I have a choice on how I am going to prioritize using that $1,000. I might try to find a way to do all three, but that is hard. One of those needs to be the top priority. The same is true with a career search. Which goal is your priority?
Other significant career investments include working on shifts and travel. I cover all of these in the podcast. Reaching Your Goals Takes Investment and Sacrifice There isn’t a shortcut to your goals. You will have to make some sacrifices and tradeoffs. Every successful person I know has a story about the investment they made in their success. Find someone you view who has a successful career, and ask him or her how they got there. Listen, and you will hear sacrifices. Do you admire someone’s family or their marriage? Ask them the secret, listen you will hear about investment/sacrifices and tradeoffs they made to have that type of marriage and family.
Forbes has a great article on managing your career. This is a great place to start.
If you're interested in learning more about you...
When you hear the phrase “Corporate America,” what imagery immediately comes to mind? Personally, my brain first goes to a fictional photo of Wall Street – probably something snapped in the mid-1990s that would be found in a dusty textbook. My mind forms lots of gray buildings and gray suits.
However, I think this idea of Corporate America is a stereotype where a lot of misconceptions about business are founded.
I’ve had multiple conversations with military officers who have told me something along the lines of, “I don’t want business, I want project management.” I think the knee-jerk reaction to this statement stems from our stereotypes (e.g., the Corporate America imagery exercise above). Because of these conversations, Pete and I decided to tackle the five most common misconceptions about business we hear when speaking with junior military officers on the podcast. 5 Common Misconceptions About Business
Corporate America = Wall Street
Is Wall Street part of Corporate America? Absolutely! However, it doesn’t make up the entirety (or even the majority) of the private sector. Let’s zoom out for a moment. There are three categories we can use to distinguish economic sectors: public (the military), private, and non-profit. Anything that is not classified as public or non-profit would fall into the private sector category. And Corporate America wants to bring value to their customers! Think about your favorite candy bar, pair of shoes and car washing service, for example.
Lack of mission and heart for service
Few professions will have the same sense of service, duty and honor to country. However, every company is mission-oriented. You’ll find pharmaceutical companies that are conducting research to help patients live with rare diseases or companies that work every day to help save the environment. Every company is made up of people just like you and me! Good people doing good work.
“Make a buck” mentality
The idea that the private sector is full of “money mongering” suits is another stereotype. Profit is important to companies because they have to pay employees, pay bills, re-invest in the business and want to have the ability to donate to different causes. Without profit, companies would cease to exist! Even non-profits have to have a cash flow.
Career fields
Corporate America is more than just Wall Street finance. We represent a variety of career fields, including business analysis, corporate engineering, manufacturing, operations, marketing, IT and professional sales. If you don’t want a “desk job,” you don’t HAVE to be in one. There are SO many career field options available in the private sector. If you’d like to explore this topic more, check out our “Career Options” webinar.
Pay and benefits aren’t as good as the military
The military offers great benefits! However, if the differences were that drastic, wouldn’t everyone want to serve in the military? Our client companies keep pay and benefits competitive in order to attract and retain talent.
AND – we add a bonus misconception at the end of the podcast episode. We encourage you to give it a listen!
If you're interested in learning more about your transition options, contact us.
You can also check out our Transition Guide on "3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business" for additional transition tips.
To stay connected, we'd recommend subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following us on LinkedIn.
One of the programs that the Department of Defense (DoD) recently launched is the Skillbridge program. Skillbridge is an opportunity for transitioning service members and their spouses to gain valuable civilian work experience through specific industry training, apprenticeships, and internships. The program assists retiring and transitioning service members by allowing them to participate in industry training programs while transitioning out of their military careers.
Cameron-Brooks is an approved DoD Skillbridge provider, and we have had many officers participate in the Skillbrige program as they prepared for a move to Corporate America. When officers participate in Skilbridge with Cameron-Brooks, they are afforded valuable time to prepare for up to 13 or 14 interviews with industry-leading companies where they meet hiring managers and decision-makers. This preparation gives military officers the training and confidence they need to connect their background, demonstrate interest, ask relevant questions and close each interview.
In this episode, you'll meet Quinton Cookis. Quinton is a former USMC Logistics officer who attended our June 2022 Career Conference after successfully completing the Skillbridge program. Before starting the Skillbridge program, Quinton worked with the Cameron-Brooks team for nearly two years. All the while, he managed a very busy full-time job while also spending time outside of work increasing his business knowledge and conducting self-analysis, which led to effective interview preparation.
In this podcast, Quinton and I discuss...
What he thought was the biggest benefit of doing the Skillbridge program How he was able to take the skills he learned along the way and transfer them to his fellow transitioning officers A behind-the-scenes look at his Career Conference and Follow-Up Interview experience
Considering he'd just attended the Conference a few weeks before recording this episode, he was able to give a very fresh and up-to-date look at the Cameron-Brooks interview process.
Finally, we close the interview by Quinton giving advice to those who are considering a transition and considering engaging in the Skillbridge program with Cameron-Brooks.
If you're interested in learning more about why companies hire from Cameron-Brooks, contact us!
You can also check out our Transition Guide on "3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business" for additional transition tips.
To stay connected, we'd recommend subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following us on LinkedIn.
This month I celebrate my 23rd year at Cameron-Brooks! Wow, time flies! Funny thing is that I still think of myself as a new team member at Cameron-Brooks because I am always learning something new, and each JMO I work with is unique.
Even though I look at myself as someone new to the business, I know I am a seasoned veteran with lots of experience and knowledge on how to make the transition from military to business. I've helped thousands of military officers find new careers, and I've spent a lot of time recording feedback from client companies. Hiring managers are often looking for similar key characteristics in the interview.
JMOs know this, and most ask me a simple, straightforward, yet important question when they first meet me, "Joel, what are the key characteristics I need to bring out in an interview to be successful?"
While I love learning new things, the answer to that really has not changed in my time. They are the same three characteristics Roger Cameron, the founder of the JMO to Business industry, taught me when I transitioned in 1999. 3 Key Characteristics Hiring Managers Look for in a JMO:
Demonstrating ability to do the job. Depending on the position, the types of abilities change, but they center around leading people and projects, solving problems and demonstrating potential for increased responsibility. Demonstrating interest in the company and position. Recruiters want to know you did your research and hear what resonated with you. They want you to ask questions and be curious about the role and the impact you can make. This is an area where many JMOs initially struggle. I don't think asking a lot of questions and making compliments is something that is naturally done in the military so it is harder to relate to interviewing. Yet, demonstrating interest is critical and can make or break an interview. Building rapport with the recruiter(s), or in other words, being likable. Recruiters want to hire people customers, suppliers, management and team members want to be around. In business, we get to choose who we hire and work with. That is not necessarily true in the military. You lead the team, work for the commander and work with peers assigned to you. Those are great experiences and opportunities to learn how to work with different and challenging people. In business, we get to choose. We value and appreciate diverse backgrounds and thoughts, but we also want to work with people we genuinely get along with.
In the podcast, I dive deeper into these three areas and provide tips on how to prepare for and execute in an interview for each area.
If you're interested in learning more about why companies hire from Cameron-Brooks, contact us!
You can also check out our Transition Guide on "3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business" for additional transition tips.
To stay connected, we'd recommend subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following us on LinkedIn.
What is the formula to launching a successful business career? And what does a "successful business career" mean for a military officer who wants to transition? We define this concept more HERE, but wanted to share a story of how a Cameron-Brooks alum utilized three strategies to successfully transition with a long-term goal in mind.
When we published the Transition Guide "3 Game Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business", I thought about many of our Alumni who executed these strategies perfectly and are now achieving the personal and professional success they envisioned when leaving the military. They committed to investing in their careers early by getting on board an industry leading company that valued their JMO experience and built a track record of success within the first 3 to 5 years. They made tradeoffs such as time to get their MBA, starting in a good location but not the ideal location and avoiding easy assignment for the tough ones that moved their organization forward.
I specifically thought of a friend, Notre Dame classmate of mine and Cameron-Brooks Alumnus, Dan Farrell. Dan transitioned from the Army in 1999 to Kraft Foods in Brand Management in Chicago, IL. Despite his family in Florida and South Bend, IN, Dan explored a broad range of options to include winery operations in California, corporate procurement in retail operations in Texas, marketing with Kraft Foods in Chicago, IL and many others. He chose a company that valued his background and provided the foundation for him to launch a career in to sales and marketing. Along the way, he earned his MBA at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Business. After 5 years with his track record of success, he moved back to his hometown of South Bend, IN. In fact, he moved into a home on the same block as his parents.
I get it when JMOs want the ideal location and best opportunity. I want the same thing for them. However, I get concerned about JMOs who want an engaging and fulfilling career and the ideal location. Prioritizing the ideal location immediately out of the transition could lead to a tradeoff on the quality of the opportunity. If Dan chose to prioritize South Bend immediately, most likely he would have taken a step down in opportunity, changed companies a couple of times in the first 5 years, and continued looking for an ideal career fit. Instead, he prioritized a premier opportunity. By doing so, he now lives in his ideal location, works remotely for a company based out of Nashville and is one of the top 5 people in his company.
Dan focused on the 3 Game-Changing Strategies:
Build a track record of success. Work for an industry leading company. Be a part of an organization that values the JMO skillset.
By following this formula, much like investing and saving early in personal finance, he is now reaping the rewards later in his career. You can learn more how he did it in this podcast and his advice to JMOs making the transition today.
If you're interested in learning more about why companies hire from Cameron-Brooks, contact us!
You can also check out our Transition Guide on "3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business" for additional transition tips.
To stay connected, we'd recommend subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following us on LinkedIn.
Welcome back to the podcast! In a recent episode, Joel, Hope, and I discussed the 3 Game-Changing Strategies that JMOs can employ to maximize their transition. The podcast is based on a recent transition guide with the same title. The first strategy we recommend is to find opportunities where a JMO can build a track record of success, typically within three to five years. In this episode, you will meet Mike Scheer. Mike is a former Army Special Operations officer who transitioned in 2014 after being an ODA Commander. Mike is someone who approached his career search with these strategies.
Mike launched his career at BIOTRONIK, a world leader in cardiac rhythm management (CRM) technology. Like most jobs that he went into in the military, Mike was thrown into a technical, challenging, and rewarding role. He was able to use his drive, emotional intelligence, and intellect to make an immediate impact for his customers. He launched his career in an industry-leading company and in a role that allowed him to build a strong track record of success.
After Mike's busiest customer relocated to a different part of Washington, Mike had an important decision to make - either move near his customer or use his track record to transition to another opportunity. He chose the latter and went to work for Nevro. Nevro is another industry-leading company! They provide neuromodulation solutions to help patients deal with chronic and debilitating pain. Mike began at Nevro without much momentum in his market, quickly built his territory and is continuing to expand it. His experience is another example of a non-traditional business candidate (JMO) getting into the right company and right position in order to build a track record that will continue to carry him to great successes in his career.
Mike also mentioned the book, Never Enough by Mike Hayes. Mr. Hayes is the former Commander of Seal Team 2 and Mike's former boss. I just ordered my copy and look forward to reading it. The proceeds of the book go to help pay off the mortgages for Gold Star Families.
I hope you enjoy listening to my conversation with Mike as much as I enjoyed the conversation.
If you're interested in learning more about why companies hire from Cameron-Brooks, contact us!
You can also check out our Transition Guide on "3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business" for additional transition tips.
To stay connected, we'd recommend subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following us on LinkedIn.
Today on the podcast, we tackle 3 recession myths every JMO should know. As I write this post, I am flying from El Paso to Denver for a week-long trip through the Southwest US to meet with Junior Officers preparing for their transitions. In my one-on-one meetings, officers are asking more
questions about the economy.
This makes sense with non-stop news about record inflation, the Fed raising interest rates to combat inflation (which will "cool" the economy), and a wildly fluctuating stock market. The news pundits and some key business leaders are warning that the risk of a recession in the next 12 to 18 months is increasing.
With 23 years of experience with Cameron-Brooks, I have experienced several significant events that sent our economy into a recession. These include the Tech Wreck and subsequent 9-11 attacks, the Great Recession of 2008 and 2009 and the Covid recession of 2020. There have been some other slowdowns during my time, but those are the big ones. My colleague and fellow Transition Coach, Rob Davis, has 22 years of business experience across the tech, building materials and military-to-business recruiting industries. He has similar experiences.
To help JMOs understand what we see happening in the market right now, where we think it might go, and what the past has taught us to expect, Rob wrote a Transition Guide: 3 Recession Myths Every Transitioning JMO Should Know. We also decided to record a podcast to expand on the Transition Guide and share our personal stories.
Our goal with the podcast is to help you learn that a successful transition, even during a recession (if and when it comes), is possible. Rob and I also explain why companies will continue to hire and how you can prepare.
During the podcast, we tackle recession myths and discuss:
Despite the economic uncertainty and fluctuating stock market, the job market remains strong due to the supply chain challenges caused by the pandemic, Baby Boomers continuing to retire, and dynamic changes from people changing careers during the pandemic. Unemployment remains at historic lows - well below 4%. That is the current situation, and it will take a seismic event, something like what Covid did to us in March of 2020, to drastically change it. IF we have a recession in the next 12 to 24 months, companies will continue to hire talent because they always need leaders and to build their leadership teams for the future. How do we know that? Because during all of the other recessions, even the brutal ones, companies continued to recruit and hire. There will be a recession at some point. That is why they call it an economic cycle. Nobody can predict when they will occur, so it is impossible to time the market. Your best strategy is to pursue your goals and be well prepared. Avoid "kicking the can" down the road. You won’t need to settle for a second-tier company or position if you do transition in a down economy. Top-tier companies will recruit for their most important positions. Finally, you will learn how to recession-proof your transition strategy.
If you're interested in learning more about why companies hire from Cameron-Brooks, contact us!
You can also check out our Transition Guide on "3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business" for additional transition tips.
To stay connected, we'd recommend subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following us on LinkedIn.
Welcome back to the Cameron-Brooks podcast. 2017 Cameron-Brooks Alumnus Nick Henderson and I talk about the recently published Cameron-Brooks Transition Guide, "3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business". Nick is a Consultant with Russell Reynolds Associates (RRA), a leading executive search and leadership advisory company. Nick is a great example of making the successful transition from the military to business. In five years, Nick has created a track record of success with an industry-leading company that values military officers. He has been one of the top-performing Consultants among his peers.
Not only did Nick take time to do this episode with me, but he has also been a great advisor to other military officers considering and making a transition. He is always volunteering his time to help others succeed. Additionally, he is involved with onboarding and developing new JMOs at RRA.
While Nick and I address how he used the three strategies of making a transition, the major point Nick communicated is that while checklists are critical to success in the military (he should know, he is a former Naval Aviator), they will only take you so far in business. To be successful, you will need to think creatively, ask a lot of questions, seek out mentors and approach challenges from many different angles.
I want to say a special thanks to Nick for taking his time, sharing his experience and knowledge and always being willing to assist other JMOs.
If you're interested in learning more about why companies hire from Cameron-Brooks, contact us!
You can also check out our Transition Guide on "3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business" for additional transition tips.
To stay connected, we'd recommend subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following us on LinkedIn.
What is a transition strategy? Do you need one? We tackle this topic on our most recent Cameron-Brooks podcast episode. Today, we're hosting another round-table discussion with Joel Junker and Pete Van Epps to share with you our THREE game-changing strategies for junior military officers
looking to make the jump to business and WHY it's important to have transition strategies put in place.
Deciding to step out of a career in government and into a career in the private sector is a BIG step. Our team works hard to provide different career planning strategies to the officers in our program ... and today, we wanted to SHARE some of these strategies with YOU.
Everyone knows the old adage, "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail." One of the biggest missteps we see officers make when approaching a transition is assuming your military experience is sufficient preparation to successfully move to Corporate America AND/OR not starting transition research far enough in advance. Having a strategy is KEY to putting the right foot forward.
So, what ARE the three strategies?
Find opportunities where you can build a track record of success, typically within three to five years. Work for an industry-leading company that provides the right number of experiences and opportunities to lead early in a career. Work for an organization that values the JMO experience and provides opportunities to achieve results, setting the foundation for the future.
We expand on these strategies during our discussion and discuss how they are important to long-term transition success. After listening to this episode, we hope you walk away with additional insights on how to approach your transition strategy and career search.
To learn more about career and transition strategies, check out our (free!) transition guide on the subject. Interested in exploring your options with Cameron-Brooks? Curious about how to make a successful transition? Check out our website, YouTube Channel and follow us on LinkedIn.
Welcome back to the Cameron-Brooks podcast. Today we're publishing one of our MOST DOWNLOADED episodes, "From USMA to Infantry Officer to Iraq to Senior VP of Supply Chain in Switzerland," with Steve Joachim.
From the original podcast blog text, Joel wrote:
Steve Joachim, USMA ’97, Iraq War Veteran and Cameron-Brooks Alumnus, talks about how he created a patent with other engineers on a surgical device that cuts through bone and helped turn around a declining medical device company. Steve rose to the Senior Vice President of Supply Chain for an $800+ million medical device company and shares how his career journey led him to live in Switzerland.
This episode was originally published in 2016 - Steve has since moved companies and is now the Vice President of Operations at Oryx Additive. After re-listening to this episode, I can see why it's one of our most downloaded. Joel leads Steve through an ADVENTURE of a career journey.
And I use the word "JOURNEY" with intention. Steve's career has taken him all over the world. He took a double demotion to follow his career interests and aspirations in Research and Development, reflects on the value added from his time spent in Mexico, shares an "on the edge of your seat" story where he interviewed with some tough hiring managers (spoiler alert: he got the promotion!), and how he and his family decided to take an opportunity in Europe.
You won't want to miss this episode. At the end of his conversation with Joel, Steve shared TWO pieces of advice. One of them I'll share with you: "...always make sure you're keeping your options open, and then see where those options lead you."
You'll have to listen to the episode to capture his second piece of advice. Enjoy the listen. Steve will take you around the world on his career journey.
Cameron-Brooks is a Military-to-Business career transition specialist who partners exclusively with Junior Military Officers to launch rewarding careers in Corporate America.
If you're interested in learning more about why companies hire from Cameron-Brooks, contact us!
You can also check out our Transition Guide on "3 Game-Changing Strategies for JMOs Making the Jump to Business" for additional transition tips.
To stay connected, we'd recommend subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following us on LinkedIn.
Welcome back! I am glad to introduce you to Lauren Kordzik. Lauren is an Associate Principal at Cameron-Brooks. Her role in the company is to work directly with companies who want to hire Junior Military Officers (JMOs). During our conversation, she shares more about why companies hire from Cameron-Brooks.
Lauren has an interesting background - she came to Cameron-Brooks after successfully starting her career in the FBI. The bulk of our conversation centered around her role at Cameron-Brooks and her interaction with companies. Her insight is valuable because most officers never really see the "client-side" of Cameron-Brooks until they attend a Career Conference.
Lauren provides excellent perspective on how she helps companies better understand a JMO's background, why companies want to attend a Conference and how Cameron-Brooks vets companies who attend the Conference. She also explains the advantage of being a Cameron-Brooks candidate and shares the top Development Candidate competency that companies expect from a Cameron-Brooks Candidate.
I also appreciate the advice she gives to companies who are considering hiring a JMO. It is the exact same advice that she gives to JMOs who are looking to conduct a career search and explore their full marketability. That is, give yourself choices and think long term, especially when you are taking a step that is new or different. Instead of getting focused on one aspect of a transition, whether that be an industry, company, job, or location - give yourself choices so that you can make a good decision.
Lastly, as a working professional who is also married with children, I asked Lauren for some tips on maximizing work/life balance. That topic comes up a lot when we talk to JMOs as they are in the decision process regarding a transition, and her answer will give you encouragement as you are considering your future options and life outside of the military.
Cameron-Brooks is a Military-to-Business career transition specialist who partners exclusively with Junior Military Officers to launch rewarding careers in Corporate America.
If you're interested in learning more about why companies hire from Cameron-Brooks, contact us!
You can also check out our Transition Guide on "The 5 Most Common Mistakes JMOs Make Transitioning" for additional transition tips.
To stay connected, we'd recommend subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following us on LinkedIn.
Transitioning from military officer to business leader is a big change. Military and business careers present different professional and personal cultures. For example, they compensate and promote differently, and although the skills and experiences relate across the domains, functional experience rarely does. It is a big change to leave the military and enter civilian life and a business career. Change equals uncertainty, and often uncertainty creates caution, doubt, lack of confidence and sometimes these mindsets lead to fear. This fear can then inhibit us from pursuing our authentic goals and, in this case, keep a junior military officer from taking the jump from military to business.
To address this challenge, I spoke with Dr. Amber Selking, author of Winning the Mental Game, The Playbook for Building Championship Mindsets which goes on sale TODAY! Amber holds a PhD in Applied Sport and Human Performance Psychology, where she did her dissertation on NFL players transitioning from their NFL playing career to the next phase of their lives. I connected with Amber to explore what she learned and find parallels between the transitions out of the NFL and the military. How could a junior military officer apply what she learned in her dissertation? I was amazed at how similar the transitions are.
Amber shared her thoughts that a successful transition requires knowing your own personal identity. That a jersey and uniform do not give you meaning, yet we, I say we because I once wore the uniform and Amber played DI college soccer, attach so much meaning to it. We have to look inside of ourselves first, identify who were are, what's important to us, what we value and what we are willing to do to protect those values and pursue our own goals. When we look outside of ourselves for the meaning and fail to look internally, we get lost. We meander, we start, we stop, we get frustrated. Amber shares how we can avoid this, find meaning and purpose and put our fears behind us.
Additionally, Amber is the Vice President of Leadership and Culture at Lippert, a leading manufacturer and supplier of highly engineered, high-quality components to the RV industry, marine industry, automotive industry and beyond. She knows about creating a winning organization and developing leaders as well as what truly gives meaning to our work.
We close the podcast with Amber sharing some insights from her new book, which describes the eight foundational mental steps in building a winning mindset, how your brain works, how it impacts performance, and how you can find your next layer of greatness. Her book also provides specific Championship Mindset Training that will allow you to navigate the demands of high performance and everyday life itself and build your own Championship Mindset. You can order Winning the Mental Game here.
Additionally, I highly recommend Amber's podcast, Building Championship Mindsets. She just launched a new season. I highly recommend going into the archives for some gems as well! I listen to her podcast at least once a week. The episodes are short and always have an actionable item to becoming better.
What Amber and Cameron-Brooks have in common is helping people make successful transitions, helping cultivate a winning mindset and making a difference with developing leaders. If you're interested in learning more about how Cameron-Brooks helps with career coaching and interview preparation, contact us. We'd love to chat.
Cameron-Brooks is a Military-to-Business transition specialist that partners exclusively with Junior Military Officers to launch rewarding careers in Corporate America. Connect with us in the following ways.
Learn More
“Master The Military Transition” Webcast
FREE Transition Resources
Above & Beyond Military Transition Podcast
Today on the podcast, we're featuring a special discussion revolving around one of the most frequently asked questions that we are asked by Junior Military Officers: How much money can I make?
A concern we often hear from military officers who are considering a transition is salary.
Transition Coach, Rob Davis, covers the topic of compensation and salary in Corporate America. This topic often plays a significant role in the transition process for officers in our program, from just starting to consider options outside of the military to interviewing & deciding where to start the next chapter of your career.
During our conversation, we discuss what kind of factors play into salary, the varieties and types of compensation, and other variables that can play into compensation when making a transition to Corporate America.
After today’s discussion, we hope you’ll walk away with… - A better understanding of how compensation is structured in Corporate America. - What variables you could expect to factor into salary as a military officer looking to make an industry switch. - And at the end of our discussion, Rob and I will share how YOU can get personalized feedback on what sort of compensation to expect in Corporate America.
If you want a physical document to reference as you reflect on our compensation discussion, download our “How Much Money Can I Make” Transition Guide.
If you're an officer considering options outside of the military, let's chat.
Cameron-Brooks is a Military-to-Business career transition specialist that partners exclusively with Junior Military Officers to launch rewarding careers in Corporate America.
You can also check out our Transition Guide on "The 5 Most Common Mistakes JMOs Make Transitioning" for additional transition tips.
To stay connected, we'd recommend subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following us on LinkedIn.
Welcome back! I am glad to introduce you to Steven Sandoval. Steven is a former USMC Aircraft Maintenance Officer (F-18 Hornet) who launched his business career in 2018 as a Manager of Customer Service and Support at Textron Systems, a division of Textron. An interesting aspect of this episode is we recorded it just after he received and promotion to a Director-level position and was back at the Career Conference interviewing JMOs to backfill his position!
Steven makes some great points about his decision-making process early in his business career that you can use and look forward to in your own journey. Here are three key takeaways:
Location Preference: Steven was just promoted to a Director position and he is relocating his family from Virginia to Boston. He admitted that he never would have even considered a position in Boston at his Career Conference in 2018. Why the change? His response was profound. He said, "Your perception changes so much when you are in control over it (location.) It is so different when you are the one who gets to decide to go or not." What's interesting is he turned down three other promotion opportunities in different locations because they weren't the right fit; not because of location but because of fit! From the Career Conference, he said he said he wished he would have held location a bit more loosely because once he made the move from the USMC, he realized he has so much more control over things like where he lives.
Choosing a Company: I asked Stephen why he ultimately chose Textron Systems. He responded by saying while the role would definitely capitalize on his experience as an Aircraft Maintenance Officer, the number one reason he chose Textron Systems was his hiring manager, Julie Miller. Julie is a former Army Intelligence officer and Cameron-Brooks alumnus that transitioned to Textron in 2013. As matter of fact, she was a guest speaker on our 6th podcast episode back in August 2016 (Spotify and Apple)! Steven said that though Julie had a different military background, she really understood his skillset and understood how that would translate for the company. This point is crucial because it is sometimes difficult to embrace the intangible nature of the value of knowing who your boss will be. So much of the career search comes down to the relationships and interaction with your boss and the team to evaluate and chose the best option.
Career Trajectory: Steven has been very successful at Textron Systems. As I mentioned earlier, he considered three other potential promotions before deciding on his current role. What is interesting is the way he was selected for the role because it was completely unplanned and unexpected! He said he volunteered to be on a prototype project team. He described it as grueling and a team that not many people wanted to be on. He said it took a miracle, but the team Steven delivered the product ahead of schedule. A senior lead approached him, told him he'd had his eye on Steven, and asked if he wanted to interview for a position on a team he was leading. What's the takeaway? "You never know when you are being interviewed for a position in Corporate America. Keep doing what you do. Put your best foot forward and the opportunities will come. Opportunity is going to present itself and it's never going to be gift wrapped."
These three things helped Steven accelerate his career success. If you are interested in learning more about Cameron-Brooks, who we are, what we do, and how we do it, call or email me directly at (210) 874-1519 or pete@cameron-brooks.com.
Pete Van Epps
Cameron-Brooks is a Military-to-Business career transition specialist that partners exclusively with Junior Military Officers to launch rewarding careers in Corporate America.
You can also check out our Transition Guide on "The 5 Most Common Mistakes JMOs Make Transitioning" for additional transition tips.
To stay connected,
What are some of the biggest interviewing mistakes JMOs should avoid when transitioning to business? What are some tips for avoiding a verbal professional faux pas?
We can help.
After 50+ years of coordinating interviews with officers in our program and our client companies, we've learned a thing or two! Our team puts together five conferences per year, each averaging 500+ interviews over the span of two days.
The success rate of our officers?
For the past year, we've been sitting at 100%.
Every officer in our program receives a personalized transition preparation experience, ranging from individual career coaching phone calls to mock interview preparation.
However, we do know that interviewing comes with its challenges. We work hard to ensure officers in our program avoid some of the more common interviewing mistakes we've seen over the years. These are some of the most common interviewing mistakes we see JMOs make along with tips on how to avoid them.
Self-Deprecation. Be sure to avoid any phrases like "...I don't have much experience in business..." and instead jump straight to "...I'm a hard worker and won't let you down!" If client companies are interviewing JMOs, they know you don't have directly relatable experience. Don't undervalue your worth by falling into this mistake. The "...what can you do for me?" Mentality. In every interview, the decision maker has a problem—an open position. Your first priority in the interview is to help them see a solution to their problem (AKA: your ability and interest). Pronouns. In many cases, officers like to give credit to their teams using pronouns like "you" and "we". This is definitely a good thing! However, the interviewer wants to know more about your impact. When interviewing, try to use "I" for a more powerful statement. For example, instead of saying something like "...when you lead a team, you should first..." say "...when I lead a team, I...". Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF). When answering accomplishment-focused questions, use this BLUF method. Ultimately, the recruiter wants to know what you did and the final outcome of the situation. Leading your example with the bottom line gives a direct answer to the question, sets the scene for your story and helps you stay on track during delivery. Memorize the Method, Not the Answer. You don't want to sound like a robot when delivering answers. This can be incredibly obvious to a recruiter. Once you know your methods backwards and forwards, it'll be easier to color in the lines with personal experiences. Missing the Boat ... you'll have to download our Transition Guide for our final tip! And you won't want to miss the boat on this one.
These are some of the most common interviewing mistakes we see in the military to business transition! Hopefully, our tips prove helpful. If you're interested in learning more about how Cameron-Brooks helps with career coaching and interview preparation, contact us. We'd love to chat.
Cameron-Brooks is a Military-to-Business transition specialist that partners exclusively with Junior Military Officers to launch rewarding careers in Corporate America. Connect with us in the following ways.
Learn More
“Master The Military Transition” Webcast
FREE Transition Resources
Above & Beyond Military Transition Podcast
Internships vs. Recruiting Firms. What’s Right for You? (Part 2)
We recently hosted a roundtable discussion, covering the topics of choosing to engage in an internship vs. utilizing a recruiting firm on the podcast. Joel and Pete listed the pros and cons of each, as well as detailed what options might be right for you.
We'd recommend listening to that episode before tuning into "part 2"!
During this mini-episode, we cover how an internship can align with the Cameron-Brooks program and what a day-to-day could look like.
The topics include:
The true purpose of the Skillbridge internship How Cameron-Brooks qualifies as a Skillbridge program The Developmental and Preparation Program (DPP) and how it forms and contributes to transition/interviewing curriculum What the day-to-day of an internship could look like for you How to inquire about getting the ball rolling with Cameron-Brooks
We've had a number of officers complete their Skillbridge program through Cameron-Brooks! And - all of them have absolutely crushed it at their Career Conferences. What do we mean by this? Each officer was able to gain the attention of multiple companies who were represented at the Conference and earn competitive offers.
Yes, "offers" is plural.
If you're curious to learn more about internships and Cameron-Brooks, email pete@cameron-brooks.com or give us a call at 210-874-1500. You can also check out our Transition Guide on "The 5 Most Common Mistakes JMOs Make Transitioning" for additional transition tips.
To stay connected, we'd recommend subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following us on LinkedIn.
Recruiting Firms vs. Internships. What's Right for You?
Today we wanted to discuss a hot topic as of late: internships. Traditionally, there were just a couple of avenues in which an officer could initiate and facilitate their transitions (like personal networking, recruiting firms,
transition assistance classes, etc.). Now we've started to see and hear more about different military internship programs.
The Dod has started a program called Skillbridge that seeks to help facilitate the transition and subsequent employment of military members as they leave the service. Many officers we speak with have questions about how an internship could potentially work in tandem with a recruiting firm.
So how does an internship work vs. a recruiting firm? And what are the pros and cons of both options?
During our rountable discussion, we talk about some pros of completing an internship with a company: - Perceived certainty - Immediate control over location - And more...
As well as some cons.
And some of the pros of partnering with a recruiting firm: - Broad career search (evaluating multiple career fields/industries at the same time) - Vetted roles, specific to the officer's background and level of experience - Retention rates (97% of our alumni are with their placed company three years after a transition) - And more...
As well as some cons.
Our hope? We'd like this information to prove helpful as you consider different transition options (internships, recruiting firms, etc.) and how they can affect your career search.
If you're curious to learn more about how Cameron-Brooks and Skillbridge internships can align, email Pete Van Epps at pete@cameron-brooks.com or connect with him on LinkedIn.
If you are interested in exploring your options with Cameron-Brooks and curious about how to make a successful transition, I encourage you to also check out our website, YouTube Channel, and follow us on LinkedIn.
Suggested Resources: What Does "Military Transition" Mean to You? Transition Guides Does Your Career Need to Be a Ladder?
Welcome back to Part 2 of the conversation that Cameron-Brooks Senior Vice President, Joel Junker had with alumni Melodie Nye, Carl Case and Mike DeBock. In this episode, we hear more from our alumni around the area of work/life balance. Joel specifically leads the discussion around:
What are your personal hacks/habits for self-development? We go through valleys or slumps where we are at risk of making a poor career decision. How do you overcome that and use that for career progression? What does work/life balance look like in your world? Words of wisdom/parting advice.
There were also several authors, books on podcasts mentioned through the conversation including:
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch Start with Why by Simon Sinek Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh The Dip by Seth Godin Atomic Habits by James Clear Podcast: How I Built This with Guy Raz Podcast: Exponential Wisdom by Peter Diamandis and Dan Sullivan Author: John Maxwell
If you are interested in exploring your options with Cameron-Brooks and curious about how to make a successful transition, I encourage you to also check out our website, YouTube Channel , follow us on LinkedIn and can listen to our podcast here.
Welcome back! We recently surveyed our alumni, asking about topics for our annual virtual leadership panel. We cover a variety of leadership topics during these panels, but the two most popular topics centered around career management and work/life balance.
We have a special 2-episode podcast series featuring three great alumni stretching back all the way back to 2004.
Melodie Nye is a former Air Force Intelligence Officer who transitioned in 2010 and launched her career at Kraft Foods as an Associate Product Director. She is currently a Senior Marketing Director at Mars Petcare.
Carl Case is a former Navy Surface Warfare Officer (Nuclear) who transitioned in 2010 and launched his career at Ernst and Young (EY) as a Senior Consultant. He is currently a Partner at EY and leads the Financial Crimes Compliance Technology Practice.
Mike DeBock is a former Army Aviation Officer who transitioned in 2004 and launched his career at NextEra Energy as a Procurement/Commodity Leader and is now the Executive President for Business Development and Digital Transformation at NextEra Energy.
In this first episode, we hear Melodie, Carl and Mike give helpful advice and perspective on the following questions:
Why do you think career management is the number one topic that Cameron-Brooks alumni wanted to hear more about? What does a “Five year career map'' look like and how do you create it? Looking back at your career, what are the 2-3 pivotal investments or decisions that you made that others may benefit from. How should people be thinking about getting an MBA?
Stay tuned for the second half of our leadership panel conversation in two weeks. In the meantime, to stay connected, we encourage you to check out our website, YouTube Channel, follow us on LinkedIn.
Welcome back to a special episode of the Cameron-Brooks podcast! During this discussion, our CEO, Chuck Alvarez, and Senior Vice President, Joel Junker, sit down to review the year that was 2021 and forecast trends for 2022.
Reflecting on the last 12 months, we've all continued to navigate a virtual world and live with continual ambiguity. However, one thing is for certain: this past year kept surprising us. Chuck and Joel will review 2021 as a whole
and look forward to trends for 2022.
The topics will include ...
Why 2021 was so unique from a job-market standpoint (perhaps the most unique in our company's history) What traits our client companies look for in Junior Officers when hiring for their next generation of talent The theme of hiring leadership talent Tips on how to mentally prepare for a transition Defining the military to business transition (and why it's SO important to define this early in the process) How defining your "why" can impact your military transition and career trajectory Forecasting trends for 2022
Chuck shares unique perspectives and insights, as he is in constant contact with business leaders from just about every discipline from sales to engineering to finance from numerous industries to include healthcare, energy, financial services, logistics and more.
Joel works side-by-side with the Junior Officers in our program along with Officers who are thinking about making a transition. He advises on career planning and discusses transition strategies. With a graduate certificate in Organizational & Leadership Coaching, he offers valuable expertise to any and every officer who asks for help.
We hope you enjoy this discussion.
To stay connected, we encourage you to check out our website, YouTube Channel, follow us on LinkedIn.
Welcome back to another installment of our Conference Alumni Series. On this episode we hear from 4 recent Cameron-Brooks alumni who attended the November 2021 Career Conference share their conference experience. We really like bringing these conversations to you. It is one of our attempts to try and remove uncertainty from the transition process and ultimately give you confidence through this process.
And what was really remarkable about the November 2021 Career Conference was that 77.8% of all interviews at the Conference resulted in the pursuit. That means that after the interview, the company expressed interest in having another interview. That is the highest pursuit rate in the 50+ year history of Cameron-Brooks! There are multiple factors that contribute to such an impressive conference result, but one of the key reasons is that the officers who attended the Career Conference were prepared to meet hiring managers in Corporate America.
On this episode, you will meet:
Natalie Snyder, a former Army Engineer officer who accepted an offer from KeyBank as a Client Success Process Engineer
Alex Wheelon, a former Air Force Civil Engineer officer who accepted an offer from PROCEPT BioRobotics an an Operational Project Manager
Mitch Heaton, a former Navy Nuclear Power (Submarines) officer who accepted an offer at NextEra Energy as a Project Engineer
Adriel Paderanga, a former Army Quartermaster officer who accepted an offer from Ernst & Young (EY) as a Senior Consultant
They fielded a number of questions from the webcast attendees including:
During the interviews, did you get a good feel of which companies would likely give you an offer? How were the job offers structured? What was the follow up process like? Did you hit interview fatigue during the Conference? Interview best practices at the Conference? What percentage of your interviews were more conversational and how did you approach them? Pro tips on conversational interviews? How do you handle more structured interviews? How did you manage the “uniqueness” of a virtual conference? How did you balance accepting an offer in a timely manner vs. completing other interviews? What were your in-person interviews like, especially in light of the COVID environment? How do you get a good feel for a company’s culture, especially if you didn’t go onsite? Did you have enough time to research companies and prepare for interviews at the Conference? Did your interviews align with your location preferences, salary expectations and the types of positions that you were looking for? What else did you do to prepare for the Conference?
I hope the unique perspective from our alumni about their conference experience gives you confidence as you are preparing for your transition.
To stay connected, we encourage you to check out our website, YouTube Channel, follow us on LinkedIn.
Today on the Cameron-Brooks podcast, we're tackling a NEW topic that can be half of the equation when officers consider making a transition.
SIGNIFICANT OTHERS.
We're always believed that significant others make a SIGNIFICANT
difference in the transition decision and process. And, at Cameron-Brooks, we like to ENCOURAGE involvement from significant others from the very beginning. It's a large life decision and requires a lot of thought, reflection and research.
As we discuss the role of spouses and significant others in the transition decision, we thought "what better way to share tips and tricks than by hearing from the spouses of our own alumni?!" So I want to introduce you to my colleagues and new Cameron-Brooks teammates: Julie and Val!
Julie and Val both had their spouses come through the Cameron-Brooks program, so they have first-hand experience in the transition experience as a spouse. We wanted this particular episode to cover the idea of, "... my significant other is thinking about making a transition ... NOW WHAT?"
So, the FIRST thing we wanted to share were THREE QUESTIONS to help you get your bearings on your personal and professional goals as a family.
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What's your WHY for getting out. We ask officers this question a lot, but it's important to discuss your WHY as a family. You want to be aligned!
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What are your options? What do you want to do, hopes/dreams, what's even viable...
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What resources are available to you?
Val walks us through these questions and dives into even more detail on things you'll want to discuss as partners considering a transition.
We also talk through the process of what working with a military officer recruiting firm looks like if your significant other decides to utilize a firm, and we note different areas for significant others to get involved.
Our hope for this episode was to be a resource for military officers and their significant others as they consider a military transition.
To stay connected, we encourage you to check out our website, YouTube Channel, follow us on LinkedIn.
We speak with thousands of military officers every year about making a transition, and we've picked up on a couple of patterns. Our ultimate goal at Cameron-Brooks is to help ensure the long-term success of our candidates and our client companies. We've found that military officers who really set themselves up for success avoid this one thing when making their transition. The career do-over. Establishing a solid BASE of business experience the 3-5 years after making a transition is critical to building out your career progression. You wouldn't bake a wedding cake and stack the smallest layer on the bottom. The bottom layer is the largest to ensure its stability. Approach your career strategy with the same idea! Our candidates are searching for the long-term opportunities that will present both a good challenge and a reward. So, how do you avoid a career do-over? We've published a document that discusses exactly which mistakes to avoid and how to avoid them. You can download the document, here.
We also tackle this subject in today's podcast. We hope that chatting through these 5 most common mistakes will help you as you consider making a transition and eventually if you decide to "push the button." The episode highlights include ...
How to avoid kicking the can down the road ... especially when your OPTEMPO is crazy busy. How to avoid confusing the importance of extrinsic vs. intrinsic factors in career satisfaction. Making sure you get connected with companies who understand (and value!) your military experience and skillset. How to best prepare for the transition. Why it's important to know about the HR filtering process.
We hope you find a few nuggets of helpful transition knowledge when thinking about the future. And, if you find this episode helpful, we would encourage you to share this episode with a friend who might be "kicking the can down the road" because they don't know where to start.
To stay connected, we encourage you to check out our website, YouTube Channel, follow us on LinkedIn.
What do business leaders have in common? They read. For the first 20 years of my life, I was not a reader. I paid the price. My verbal, reading and writing standardized test scores were average. This was an indicator that I was missing out on a whole world of development and education out there. Not until my spring break as a sophomore in college did I start reading. I picked up a novel by John Grisham called, The Firm. Not exactly a professional development book, but it kick-started my love of reading and took off from there. Now, I have insatiable appetite for all kinds of books.
If you want to be a leader, you need to be a reader (read this article by Forbes for additional reading). Why? The business world and leadership is dynamic. One way to not only keep up but to stay ahead is to connect with experts. Most of us cannot schedule a meeting with a leadership expert like Jim Collins because we don't have the network to get in with him; we can't interact with a manufacturing and process improvement expert like Taichi Ohno because he passed away in 1990; or the founder of the JMO to business transition, Roger Cameron, because he is retired and on the golf course. Yet, we can learn from their expertise by reading books and articles they have written.
Additionally, reading is like food. Even though you ate a meal last week, it won't sustain you today. Even though you read several leadership books last year, how much do you really remember? You need to keep reading to stay sharp!
Finally, if you are making a transition from the military to business, reading is critical for several reasons. My colleague, Pete Van Epps, highlights them in this blog post. They include preparing to interview and explaining how your background relates to companies. You want to be able to connect your military experiences to business terms so they understand what you have done. Additionally, you want to ensure a smooth transition and hit the ground running. You want to learn as much as you possibly can before you start your new job.
Some of the books I recommend in the podcast include:
PCS to Corporate America 4th Ed. by Cameron, Alvarez and Junker
Mindset by Carol Dweck
The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
I would share more of my favorite books, but these are 4 at the top of my list.
Enjoy!
Joel
When I ask officers in the military what they are looking to do when they get out of the military, I often hear something like, "I want to do something I am passionate about." When I follow up with a question, "Like what?" I typically don't hear a clear and specific answer.
I think I know why.
When a leader really examines what they are passionate about it's NOT a hobby like golf or surfing. It IS typically LEADERSHIP.
I speak to former military officers all the time and the thing that I hear over and over again is they are passionate about leading teams, solving problems, leading projects, thinking critically and making a difference. Whether that is a medical company, a consumer packaged goods company or another company. That is exactly what the guest of this episode, Stevie Solano, said.
Stevie is a former Air Force Aircraft Maintenance officer who transitioned in early 2018 and went to work at USAA in a business analyst role. In this episode we talk for a moment about her Air Force career, her experience partnering with Cameron-Brooks and her career management since her transition. We also talk about the Career Conference she attended and why she ultimately chose USAA over all of the other offers she received.
The conversation ultimately landed on the topic of how she managed her career into the role she is doing now as a Senior Strategy Analyst. This is similar to the role she started in, but describes how she used her skills and
experience to navigate to a role where she can really capitalize on her ability to build relationships, think creatively and come up with solutions that make her company better!
I think you'll really appreciate this episode because Stevie gives further perspective on her role as a business analyst and insight into that career field broadly and the things she did to find early success in the role and the company.
To learn more about how Cameron-Brooks can help you prepare to interview, contact us at (210) 874-1500.
Best, Pete
To stay connected, we encourage you to check out our website, YouTube Channel, follow us on LinkedIn.
Welcome back for a special episode! Rob Davis, Transition Coach, interviewed 5 recent alumni of the August 2021 Career Conference for our post-August 2021 Conference review webcast. At the time of the interview, all alumni guests had already accepted an offer for employment. We really enjoy doing this type of episode because it gives those who are planning to attend a future Career Conference (or those who are curious about the details of the conference) a "peek over the fence" to how exactly everything went down.
In this episode, Rob spends a few minutes sharing the "statistics of the Conference" - average number of interviews, pursuit rate, the companies who attended and the positions offered (see much more about this here). He also shares the interview schedule of a candidate from the Conference. Hearing the breadth of companies that just one officer interviewed with is very interesting. The variety of interviews coupled with the fact that no two officers had an identical schedule highlights that the career conference is personally tailored to fit the officer's needs and wants.
The alumni that Rob interviewed were from both the USMC and Army and different branches including Infantry, Signal, Intelligence, Aviation and Air Defense Artillery. He engaged them in the following lines of questions:
Your reason for partnering with Cameron-Brooks. The biggest surprise from the Conference The most beneficial thing you did to prepare for the interview. Knowing what you know now, what would you do differently? How did you grow professionally through this process?
Then, the panel fielded questions from the live audience on topics such as:
What caught you off guard? What is the follow up interview process like including "dinner interviews?" Salary-based questions What about remote work? Location preference The transition timeline Virtual vs. in-person interviews How did you prepare? What are you most excited about?
These episodes are so insightful because you get to hear perspectives from officers who just wrapped up their career search days before this webcast/podcast. I hope that their perspective gives more insight in your future transition.
To stay connected, I encourage you to also check out our website, YouTube Channel , follow us on LinkedIn.
As always, if I can be a resource you can contact me directly.
Best, Pete
(210) 874-1519 // pete@cameron-brooks.com
Twenty years ago, Matt Beliveau transition from an Army Officer to a Human Resource Specialist at General Mills. Today, he is the Chief Human Resources Officer of Sarah Lee Frozen Bakery. To thank all of those who helped him along the way, Matt wrote the following post on LinkedIn. It is definitely worth 3 minutes of your time to read.
After reading his post, I reached out and invited Matt to be a guest on the podcast and share his leadership lessons. It was clear Matt knew that the transition from the military is more complex than just finding a "job" in the right location and having a paycheck. Additionally, to make it to the C-Suite level, he managed his career well, finding mentors and sponsors while taking a proactive approach.
In the podcast, Matt describes the complexity of the JMO to business leader transition that includes changing identity from military officer to civilian, learning a whole new functional role and finally a new company culture.
Being a CHRO, Matt has great perspective on work and sees a future that includes more work-life balance and a hybrid work environment, especially for those who work in office environments.
Matt also talks about how his military leadership allowed him to lead through the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020 and 2021. He likened it to being on deployment where success depended on being agile, caring about people and following through on commitments. All things top performing JMOs do well.
Finally, Matt share some great leadership lessons. Some of the best I have heard on the podcast. If you want to hear them, you just need to listen to the podcast!
Joel
Welcome back to the Cameron-Brooks podcast! I am excited to bring this particular episode to you, because we have the pleasure of bringing back Chuck Alvarez, Cameron-Brooks CEO. Chuck has been with Cameron-Brooks for over 25 years, the last 9 of which has been at the head of the organization. He has personally helped over 2,500 JMOs move from the military to Corporate America, so he brings a wealth of insight and perspective to the conversation.
Back on January 4, 2021 our Senior Vice President, Joel Junker, interviewed Chuck - his first appearance on the Cameron-Brooks podcast. In that episode (114), Chuck looked back at the year that was 2020 (and the massive ups and downs that occurred) and looked forward to 2021. He took time to fully describe the word "transition" as it relates to the JMO and how valuable comparing multiple opportunities in an interview process can be to finding the right career. That episode spawned two more episodes on each of those topics - Episode 116: Defining the JMO Transition and Episode 118: The Power of Comparison. We have affectionately coined those three podcasts "The Trilogy" as they have helped so many people consider how to navigate a successful transition. If you haven't heard those yet, I'd encourage you to give those a listen, as well.
Here we are in August 2021 and we wanted to hear from Chuck about what he's seeing in the market and his thoughts on the state of the economy. He spends much of his time exploring the opportunities that companies bring to Cameron-Brooks and so he is getting a daily, first-hand account of what is happening in the economy.
"Is now the right time?" That is a question that I get from JMOs who are considering making the move to Corporate America. In this episode Chuck
takes that question head on. If you are on the fence about staying in or getting out, this episode is for you. I think you'll find Chuck's advice timely, insightful and ultimately helpful in making a decision (regardless of the direction you ultimately take.)
If you are interested in exploring your options with Cameron-Brooks and curious about how to make a successful transition, I encourage you to check out our website and YouTube Channel and follow us on LinkedIn.
Stuck in a rut? Feel like you are on a professional plateau and not sure where you are going? Wonder if you are "traveling" on the right personal or professional path? Do you have clarity on your goals?
If you have or are asking yourself these questions, good. That means you are human and you want grow and develop. I mean, if you didn't have these questions, you would probably be okay with the rut and plateau.
I am an overachieve and never satisfied with the status quo. There are pros and cons to this mindset, but for now, I will stick to the pros. I ask myself these questions all the time and I recently found a model to help me answer them. I wrote about this model during my recent Career Tip "3 Simple Questions to Spur Personal and Professional Growth".
Getting clarity on your goals, finding the right path to get there and identifying what must be done to accomplish your goals starts with asking yourself a question, "What does success look like for me?" This is a general question of course. You need to specify it to whatever area you want to work on. For example, for me, "What do role do I want to have at Cameron-Brooks in 5 years?" Or, "What do I want my relationship with my children to be like when they are grown and out of the of house in 5 years?" I asked myself those questions, and then I did an exercise called Preferred Futuring where I wrote in my journal my vision for each of those areas. You can do this exercise for any domain of your personal or professional life.
Now that you have clarity on what you want, you need to take stock on where you are and what you need to do to get there. I recommend asking yourself, "Where am I now?" Then, "What do I need to start doing and/or stop going to get to where I want to go?"
There are more questions I recommend during the podcast, but those are the main one to ask if you feel like you're in a professional plateau.
I also reference a couple of sources in the podcast that I want to give credit to: Chris Perry at Market Sense, Inc. Sandler Training, Michael Bungay Stanier (aka MBS) author of The Coaching Habit and The Advice Trap, and Caroline Webb author of How to Have a Good Day.
Joel
So, you're thinking about making a transition. But where do you start? Which strategies should you focus on first?
We live in the information age. Every generation after us will have more information and faster access than ever before. Which also means the amount of information out there can be overwhelming. Imagine walking into the Library of Congress. You have over 170 million items to choose
from, if you so please. Now imagine there was no librarian or digital categorization or even a card catalog. You'd have to search 170 million different items to find what you wanted. Yikes.
I imagine this is how it feels for military officers who are thinking about making a transition and don't quite know where to start. Often I hear, "researching new industries/career fields/job listings is confusing and, honestly, overwhelming" from officers.
We'd suggest embracing these four mindsets to help you get started and, ultimately, succeed in reaching your goals.
MINDSET #1: Be curious. Ask questions. If you were lost a needed directions, you'd be one question away from being pointed in the correct route. The same goes for researching transition options. Talking to people who are familiar with the process + have facilitated multiple transitions would be a wealth of knowledge for you. At Cameron-Brooks, we have a great team who would be happy to talk through different options with you.
MINDSET #2: Define what "transition" means to you. Sit down and ask yourself these three questions. After you reflect on what making a successful transition (short-term & long-term) looks like for you, it'll help steer you in the right direction.
MINDSET #3: Avoid career false starts.
"My buddies got out and snagged the first thing they came across ... hoping it would work or just find a better fit down the line."
I've heard this a lot, too. What if I told you that you could love the first job you had after the military? We've found that one of the most productive ways to find a career you love is to interview for a broad range of opportunities. Our candidates typically average ~12 interviews at a conference, across a variety of industries and career fields. Comparing these options side-by-side does wonders! And who doesn't love options?
MINDSET #4: Find a sherpa. Once you figure out which direction you want to take your career, find someone who can lead you through it. There are people who have walked the trail before you (and some many, many times). Utilize these "sherpas"!
We hope you enjoy the podcast episode as we break each one of these down. If you'd like to download our (free) PDF on the 4 Mindsets, click HERE.
If you are interested in exploring your options with Cameron-Brooks and curious about how to make a successful transition, I encourage you to check out our website, YouTube Channel, follow us on LinkedIn
So, here we are - July 2021. Is the economy back? Well, there are probably way too many factors at play to truly allow that to be a binary YES or NO, BUT at the Cameron-Brooks June 2021 Career Conference, the average number of interviews per JMO was 13. You read that right. The average number of interviews that officers had was 13 interviews with industry-leading companies who attended the Conference with actual open positions that they plan to fill with non-traditional leadership talent (aka JMOs).
One of the hardest things JMOs have to do once they make a decision to leave active duty military is navigating the treacherous waters of the application and interview process. In this episode, we hear from 4 Cameron-Brooks alumni who attended that Conference and successfully navigated those waters. The intention of this episode is to give you a "peek behind the curtain" in terms of WHAT they saw, HOW they made decisions, and WHY they chose or did certain things.
I guide the conversation and we hit on a few key topics like:
The biggest surprise at the Conference? What did you do really well before the Conference that helped you at the Conference? If you could change one thing about what you were thinking before the Conference, what would that be? What do you wish you would have done differently knowing what you know now? What is the biggest thing you learned at the Conference? The Conference can be transformational in some ways - how did you grow or get better in such a short amount of time? Favorite interview and why?
Give this podcast a listen and answer this question for yourself "Is the economy back?"
What do you think?
Featured alumni:
Rachel Wolfe: Army Engineer Captain. USMA, BS Geospatial Information Science
Jon Saddler: Air Force Space Operations Captain. University of Delaware, BS Chemistry.
Steve Burke: USMC Logistics Captain. USNA, BS Systems Engineering.
Cliff Crofford: Army Aviation Captain. USMA, BS Mechanical Engineering.
If you are interested in exploring your options with Cameron-Brooks and curious about how to make a successful transition, I encourage you to also check out our website, YouTube Channel , follow us on LinkedIn and can listen to our podcast here.
Problem solving and project management are closely related, but they are not exactly the same. Personally, I differentiate them this way:
Problem: I am getting one result when I am expecting or need a different one.
Project: I like quality guru, J.M. Juran's, definition “a problem that has been scheduled for a solution.”
This podcast is not about how to solve problems or manage projects but rather how to answer questions about them in an interview and how to differentiate. We would have to write a book if this post or podcast was about the topics themselves and there are plenty of other great books out there on each topic.
I often hear from JMOs transitioning asking for help in differentiating questions about the two subjects. Once you listen to this podcast, you will have clarity on how to answer each question and even be able to modify answers that you have already created to them.
I explain why recruiters ask about your ability, experience or methods in solving problems and managing projects. I also share what steps in each of these are similar and where they diverge. You will learn to address what's most important in your answer so you can keep you answer to about 3 minutes. With such big and important subjects, you could talk for hours on each one, or at least 15 minutes, and you certainly do not want to do that.
In addition to this podcast, my colleague Rob Davis wrote an excellent blog post "Describing Projects and Problems" in September of 2019. You can also read more about it in PCS to Corporate America, 4th Ed. pages 156-159.
I enjoy simplifying the interview process and hope this reduces stress and accelerates your preparation. Please remember, my tips are my words and guidance. Recruiters do not want to hire me, they want to hire you. So, be you, use the guidance but make it your own. Find your own interview voice.
To learn more about turning your JMO leadership skills into a successful transition and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Joel Junker
Welcome back! I am excited to bring you my conversation with Cameron-Brooks alumnus, author, business leader and all-around good guy, CORY BOUCK! Our conversation weaves in and out of how Cory's military experience has impacted his business career, how he's propeled himself into greater levels of success, leadership, and career progression advice/observations (i.e. does your career need to be a ladder?). Cory shares his career journey during the podcast, so we will hit the highlights, here.
Cory is the Asia/Pacific Regional Business Director at Johnsonville Sausage, and is the author of The Lens of Leadership: Being the Leader Others Want to Follow. He is maniacally committed to profitable volume growth through a "Serve-Build-Inspire!" leadership philosophy.
Cory is a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and also served there as a leadership instructor. Cory graduated in the top one percent of student leadership ranks. As an instructor, he led a team of civilian PhDs and military instructors in managing the content and delivery of the advanced core leadership course.
He is a former Naval Flight Officer. Cory led a P-3 Orion combat aircrew across the world, including missions over Bosnia-Herzegovina. His crew was twice named #1 of 48 crews in the Atlantic Fleet.
He led award-winning brand and event marketing teams at General Mills, Newell-Rubbermaid, and Johnsonville Sausage. Cory led the team that developed a NASCAR strategy for the Chex cereal portfolio with Richard Petty Enterprises. At Newell-Rubbermaid’s Little Tikes toy division, the product development team he led earned a Parent’s Magazine “Best Toys of the Year” award. The Johnsonville brand team he led more than doubled net-margin dollar growth in two years and grew household penetration by 10%. His team also earned an “EFFIE” from the North American Marketing Association for effective advertising.
He joined Johnsonville's OD&L team to create a leader-development system. In three years, the internal promotion rate for leadership positions increased from 40% to 70%. He was responsible for employee development, technical training, and executive coaching. In 2016, his team was awarded a global “Excellence in Practice” award from the international Association for Training & Development (ATD). Johnsonville was one of only five American companies awarded in a field of 25 awards from 125 global submissions.
He is a truly global business leader. Having worked in 20+ countries on five continents over thirty years, Cory leverages his cultural fluency and business acumen to help grow America's #1 sausage brand in Asian markets. He leads teams in Japan, China, Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan that manage sales, distributor partnerships, consumer marketing, finance, importing, and local production (China).
He is active in leadership outside of work. He served two terms as an elected city councilman, chairing several committees while working with state and federal legislators. Cory is a pilot and youth mentor in the U.S. Civil Air Patrol. His personal purpose is, “To help coach the people whose lives I connect with to high achievement in whatever drives their purpose.”
I think you will get A TON out of the episode of the Cameron-Brooks podcast. To stay connected, you can sign up for our Career Tip and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. ENJOY!
What are the most common resume writing mistakes and how can you avoid them?
Cameron-Brooks is a professional services firm and resume writing and consultancy falls under the term “services”. It’s actually one of the key steps before attending a Conference. We review hundreds of resumes, helping each of our candidates craft the perfect document.
On this episode of the Cameron-Brooks podcast, we sit down with our Head Resume Consultant, Danielle Granville. Danielle works closely with our candidates before each conference from sending out resume guidelines, setting up one-on-one consultative phone calls and assisting throughout the process from resume inception to final state. We review the Cameron-Brooks resume writing process, how it's unique and tackle the top five resume mistakes we see most often and share tips on how to avoid them.
The top 5 resume mistakes we see include ...
Wrong format / length Misunderstanding your target audience Not adding results to your accomplishment bullets Lack of quantification Generalization
And, of course, we give examples of how to work through writer's block and strengthen your resume. Your resume is most often your first impression before ever walking into an interview. And "you only get one chance to make a first impression." We hope this podcast helps you eliminate these common resume mistakes and feel more confident about making a great first impression.
To learn more on how to make a successful military transition, JMO interview tips, and leadership content, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Are you still in the military and either anticipating attending a Cameron-Brooks Career Conference or considering if a partnership with Cameron-Brooks is worth your while? If so, you've landed on the right podcast! In this episode, Joel interviews 4 recent alumni who attended the April 2021 Career Conference. Here is their background:
Jeanece Kelly: CAPT, Air Force Force Support David Addams: MAJ, Army Aviation/Acquisitions Dorothy Krebill: CPT, Army Signal Jason McCarty: CPT, Army Infantry/Cyber
The group covers a wide array of topics and answers many questions like:
What does a Cameron-Brooks partnership look like? What if you are a more senior JMO or beyond? How can Cameron-Brooks help me translate my military background? What does a "typical" interview schedule look like at a Career Conference? What type of companies attended the April 2021 Career Conference? How can I get an edge at the Conference? What can I expect from the Follow up Interview Process?
Navigating the move from the military to Corporate America is filled with many decision and choices. Finding the right partner to help you navigate those decision can make the difference in your search and finding the right company based on your (and your family's) goals and objectives. As you listen to this podcast, you may have more questions or be curious how you can replicate Jeanece, David, Dorothy and Jason's success. CALL US! We can help! (210) 874-1519.
To learn even more about how to make a successful move to Corporate America, JMO interview tips, and leadership content, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Welcome back to PART 2 of our Frequently Asked Questions conversation! We covered the first set of FAQs on podcast episode 121. Our goal for these episodes is to help officers who are considering a transition (or who are curious) learn more about Cameron-Brooks as a transition resource. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) we cover:
Timing - when should you start? What's normal? As we discussed in Episodes 114 and 116, our purpose is to help officers "transition" and in doing so, avoid the early career do-overs. In order to do that effectively, two things must exist.
We must know you professionally and have a relationship. Who you are. What you are good at. What you like and are interested in. How you see yourself. You must be prepared to interview with Corporate America. There must be a level of interview prep that occurs in orders to maximize the outcome of 10-12 interviews.
Next, officers ask about our Mutually Accountability Partnership (most call it an "Exclusivity Clause" initially. Although we spend two full podcast episodes fully exploring and explaining our partnership, it's such a ubiquitous question that we felt it'd be good to hit the wavetops. For more of an in-depth discussion, check out episodes 110 and 113. Fee - people say to us, "You offer a ton of services and don't charge a fee. What's the catch?" Admittedly, I'm naturally skeptical of professional services firms so this is a question that totally makes sense! We encourage everyone who is potentially interested in Cameron-Brooks to do their research first and determine if our services are right for you. Industries - officers often want to know what industries we represent. It's wide: Medical, Consumer, Material Science, Testing, Environmental, Energy, Packaging, Financial Services, Consulting and on and on. The business world is replete with companies that want leaders! Curious about the industries, companies, career field and job titles that have attended Cameron-Brooks Conferences recently? Check out our blog. We post a pre- and post-Conference blog that gives all of those details. Check out our most recent two Conferences here and here.
I hope these two FAQ episodes have been helpful. If you have any questions that we didn't cover or you want more information, feel free to contact either Joel (joel@cameron-brooks.com), Hope (hnunnelly@cameron-brooks.com) or me (pete@cameron-brooks.com).
To learn more on how to make a successful military transition, JMO interview tips, and leadership content, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Welcome back to another addition of the podcast! Many of the people who have chosen to partner with Cameron-Brooks already know much about our model - who we are, what we do, how we do it and our relationship with the companies who come to us seeking to hire Junior Military Officers. That said, even people who know a lot about who we are had to start somewhere.
That start is usually defined by doing research and that research often includes an informational phone call with a team member at Cameron-Brooks. Hope happens to be one of the team members at Cameron-Brooks who spends a lot of time with officers looking for more information. Though we publish a list of FAQs HERE and HERE , Hope thought it would be a good idea to cover some of the most frequently asked questions on the podcast. I couldn't agree more!
So, Hope, Joel and I hit the record button and Hope led us through a series of questions she receives most often. We only covered 7 questions but the session took about an hour and twenty minutes, so we decided to break it into two episodes. For the first one, we hit a few big topics:
An overview of who we are, what we do, who we work with and the biggest misconceptions about all of that. As a business, how we earn revenue and if we charge a JMO for our services. Location is a big deal - can I live where I want?
Joel mentioned Hilary Thomas and a conversation she had was a couple of other JMOs (not a Cameron-Brooks vide0.) You can find the video HERE and Hilary's comments on the topic start around the 32 minute mark.
On the next episode we tackle:
When is the best time to start preparing to move to Corporate America? Do you have a partnership agreement? What's the catch? What industries and companies do you work with? What should I be focused on in my next career?
To learn more on how to make a successful military transition, JMO interview tips, and leadership content, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Welcome back! On this episode of the Cameron-Brooks podcast, we continue our series of interview tips to help elevate your interview game. Of course the ultimate goal in moving from the military to Corporate America is to chose the best opportunity amongst many and avoid any early career "do-overs." More on that HERE and HERE and HERE! For now, here are the three most common reasons that we see as to why people get ruled out of interviews.
Rapport! All too often I see an officer so focused on delivering the perfect answer that they lose sight of the conversational nature of the interview. This means having a good back-and-forth dialogue in order for the hiring manager to further explain the company and/or opportunity and for you to explain your interest and fit. Unfortunately, sometimes an inexperienced interviewer will see the interview more like a military board than a conversation.
Connect! Often in workshops and mock interviews I will ask a military officer if the position we are practicing with is a team leadership job. Invariably, regardless of the essence of the position, they will say "YES!" That is not always the case and it is critical that you grasp the essence of the position for which you are interviewing. Most positions that JMOs interview for are categorically under either team leadership, program management or client services. Each of those job types will have specific functions that a JMO must first understand in order to effectively communicate the right experience or accomplishment. Specifically connecting your military background to the essence of the role is one of the main goals of the interview.
Interest! One of the biggest mistakes we see JMOs make in the interview process is deciding their level of interest before they over step into the interview. This would be like deciding you don't like your blind date before actually getting to know the person. JMOs will sometimes self-eliminate before a word is ever spoken. It's unfortunate because the words that are often spoken in the interview (by the hiring manager) to further explain the company and/or position will shed new light on the opportunity. Often that new light is information that changes your opinion!
We hope you find these interview tips helpful. After conducting hundreds of Career Conferences and reviewing feedback, these three reasons for getting ruled out in an interview come up the most often.
In closing, the key to success in overcoming these obstacles if preparation and practice. The "Jerry Maguire" approach to interview is just not a great strategy!
Best of success, Pete
To learn more on how to make a successful military transition, JMO interview tips, and leadership content, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
I am frequently asked, “How do I answer the interview question, ‘What are your short- and long-term goals?’ when I'm not sure what I want to do for a career in business right now?”
Over the past few years, we've written a couple of blog posts on this topic. One of the comprehensive posts was "Tips on Answering 'What Are Your Short and Long Term Goals?'" in May of 2015. I encourage you to read this particular post and listen to the podcast where I expound on why recruiters ask this questions and how to approach the answer to make an impact.
In the podcast, I demystify this question and cover:
The recruiter's real question or question behind the question is, “What are your short- and long-term goals because I want to know what you want to do. And, I want to know if you can achieve those goals in my organization and be happy. Are we the right match for one another?” Tips on how to balance being specific with your goals but not so specific that you rule yourself out because a particular goal is not attainable in their organization. How to demonstrate interest by explaining how your goals will benefit the company versus making self-serving statements that do not make an impact. How to connect your goals with the open position for which the recruiter is interviewing.
You can also learn more about answering this question in PCS to Corporate America, 4th Ed. pages 179-180.
I enjoy doing podcasts on interviewing tips. I like making interviewing simple and reducing the stress it creates on JMOs. I hope you enjoy the podcast and to get the most benefit out of it. Please remember, my tips are my words and guidance. Recruiters do not want to hire me, they want to hire you. So, be you, and use the guidance but make it your own. Find your own interview voice.
To learn more about turning your JMO leadership skills into a successful transition and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Joel Junker
Welcome back! This is the continuation of our conversation with Cameron-Brooks President and CEO, Chuck Alvarez all stemming from Episode 114. In that podcast, Chuck took a look back at 2020 and a look forward to 2021. From that conversation, he further defined the JMO "transition" in Episode 116 and is back to talk more about comparing options in the process. Chuck has personally helped over 5,300 officers move from the military to Corporate America. On this episode, he sheds light on the benefits of comparing career options and how it can be one of the most reliable and effect ways to launch a career in a new industry.
What is the means by which a person could be able to place value on a choice? How do officers assign value amongst many choices? We explore the fact that we all make decisions in either isolation or in relation to other choices and how relativity can be a very powerful tool. In the military, we've been trained to compare at least three courses of action relative to each other. Circumventing that process and making a decision in isolation is a very quick way to diminish your ability to anticipate trouble in the future an introduce unnecessary risk. The same applies to making career choices.
One of the greatest advantages to attending the Cameron-Brooks Career Conference is having the ability to compare many options, one to another. This comparison helps JMOs understand what they like about choice A because it's different from choice B, C, D, E, etc. All of a sudden the military officer ends up in a choice set that focuses on what matters most to that individual! The process of relativity in comparison will strengthen your own knowledge of the career attributes that are most important to you. The only way to do this is to compare options relative to one another. This is the power of comparison.
I hope this episode gives you actionable information that you can use as you navigate not only your decision to move from the military, but also gives you perspective on a specific strategy to maximize results.
To learn more about turning your JMO leadership skills into a successful transition and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
On the forefront of every job seeker's mind? How to interview during a global pandemic. Let's introduce you to Madeline Calves. She is a former USMC Communications officer who attended our very first virtual Career Conference in April 2020.
Madeline launched her career with Abiomed, a leading medical device company that makes products to help revitalize patients in preparation for important surgical procedures. When we spoke last month, Madeline was completing an intricate training program in preparation for her role as a medical device sales representative. Madeline is excited because she knows that the products she will represent literally change people's lives.
Although Madeline has been with Abiomed for less than a year, we wanted to share her thoughts and experiences around virtual interviewing. Her candidate class was the first group of candidates to interview during the pandemic. We thought the topic was still incredibly relevant.
Let's flash back to April 2020. Although Madeline had been in the Cameron-Brooks Development and Preparation Program© for 2 years, she said "it was a nervous time." However uncertain at the time, Madeline kept a steady course: "Nothing is ever going to be perfect. It's always going to be hard to transition into the civilian world and you can't make excuses if you know it's the right thing to do." She expands on this idea during our converastion and also shares what she did to help her stand out in the interviews. "It's always going to be hard to transition into the civilian world and you can't make excuses if you know it's the right thing to do." She also gives some great tips on going on "virtual follow up interviews" and the action she took to ensure her success.
From there we talk about her first year in Corporate America - the most interesting thing she's learned, her biggest challenges and how she stays engaged in, for the most part, a virtual work environment.
As I consider Madeline's experience and consider the hundreds of officers who chose to successfully launch their business career in the midst of a global pandemic, I am convinced that Corporate America is still and will continue to hire committed and prepared military officers.
To learn more about turning your JMO leadership skills into a successful transition and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Welcome back! In this episode we are continuing the conversation with Cameron-Brooks President and CEO, Chuck Alvarez. In Episode 114, Joel Junker interviewed Chuck as they explored how Cameron-Brooks helped Junior Military Officers (JMOs) move from the military to Corporate American in 2020 (during a global pandemic.) Chuck also looked forward to 2021 and shared his predictions on how things would shape up. In that episode, Chuck defined the word "transition", or at least how we define that word. In the process, he provided some much needed clarity and tangibility to the idea of a JMO transition. In this episode, I asked to Chuck to go deeper on the topic. In doing so, he makes some points in the conversation that I think will really help JMOs in their decision making process regarding a "transition."
A major concern that executives in Corporate America consistently face is ensuring that their leadership bench at the Director and Vice President level is full of talent. Like the military, companies must be deliberate and diligent about managing their "supply chain of talent" and executives are constantly looking 5 to 10 years into the future to ensure that leadership bench is robust. This is what Corporate America calls "Succession Planning" - their strategic process by which companies manage and evaluate talent within their ranks.
So when we define the word "transition", we are talking about a 3-4 year process where a JMOs goes from marketing themselves as an experienced military leader with business potential to an experienced business professional that comes from the military.
Lastly, Chuck sheds light on two potential military transition pitfalls that are out there. First, when making this type of pivot from the military to the world of business, he encourages those wanting to rise in a company to try and not be overly restrictive initially. He compares this idea to staring a company and trying to launch a new product in just one city! Narrowing too early is process can be a major governor on a JMO's future success. Second, because we don't have a Branch Manager, Monitor or Detailer managing our career in business, it's important to make smart + calculated career decisions that allow for future growth. Nothing will stunt a career faster than jumping around to 2, 3, 4 or even more companies when first leaving the military.
I hope you enjoy Chuck's insight and depth of knowledge and experience. Stayed tuned to the next episode for part two of my conversation with Chuck where we dive into the idea of the power of comparison.
To learn more about turning your JMO leadership skills into a successful transition and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Cameron-Brooks Podcast. I caught up with Cameron-Brooks Alumnus, Dave Hanson, who transitioned from the Army to Love's Travel Stops in 2015. As one of the first Cameron-Brooks Alumni to transition to Love's, Dave knows a lot about career management to include self-development, being a giver and the value of the part-time MBA. As we got into the dialogue, I initially thought this episode would be about being patient, being a giver and then you will have opportunities to advance and increase responsibility. However, Dave and I started talking about his MBA. While working at Love's, Dave started and completed his MBA at University of Massachusetts Amherst. We talked about the pro's and con's of the part-time MBA while working versus transitioning out of the military and to an MBA program. Dave talks about his ability to apply what he was learning while working as well as the opportunity to bring real world work problems to the classroom. Additionally, since he had a family, working and doing the MBA simultaneously made sense for him.
Finally, I just love this quote by Dave, "I did everything the company asked me to do and they did good on the promises they made on my growth and potential." This point cannot be emphasized enough, stay humble, be a giver throughout your career especially early on. When you expect too much too fast early in your career, it can derail the transition.
To learn more about the Love's JMO program, you can also listen to the podcast I did with Cameron-Brooks Alumnus and current Love's District Manager of Truck Care, Erik Robichaud.
Also, I mention the book The Personal MBA in the podcast. I highly recommend this book just for the explanation in the beginning about the tradeoffs of a part-time and full-time MBA program. Whatever you are thinking right now about an MBA program, this will provide some insight on the tradeoffs.
To learn more about turning your JMO leadership skills into a successful transition and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Well, here we are! The beginning of 2021. What were you thinking about one year ago? I'll share what I was thinking about: I had big goals for growing our reach with JMO candidates. Our client companies had predicted a lot of openings throughout 2020 and, together with our recruiting team, we needed to find the most talented JMOs who were making a transition and wanted to become the next generation of business leaders.
All of this looked on track by the end of February after a great January 2020 Conference. Then, within weeks, my thoughts went from record setting to reorganizing expectations. We changed our conferences from an in-person format to a virtual experience, organizing our office to support social distancing, conducting Zoom trainings, and more.
The changes brought about by the announcement of a global pandemic impacted every facet of the economy. In fact, unemployment rose to a record 14.7% within a month and GDP dropped in the second quarter to the worst since the Great Depression on an annualized basis.
However, companies continued to hire talented leaders through it all! The silver lining for those who made the transition in 2020 found themselves in critical positions with companies, gaining valuable experience. For example, we have Cameron-Brooks Alumni manufacturing the Covid vaccine at one the largest biopharmaceutical manufacturers in the world. We also have Alumni working on consulting projects to help companies develop business continuity plans that mitigate disruptions from Black Swan events like a pandemic. 2020 became a difficult time to transition, but for those who started their business career in the midst of it all were provided a valuable and maybe once in a lifetime experience.
Cameron-Brooks CEO, Chuck Alvarez, talks about the silver linings of 2020 in this special episode of our podcast (all of our episodes are special, I just consider this one special because it was Chuck's first guest appearance). Chuck also talks about what to expect in 2021 and his answer will surprise you: nobody can really project but we all hope and believe it will be way better than 2020. Without knowing the future for certain, he provides a lot of great advice on how to manage your career and the transition. I, personally, listened to this conversation twice I found it so valuable.
If you're interested in continuing the conversation, check out our website, YouTube Channel and follow us on LinkedIn.
One of the most common idioms in the English language is, "Don't put all of your eggs in one basket." When discussing our partnership agreement with military officers, this phrase comes up quite often.
We tackled the topic of our partnership during a recent in-depth podcast episode. However, we thought it would be helpful to address this specific phrase as it relates to crafting a successful transition strategy.
So what do officers mean when they say, "I'm not sure about putting my eggs in one basket?" Typically, the idiom encourages eliminating risk when possible (i.e. investing in a diverse financial portfolio or diversifying your skillset). Officers want to eliminate risk in their transition.
How do you eliminate risk? As a military recruiting firm that's been in business for over 50 years, we have a few ideas.
Prepare, prepare, prepare. Seek out expert advice. Diversify your strategies (i.e. career fields, industries, locations, etc.).
During this podcast, we touch on this idiom and how it relates (or doesn't) to our partnership agreement, how to ensure your transition strategy includes a diverse group of opportunities, and how you can bubble wrap your proverbial "eggs".
Again, our agreement isn’t going to be the right FIT for everyone. And that’s OK! But if you’re looking for a true career search, meaning 10-12 interviews across a variety of industries, then you might want to put your eggs in the Cameron-Brooks basket.
If you're interested in continuing the conversation, check out our website, YouTube Channel and follow us on LinkedIn.
Several years ago I received feedback from a leadership assessment that in an attempt to help my team members solve problems, I was actually making them feel "less than" and defeated. Team members would bring me problems or challenges, and loaded with so much experience, I thought it best to give them advice on how to solve it. Instead of listening and asking questions, I'd send them on their way better off with my wisdom!
As I listened to this feedback, I was dumbfounded on one hand and felt kind of dumb on the other hand. Of course quickly solving issues and offering advice would have the opposite of the intended effect. This is actually how I feel when I just want to share with someone else what is on my mind and want help processing it. I actually don't want the person to solve it for me, I just want support. Support means, listening, asking questions and understanding. Help me think this through.
About the time I got this feedback, I listened to Michael Bungay-Stanier talk about his new book, The Coaching Habit, on the Art of Manliness Podcast. I read the book and have applied his model of being lazy, talk less, ask more questions and listen more. Since that time, my team has noticed a difference in my leadership style and I actually feel less exhausted leading. Funny how that works.
Michael Bungay Stanier
As leaders we are busy, so we tend to solve problems quickly and give advice too often. Of course, there are times we have to do this, but leaders tend to default to this style too often. We can actually unlock the potential of our people by being more coach-like more often.
I have followed Michael and his work ever since. I also recently read The Advice Trap which provides more tips and how to stay humble and curious in the way we lead. With that, at the root of what we do at Cameron-Brooks is help leaders reach their potential. So, I invited Michael on the podcast to provide some insight on how we can become more coach-like.
Michael shares a lot of great insight in this podcast. If you like the podcast, I highly encourage you to read his book The Coaching Habit and apply the questions and steps he outlines.
You can learn more about Michael at mbs.works and also subscribe to his free educational program The Year of Living Brilliantly.
Links to other resources we discuss on the podcast:
Daniel Goleman's Harvard Business Review article "Leadership that Gets Results"
How to Have a Good Day by Caroline Webb
Thanks Michael for being my guest!
Joel
If you're interested in continuing the conversation, check out our website, YouTube Channel and follow us on LinkedIn.
Did you know that less than 8% of the people who make New Year's
Resolutions keep them to the end of the year? Today on the podcast, we encourage you to be the 8% with the will-power supercharger emotion: gratitude.
On the Cameron-Brooks podcast, many of our discussions and topics revolve around career success and the journey on how to get there. A large number of our candidates have been successful in the military and, subsequently, our alumni have been successful in the business world because of their grit, determination and perseverance. And these qualities are important to have and important to practice. But how do we sustain them?
I’m sure a large portion of our alumni can remember struggling to work their way through our reading list and DPP. It’s a self-paced program! We even sometimes call it a “Mini MBA”. And like any type of academic work, it takes willpower to work your way through the curriculum. However, willpower can be fleeting.
In our research for this mini-sode, we stumbled across a Happiness Lab podcast on the topic of gratitude as an emotion that can propel yourself to long-term success. We discuss this concept along with three concrete ways to practice gratitude and, of course, our favorite Thanksgiving dishes all on the podcast.
Gratitude during the holiday season is not a new concept; however, I think the mindset shift we all need to finish the end of the year could all stem from this forward-focused emotion. Graciousness and gratefulness are a gift and free to give. We challenge you today to give the gift of gratitude - to others and to yourself. And from all of us at Cameron-Brooks, we wish you a happy and healthy holiday season.
One of the most frequently asked questions we receive as a military recruiting firm?
Do you have a partnership agreement?
We encourage military officers to ask this question (check out our full list of recommendations, here) as they begin their initial transition research. Each military recruiting firm has a different flavor. Some require a signed agreement, some have partnerships, and others don't require anything at all. Asking these questions during your initial conversations with a recruiting firm will help you determine your best fit.
Through our experience, we have found the dynamic of a partnership agreement to mirror that of a friendship. When building a new friendship, you both mutually agree to invest in the relationship by getting to know each other, prioritizing your time together and being present when it really counts. If there is no agreement to invest in each other, there is no friendship. You can't count on the other person because the depth of the relationship doesn't exist.
On this episode of the Cameron-Brooks podcast, we host a round-table of sorts to discuss our partnership agreement.
The Cameron-Brooks partnership agreement is rooted in a mutual exchange of value. We start the podcast by explaining the exchange of value from the perspective of all three partners - the JMOs, the companies with whom we partner that hire JMOs, and Cameron-Brooks.
JMO: We have developed a world-class, curriculum-based Development and Preparation Program to guide military officers through the transition process. This includes preparing for interviews, learning about different components of Corporate America, exploring marketability through career field research, a technical and comprehensive resume writing process and ultimately an extremely accurate Career Conference. Additionally, the JMO partner can have confidence in knowing that Cameron-Brooks is always a career partner and a resource. Companies: Of course there are many transitioning officers, but our clients are looking for the best amongst the group. They want officers who have a proven track record of high performance and want to interview officers who are committed and prepared. That is not unlike every other person they interview for the type of open positions for which they hire. Cameron-Brooks: For as long as we have existed (over 50 years), we have successfully helped military officers conduct career searches that enable a successful launch from the military to Corporate America. That is who we are. That is what we do. That is what we'll always do. We view our service as patriotic and noble and everyone in our organization has a single-minded focus help military officers flourish in the business world.
In this episode Hope leads Joel and Pete through an in-depth exploration of the Cameron-Brooks partnership agreement. Between explaining the specific components of the Cameron-Brooks partnership agreement, why we have it and its benefit, this discussion aims to shed light on the partnership as a part of our process.
If you're interested in learning more, check out our website, YouTube Channel and follow us on LinkedIn.
Welcome back! We have a special treat for the podcast. On this episode, I interview Cameron-Brooks team member, Hope Drury. Hope wears multiple hats in the organization including advising JMOs on how to prepare to transition, helping spearhead our marketing and social media programs, and also plays a key role in the JMO resume writing process. Hope is a native of Fredericksburg, Texas and graduated from Texas A&M University. In the five years since starting at Cameron-Brooks, she has worked about half of that time at our corporate office and the other half remotely. Hope brings a fresh perspective to the podcast as she shares her thoughts on common JMO misconceptions, what sets JMOs apart one from another and then, finally, key success characteristics that every young business professional should emulate. Some common JMO misconceptions she sees when working with officers include:
A JMO needs to have a submitted resignation prior to engaging Cameron-Brooks. Truth: when we meet with JMOs, we help them explore options. We help them learn about the transition in order to make a decision. JMO Recruiting firms are “old school.” Today there are so many ways for JMOs to get connected but if you are only transitioning once, you may want to make sure you are doing it well.
So what sets JMOs apart when Hope first meets an officer? They are prepared. They are enthusiastic about learning as well as genuine and authentic.
Prepared: They have done research, spent time on the C-B website, listened to the C-B podcast, talked to friends family and ultimately walked into the conversation with an initial understanding of recruiting firms. They're prepared to learn more. Enthusiastic: Officers are curious and want to be a sponge. Getting everything you can out of the conversation in order to gather more information to consider and research. Authentic: Being transparent and open to learning more about what is available to you.
Lastly, what are some of the major attributes that companies look for when interviewing (and ultimately hiring) JMOs?
Be humble Work hard Asking for extra responsibilities BE NICE!
To learn more about turning your JMO leadership skills into a successful transition and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
There are many former military officers who are now at the C-Suite level. Some Cameron-Brooks Alumni who have made the C-Suite level include Debra Crew, the former CEO of Reynolds American, Inc. and now President of Diageo North America; Anthony Noto, CEO of SoFi; Roland Smith, former Chairman and CEO of Office Depot; Howard Friedman, President and CEO of Post Consumer Brands; Andy Callahan, CEO for Hostess Brands; Chris Hsu, former COO and CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise and current founder and CEO of Zibo; John McGrath, CEO of Pactiv Evergreen; Bill Horton, CFO of Weber Stephen Products, LLC.; Michael High, Business Unit CFO of Shell Deepwater Gulf of Mexico, and many others. We are proud to have been a part of their success. I am sure all of these C-level executives would say a big part of their success and career growth coincided with what they learned during their time as a military officer. In this podcast, I caught up with Michael High to learn how he used his military experience to become the CFO of a Shell Oil business unit that generates approximately $5 billion to $10 billion in revenue annually and accounts for 10% of Shell Oil's business. Michael is a former Army Military Intelligence Officer who transitioned from the military to business through Cameron-Brooks in 2005. His career has spanned the globe to include assignments in Los Angeles, Texas, The Netherlands and New Orleans. Despite having only two Accounting classes in college, Michael found early success in his career leveraging his people leadership, problem solving and other soft skills to develop a track record of success. He also maintained the mindset that career progression is not always linear. Rather, careers have periods of plateaus for building experience. After being patient, that experience would pay off in exponential career growth and promotions. For Michael, his experience launched him into a C-Suite level role.
Michael shares his lessons learned in career management and how he mentors junior leaders in his company. Enjoy the podcast and be ready to learn from someone who has rapidly and humbly achieved career success in business.
To learn more about turning your JMO leadership skills into a successful transition and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Joel
What is a self-evolved leader? We tackle this exact question and cover the importance of elevating your leadership in this episode of the Cameron-Brooks podcast. Our guest speaker and subject matter expert is Dave McKeown. Dave has spent his career working with leaders and leadership teams to help them elevate their focus, develop their people and get more done. He helps individuals, teams, and organizations achieve excellence by doing the ordinary things extraordinarily well. Dave is the CEO of Outfield Leadership and in this podcast we discuss his new book, The Self-Evolved Leader - Elevate Your Focus and Develop Your People in a World That Refuses to Slow Down.
Our conversation is rooted in the idea of minimizing "heroic leadership" and facilitating team flow. Dave points out that in a world where everything is urgent and everything needs to get done now, heroic leaders feel like it is more effective or efficient to step in a tell the team what to do or just save the day. We have been consistently rewarded for acts of heroism centering around our ability to do our job functionally and explains why, as a leader, heroic leadership can be a liability.
Dave makes the point that if all we are doing is getting to the end of the day and winning the day, it's exhausting over the long term because the leader has to get up the next day and win that day (and the next, and the next...)
Dave's book offers a solution. The Self Evolved Leader mantra says “My focus is to help those on my team achieve our shared goals and in doing so to help them become the best version of themselves.”
In the conversation we get into specific and applicable ideas to do exactly that.
To learn more about turning your JMO leadership skills into a successful transition and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
For 21 years I have partnered with Junior Military Officers (JMOs) making a transition to business. One of the top reasons JMOs want to make a transition? They want a promotion and responsibility based on performance. Some think that means they will transition right out of the military and take a big step up in responsibility. In my experience, I have found that to be far from reality. Instead it takes two virtues, humility and patience. First, you need to build a foundation of success and then great responsibility will come.
In this episode I speak with Erik Rabichaud who transitioned from the Army in 2017 to a General Management career with Love's Travel Stops. He started out working long hours and some weekends learning all facets of the business. Within a couple of months, Love's promoted him to manage his own store with $40M in revenues. Earlier this year Erik earned another promotion to the District Manager role for Truck Care Operations. Each promotion has come with increased compensation and earned equity (shares) in the company. Erik tells the story of how he remained humble and patient and worked hard to quickly get on his promotion track. Erik also talks about choosing a career opportunity based on culture, values, responsibility and future growth. Many JMOs place a lot of emphasis on what the company produces or provides. These factors are important but through many conversations with our Alumni, I have found that company culture, values and people are the most important factors in career satisfaction and growth. Erik expounds on this idea. To learn more about turning your JMO leadership skills into a successful transition and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Joel
Welcome back! Today you'll meet Aaron Carter. Aaron is a former Army Field Artillery officer who transitioned in June 2014 and launched his career in a Professional Sales role at Cordis. Cordis is a company that develops and manufactures medical devices for diagnostics and interventional procedures to treat patients suffering from coronary and peripheral vascular diseases. When Aaron started at Cordis in July 2014, Cordis was an operating company with the global healthcare company Johnson & Johnson. Within 9 months of employment, Cordis was acquired by Cardinal Health, a global, integrated healthcare services and products company, providing customized solutions for hospitals, health systems, pharmacies, ambulatory surgery centers, clinical laboratories and physician offices worldwide. The acquisition was quite a change and we spend a few minutes exploring how he navigated those waters and his path to regional sales director.
Aaron has been extremely successful at Cordis. During our conversation he spends a few minutes describing the start of his career in sales, who he was specifically selling to and how he decided to manage his territory. He was promoted from Sales Representative to Regional Sales Director in early 2019. Since then, Aaron hired a team and led them to win the coveted award of Regional Sales Director of the Year. He describes this success by using the concept that Jim Collins describes in his ubiquitous business book Good to Great - first who, get the right people on the bus. He said this concept was one of the major keys to success in his run up to RSD of the Year.
Aaron also provides some excellent advice on how to advance your career in Corporate America. Promotions in the business world are different than in the military. He defines the two key requirements to advance in business: results and brand. Results likely speak for themselves. Aaron goes into detail on why building your personal brand is crucial to professional growth in business.
To learn more about turning your JMO leadership skills into a successful transition and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
On this unique episode of the Cameron-Brooks podcast, we interview an alumni about his journey with multiple sclerosis and his positive mindset in handling adversity. Kevin Byrne, a former Army Apache Helicopter Pilot, who transitioned through the Cameron-Brooks program in 2000, recently volunteered to be a guest on our podcast. Kevin has a heroic story to tell. This podcast is unlike any other we have done in 100+ episodes.
At first, I thought we were going to discuss Kevin's career and transition and maybe he did as well. However, as I studied his LinkedIn profile, I noticed something particular about his career. He has not been working for the last 3 years. As Kevin says, he is twice retired. First in 2000, he medically retired from the Army due to Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis and again in 2017 due to the effects of the debilitating disease.
In this podcast, Kevin tells his story on continually adapting to his life situation and handling adversity. He says, "This disease will never stop and never quit, so neither will I." With this motto, he started a non-profit "Never Stop, Never Quit" to to raise money for larger/national organizations intent on finding a cure for, and managing the devastating effects of, multiple sclerosis.
Prior to his "second" retirement, Kevin worked in Corporate America for 17 years in a variety of procurement and supply chain roles and organizations. During this time, he also served on various non-profit boards such as the Oregon Chapter of National Multiple Sclerosis Society and West Point Society of Oregon. Most significantly, he started blogging as an outlet to express emotions battling this disease. He then turned those blogs into writing books and has written 5 books to include My MS and E which he wrote with his daughter, Eleanor. All proceeds from his books support the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
From Kevin's website, here are his harsh realities:
• There is nothing on the market today with the ability to cure my multiple sclerosis or send it into remission. • It is debatable whether or not my current medications are slowing the progression of my MS, giving me an extra year when, before, I only had a month. • There is no known way to recover function I have lost, or will lose, due to the damaging effects of my MS. • There is no way to predict, identify, or isolate early-onset MS, and eradicate the disease before it affects the next generation. • Not yet…
Overcoming those realities are our dreams; the only possibilities for realization come in the form of research and development. Your financial support is needed if we are going to win this fight.
Because it is a fight. The fight is not over and it won’t be over until a cure is found. It will never stop…nor will we It will never quit…nor will we This is why we fight!
Please support our fight.
Please consider a donation to the Multiple Sclerosis Society, supporting Kevin's daughter, Eleanor, in her personal fundraising efforts, or buying one of his books.
You can follow Kevin on LinkedIn, his blog and website or his Amazon Author page.
Joel Junker
Welcome back! On this episode of the Cameron-Brooks podcast, I interview Jim Marek. Jim spent over 7 years as a USMC Infantry officer before transitioning to Corporate America. When Jim came to his Career Conference in January 2016, he received multiple employment offers in roles focused in Consulting and Professional Sales. He ultimately chose to start his business career at H-P Enterprises. Since making his transition, Jim has worked at three different companies so the thrust of this conversation is focused on career management.
Our conversation begins discussing Professional Sales and why JMOs have a misconception about this career field. Jim likens it to being to an Infantry Platoon Commander or the owner of a battle space. As a Sales Professional he made sure to understand how his customers go to market, so whatever he sold would help them cut costs or drive revenue. Jim worked to understand the financial, contracting, legal, marketing, delivery, product development and operations - basically every aspect of his customers business.
We also hit on the topics of choosing a geographic location, getting an MBA while working and going through a merger with another company before focusing on navigating your business career. From there, we get to the heart of the discussion which is managing your own career. After delivering results in his initial role, Jim saw an opportunity at a different company to get to the next professional level and took the leap. I think that sometimes when people go multiple companies is a short amount of time they are viewed as indecisive. Jim is not indecisive - he is focused on growing his business career and experience. Be sure to tune in as Jim shares some interesting advice in regards to career management.
To learn more about turning your JMO leadership skills into a successful transition and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
What are the best tips on how to impress a corporate recruiter for a JMO? We cover this topic (and more!) in our latest podcast with special guest, Frances Cole Jones.
Junior Military Officers (JMOs) are taught to be calm under pressure, to stay even keeled and be short and to the point when speaking with superiors. While this style is important as a JMO leader, it does not translate well to interviewing. During an interview, recruiters really want to get to know a candidate. A big part of what a corporate recruiter thinks of a candidate is how the candidate made them "feel". That feeling is an emotional connection.
I spend a lot of time interview coaching candidates on bringing out personality with body language and tone of voice. In 2016, I looked for books and other tools to help candidates and I came across Frances Cole Jones the author of How to Wow: Proven Strategies for Selling Your (Brilliant) Self in Any Situation She is often a guest on the podcast, "The Art of Manliness", sharing her expertise on communication, body language and presenting your best self. I was so impressed with Frances, I wrote about her work on our blog in 2016.
Her website has an Ask a Question section and claims she answers them personally. So, I boldly asked her to be a guest on The Cameron-Brooks Podcast. The next day, she sent me a response with a resounding "Yes", telling me that her nephew is a JMO in the Navy, her spouse is a former Marine and her brother is a former Air Force (I think I got all of that right).
One of the topics Frances and I covered in our podcast is Albert Mehrabian's study on how we influence people. Mehrabian is a Professor Emeritus of Psychology at UCLA and he found that the effectiveness of our communication (or influence) is 7% verbal, 38% tone of voice, and 55% body language. I asked Frances to be on the podcast to discuss the study and share tips on how JMOs can improve their own body language and tone of voice during interviews. She covers many tips during the podcast, but there were two I particularly liked. Tips For Impressing a Corporate Recruiter:
Video record yourself delivering answers. You can record with your phone or sign up for a free account with Zoom. When you watch it back, turn off the sound. Try to focus on your facial expressions and body language only. Does it look like you are talking about something you are proud of and excited about or like you're about to have a root canal? If you have difficulty with a dynamic range in your voice inflection, record yourself reading a children's book. You have to give voice inflection because its what they are designed for.
Both of these tips on how to impress a corporate recruiter I've used with success for candidates who recently attended our June Virtual Conference.
I want to thank Frances for her time and expertise. I thoroughly enjoyed learning from her and I hope you do as well.
If you want to learn more how to apply your JMO leadership skills into a successful transition and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Enjoy the podcast!
Joel Junker
Welcome back! On this episode we meet Bryce Saddoris, former Marine and Olympic qualifier. Bryce launched his career as a Sales Representative at Altec after serving as a USMC Ground Supply officer. For the first part of Bryce's military career he was on the USMC Wrestling Team and the U.S. National Olympic team. Bryce had a long and distinguished wrestling career, culminating in being #1 in his weight class for the 2015-2016 Olympic team.
Through the Cameron-Brooks Career Conference, Bryce earned 5 different offers for employment and decided to launch his career at Altec. He spends some time on this podcast explaining why he chose Altec and why, after 2 1/2 years at the company, he is continuing to grow and thrive.
Bryce and his wife are from Nevada, but he discusses why they chose to start their next chapter in Oregon versus their home state. Ultimately, they felt like the opportunity would be most advantageous to his career. Bryce is now being promoted to a higher-level, strategic business development position after less then 3 years. This role will allow him to navigate to his ideal location in a short amount of time.
Another major part of our conversation focused on discussing how a JMO can get up and running in a territory, especially with no sales or industry experience. Imagine learning a new skill, all the while trying to get an under-performing market to exceed it's potential. I really like the way Bryce chose to go into a market where it wasn't all figured out. He ultimately bet on himself and decided he'd rather start where everything wasn't already established. Like a true competitor, he enjoyed the challenge.
It was great to catch up with Bryce - I think you'll really enjoy hearing both his experience and perspective.
To learn more about turning your JMO leadership skills into a successful transition and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
We are celebrating our 100th podcast with special guests Roger Cameron and René Brooks, founders of Cameron-Brooks and the Junior Military Officer (JMO) recruiting industry.
Roger launched the JMO recruiting industry during the Vietnam War as veterans looking for work transitioned back into civilian life. Consequently, because of the Vietnam draft, Corporate America needed to find an alternative source of talent from the college graduate. Roger discovered the valuable leadership experience JMOs could bring to corporations and later partnered with René Brooks. Together they became the founders of Cameron-Brooks.
While other companies and organizations joined the industry in the years to come, Roger and René were the pioneers for 50 years in educating Corporate America on the value JMOs brought to business. They helped thousands of JMOs prepare and make a successful transition.
We cover a lot of ground in this podcast, from the history of the industry and Cameron-Brooks to what they found most meaningful in their careers and their pride in the Cameron-Brooks team. Yet, I think the best part of the podcast is the advice both Roger and René offer JMOs and the Cameron-Brooks team during the Covid-19 pandemic and economic challenges. Roger comments that companies will always hire leaders. Opportunity is out there. René later added that the ideal starting career, industry and location may not be available right away in the midst of a pandemic. Have the strategy of "Get your foot in the door, add value, be a top performer and navigate to the ideal." Many of the JMOs they placed over 50 years did exactly that and made it to top positions in business. You may have fewer interviews during a pandemic, but focus on the fit and quality versus quantity. Take advantage of them as you can only go to work for one company.
The podcast includes timeless advice from two very wise and successful people. I want to personally thank Roger and René for their time in doing the podcast. Most importantly, I want to thank them for building this industry, our company and taking a chance on me, hiring me as a 26 year old straight out of the military.
To learn more about turning your JMO leadership skills into a successful transition and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Enjoy the podcast!
Joel Junker
Welcome back to the podcast! On this episode I interview Brent Whiteman. Brent is a former Air Force officer who transitioned to Corporate America as a Derivative Trader in 2015. He holds a BS in Management from the United States Air Force Academy, and, upon commissioning, Brent was afforded the opportunity to attend Harvard where he earned an MPP in Business and Government Policy. Brent launched his career at Chatham Financial, a consulting firm focused on risk advisory relating to debt and asset protection.
Brent was a Contracting officer during in the Air Force. He'd never really dealt with derivatives trading and risk hedging in the areas of real estate, foreign exchanges and commodities. To get up to speed Brent initially spent a lot of time learning and asking questions of his team members who had the willingness to help him increase his knowledge. He devoted himself to putting in the work. He attributes much of his success to ensuring that he made his boss' job easier. The trick? "[Take] care of some of their mental shelf space in order to make their job easier." Lastly, Brent mentioned he's eager to work and eager to learn, focusing on high quality and excellence every day.
We also dig into Brent's day-to-day as a Derivative Trader. While he said no two days are alike, he spends much of his time advising Private Equity and Private Real Estate clients on how to hedge against financial risk. He works with all levels of clients from asset managers all the way up to the Chief Financial Officer.
Brent also discusses navigating his career while taking geographic preferences into account. Brent started his career in Philadelphia and now lives and works in Denver. He shares some great insight and perspective on the topic.
Lastly he recommends Tools of Titans by Tim Ferris to anyone interested in learning more about how some of the most successful people in the world find and achieve success in life. He also gives some great advice to soon-to-transition officers: BE CONFIDENT! Don't focus on what might happen 6 months from now. Instead, focus on successfully launching your career knowing that you can and likely will pivot down the road.
To learn more about turning your JMO leadership skills into a successful transition and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Welcome back! On this episode of the podcast I interview Greg Payne. Greg is a former Army Infantry officer who transitioned in 2019 after attending a Cameron-Brooks Career Conference. Greg launched his business career at Abbott, a Fortune 500 Global Healthcare Company and specifically started within Abbott's Point of Care division. Today on the podcast, we cover his transition into a sales role and how our current COVID-19 world has created an impact. Why Sales? We start our conversation discussing Greg's decision to start his business career in a sales role. As a matter of fact, Greg asked to have more of his interviews in sales than any other type at the Career Conference. He believes (as do I) that the JMO is "uniquely qualified" to be successful in this type of role. He specifically connected the Army's Military Decision Making Process (MDMP) to sales in so much as both have course of action development, threat assessment, collaboration, cross-functional leadership and, ultimately, a presentation to gain approval. He went on to say that he basically views his primary role in sales as a consultant - someone who understands customer needs in order to present solutions and solve problems. Lastly, we spoke about assumed pressure to meet quota. Many people who don't have sales experience believe that every sales rep is a day away from loosing their job if they don't meet their quota. Greg dispels the myth and shares more about his experience and insight in managing his territory and a quota. Selling in a COVID-19 World Greg is located in Boston, one of the cities that COVID-19 hit the hardest. His job has gotten much more difficult because he (and all other medical sales representatives) are no longer permitted to enter healthcare facilities - the very same facilities he used to visit daily in order to meet with customers. He said it was a "shock to the system," but went on to explain how he is pivoting into new ways to bring value to his customers and drive revenue for his company. He also shares how healthcare is moving to more of a mobile-integrated environment and the direction some of his business may head moving forward. The aftermath of a COVID-19 world may leave, in it's wake, a slew of new, transformative business practices.
Greg has built some incredible momentum in his first year in Corporate America and while the Coronavirus may have slowed the progress, he is finding new ways to continue to deliver value to customers.
To learn more about turning your JMO leadership skills into a successful transition and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Junior Military Officers (JMOs) face numerous obstacles in making a successful transition to business. They are switching industries (defense to business), companies (Navy, Army, Air Force, etc., to a new company), career fields (unless they are going to a defense contractor or government agency) and locations. They have to identify companies and positions that value their background, ensure they have openings that sync up with their timelines, line up interviews and hopefully get offers they can evaluate simultaneously.
Now, imagine two people doing this simultaneously with the goal of landing a leadership development position with a leading company (in the same city)! This is exactly what dual career military couples making the transition to business have to do. It is not just twice as complex as a JMO, it is 10 times more complex! It is so complex, in fact, most dual military couples use one of the following two strategies to decrease complexity; however, this can inevitably degrade the quality of their search and number of career choices.
Option 1: One of the officers transitions out and finds a position while the other sequences timing to be a bit later and then conducts a job search. The downside? Usually they are geographically separated for a period of time and the trailing spouse has to do a location specific search which can significantly limit career options. The trailing spouse does not get to fully explore their business career marketability.
Option 2: The couple searches at the same time but without a career search partner that helps them align their options and strategies. The likelihood of both officers getting offers at the same time and in the same location is very low. Most likely, one partner will receive an offer while the other is still searching. Or, they run into having to consider offers in different locations. This causes one or both partners to turn down offers and limit their search to a specific location. Also, sometimes because they cannot get all of their options lined up at the same time, one or both make significant compromises that degrades the quality of the search.
Yet, there is an Options 3: Partner with Cameron-Brooks. When we partner with dual military couples, we get to know them individually to help their transition to business. We then match them individually to our client companies based on their unique background and interests. However, unlike Option 2, we match them with their spouse's/significant other's matches in mind. We look to create location and company overlaps in their initial interview options. During the follow-up interview process, we work closely with the couple and their companies. We help them develop strategies to get offers on the table simultaneously so they can make decisions together. Honestly, I have never heard of another resource able to create a successful military couple transition to business strategy other than Cameron-Brooks.
It is important to point out that for Option 3 to work, both candidates have to have strong marketability for business and great attitudes about interviewing broadly geographically and career field wise. This creates as many options as possible. With that, I want to introduce my recent podcast guests, Marquette and Luke Leveque. They are USNA 2010 graduates and former Navy Submarine Officers. In fact, Marquette was one of the first female Navy Submarine Officers. They made the transition from the Navy to Engineering Management positions with Boston Scientific in April 2018. In fact, they are at the same facility and their children attend daycare there as well!
In this podcast, Marquette and Luke share how as a couple they partnered with Cameron-Brooks to land great careers with Boston Scientific in Minnesota.
We also had an impressive couple at our April 2020 Conference, Madeline and David Calves who accepted positions with Abiomed and Johnson & Johnson respectively in the Boston area.
Welcome back! In this episode, I'd like to introduce Nick Barlow. Nick is an Associate Product Manager at Zimmer Biomet. He is a former Army Finance officer who was branch detailed to the Armor branch for the first four years of his service as a commissioned officer. Nick was in the Cameron-Brooks Development and Preparation Program for 21 months in preparation for his transition to Corporate America. He was actually scheduled to attend an earlier Career Conference, but with the Ebola outbreak in Liberia, he felt the call to help and extended his service commitment in order to deploy for that mission. Interestingly enough, he went to work for Johnson & Johnson who, coincidentally, created a vaccine for Ebola. On the podcast, Nick shares his transition story and touches on how a company restructuring resulted in a layoff and, consequently, a new opportunity. A Great Start Nick started his career at DePuy Synthes, the orthopedic medical device company within Johnson & Johnson. He began his career in a marketing role and his primary responsibility was to manage the evidence campaign to demonstrate the efficacy of a specific line of implantable artificial hips. He specifically oversaw the creation, production and distribution of clinical evidence in the form of brochures, pamphlets and white papers. This marketing content helped orthopedic surgeons, payers including insurance companies and Group Purchasing Organizations (GPO), and patients better understand the use and efficacy of the products he represented. Transition In July 2019, DePuy Synthes went through a corporate restructuring where the company decided to increase the number of field-based team members and thus decrease the number of corporate employees. Nick's position was eliminated and he received a severance package. Before leaving the military, Nick said his biggest fear was losing his job. Within a month of the restructuring and layoff, Nick was hired in a similar position in a different company within the same industry. We talk through how these events unfolded and lessons learned. I think you'll find his experience interesting and encouraging. Enjoy!
To learn more about turning your JMO leadership skills into a successful transition and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Welcome back! On this episode of the Cameron-Brooks podcast I interview Jim Rhoden. Jim is a former Army Logistician who transitioned in 2015. He had 13 interviews at the Cameron-Brooks Career Conference and through the Conference and Follow Up Interview Process, he engaged in a total of 45 interviews which rendered 4 different offers for employment. Jim launched his career at Foster Farms as a plant manager. Foster Farms is the largest poultry producer in the western Unites States. On the podcast, Jim shares his keys to navigating your career and earning success. NAVIGATING YOUR CAREER As an Army officer, Jim had excellent operational experience. This allowed him to not only prove his fit in his interviews with Foster Farms, but also find much success in his first role. He was able to apply many of the leadership tools he gained in the Army, which allowed him to accelerate quickly. After a year and a half, Jim navigated his career from the production environment to the corporate headquarters where he received a promotion to Supply Planning Manager. In this role, he worked with manufacturing facilities to develop efficient production schedules and demand models to meet inventory requirements. In December, Jim was promoted to Contract Manufacturing Manager ! He now works with third party suppliers, as well as internal Foster Farms departments, to plan new products for his company. COMMITMENT TO GETTING BETTER While Jim was in the Army and preparing to transition, he had a high level of engagement in our Development and Preparation Program. He read all of the books on the Required Reading List and put in a ton of effort to ensure success at his Career Conference. Since starting at Foster Farms over four years ago, he has been promoted twice and has done a nice job taking control of his career. A resounding theme throughout the podcast is Jim has been successful at every stage of his career because he has never stopped learning and developing professionally. A few of the books that he found particularly helpful as he was starting new roles at Foster Farms include The First 90 Days and Getting to Yes.
Jim is off to an incredible start in Corporate America and I think you'll really enjoy learning more about his path. To learn more about turning your JMO leadership skills into a successful transition and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
As we all navigate the turbulent waters of this COVID-19 pandemic, we wanted to bring you insight from someone who has helped military officers transition through all types of economic ups and downs. Joel Junker began his career at Cameron-Brooks over 20 years ago. In all that time, Cameron-Brooks has never cancelled a Career Conference! Through the Dot-com bubble, 9/11, the financial crisis of 2008/2009, Joel has been there to help officers transition every step of the way. In this episode, he shares some key insights to weathering the COVID-19 storm.
Companies Will Hire in Difficult Economic Times
During the Financial Crisis of 2008/2009, Joel maintained a journal and kept asking the questions: Will we make it through this? Will companies continue to hire? Companies did, in fact, continue to hire through those tumultuous times, so the question remains - why do companies still continue to partner with and hire through Cameron-Brooks, even in the fiercest of economic headwinds?
We know the officers with whom we partner. We know your strengths. Your weaknesses. Your life stories. Your military evaluations. Your resume. We know you personally and we partner with you. Companies trust us for two reasons. First, many of the hiring managers are Cameron-Brooks alumni. They know the type of JMO with whom we partner because they came from the same place. Second, many other hiring managers work with Cameron-Brooks alumni. They know that we partner with military officers who have good attitudes, are givers, work hard and are prepared to transition. They know that you will come to Corporate America and make it a better place.
Make Decisions Based on Your Goals, Not Based On Fear
We are always operating in a world of uncertainty. Sometimes that uncertainty is higher than other times but no one can predict the future and anything can happen. So, knowing companies do not stop hiring good leaders even in a rough economy, how can you mitigate risk to ensure a successful transition?
Find a partner who can help you prepare and has a strong network. At Cameron-Brooks, we have over 50 years of experience helping military officers launch their business careers. Because of this, we have honed our process to a high level of precision and there are literally thousands of Cameron-Brooks alumni who want to hire more JMOs. Prepare for the transition. In a tighter economy there are fewer opportunities. That means that almost every time a company hires a JMO, they are selecting that person over someone with industry experience. The only way that happens is if the JMOs can demonstrate they are the best person for the job. This takes a high degree of preparation.
Where Do We Go From Here?
If you are already in our program and have questions, please contact us directly at candidates@cameron-brooks.com or (800) 222-9235. Curious to learn more about turning your JMO leadership skills into a smooth transition and business success with Cameron-Brooks? Visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
At Cameron-Brooks we believe, amidst this global crisis, that quality leadership is more important than ever. So we will continue to post our regular podcasts to educate potential transitioning military officers. You are the future leaders Corporate America will need.
This episode features Porsche Wilson. Porsche transitioned to Corporate America from the Army in 2009 was serving as Army Medical Service Corps officer. She launched her business career at Regions Bank in a banking operations Project Management role and within 8 months was promoted to a Manager of Debit Cards/ATM Claims. One of the interesting things about our conversation is Porsche helps unpack the concept of "career management". She does that from the perspective of someone who has been in the business world for 11 years. Approaching her mid-career point in the business world, Porsche continues to accelerate her professional life in Corporate America. Early Success Porsche starts our conversation by recalling her time in the Army and some best practices that she used to find success early. First, she said she humbly approached every situation with a heart for learning from everyone she interacted with, especially from people with more experience than her. She made a comment about something a former Sergeant Major said to her that you'll likely get a chuckle out of. She also talked about being accountable to facts and data as it related to the things for which she was responsible. The Transition It was interesting to hear her recall her interactions with Roger Cameron at the the April 2009 Career Conference. She remembers asking Roger why she was interviewing with a bank. Remember, Porsche was a Medical Service officer with a Biology undergraduate degree and a lot of logistics experience. Roger told her is that she's a leader and regardless of the industry or function, she has the ability to be successful (and she most certainly has been successful!). Career Launch One of the biggest takeaways for managing your career is what Porsche says about how to get started in your first role in business. She said, "Be the very best at your first job and the shoulder taps will come." Coming from the military, she said people first need to know that you can be successful in this new environment.
Porsche has done an excellent job managing her long-term business success and I think you will really enjoy hearing from her.
To learn more about turning your JMO leadership skills into a successful transition and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Military to business transition doesn't have to be risky — especially if you have the right partner who knows how to make the transition successfully. However, it does require one to step outside of your comfort zone.
Cameron-Brooks Alumnus, Mike Burns, is a former Navy Nuclear Surface Warfare Officer who made the successful transition in 2014. On this episode of the podcast, he shares how he partnered with Cameron-Brooks to learn more about his marketability, navigated the transition and willingly stepped outside of his comfort zone to land a career at Chatham Financial.
Mike initially approached his career search believing he needed to interview for only engineering project management roles that directly related to his functional experience as a Navy Nuclear Trained Surface Warfare Officer. By partnering with Cameron-Brooks, he conducted a wide career search and was able to interview for a broad range of positions that included Engineering Project Management, Consulting, Finance and more. In the end, he chose a consulting career with Chatham, an opportunity he would have never considered before partnering with Cameron-Brooks.
In addition to sharing his transition experience, Mike also explains why his company values JMOs and the model he uses in managing his career.
During the podcast Mike and I also talk about a recent podcast we published on the transition and how it relates to doing a hike and the LinkedIn Veteran Opportunity report from 2019. These all lend insight into how military to business transition doesn't have to be risky.
Enjoy listening! Curious to learn more about consulting careers for military officers? Or the career fields we represent? Click here. To learn more about turning your JMO leadership skills into a successful transition and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Welcome back! On this episode of Above and Beyond, I interview Hunter Barns. Hunter is a former Navy Submariner who transitioned into a Senior Business Analyst role (one of several possible consulting careers for military officers) at
Kearney, a global management consulting firm in 2014. Hunter launched his career as a consultant focused mostly on the analytical piece of consulting before transitioning into more of a client-facing role.
We begin our conversation discussing how Hunter transitioned to Corporate America directly from a shore tour in Bahrain. "The day I started terminal leave was the day I interviewed with my current employer," he said. We discuss how preparing to transition from abroad IS doable and how starting research early can help combat the hesitancy of a direct transition from Asia, Europe, etc.
Hunter also explains Kearney in more detail. What is management consulting? What does a Senior Business Analyst do? Who does Kearney work with? Hunter walks us through why he decided to work for the company, which leads the conversation down a path to discuss one of the core functions of consulting: analytics. He reviews the "consultant tool-kit" he uses in his role and gives an interesting example of a dive deep in a problem set for a customer. We also discuss the question, "Can those who don't have an analytical background excel in consulting?" (Excel being a pun).
A few years into his career at Kearney, Hunter's company allowed him to take a year off to earn his MBA at Oxford before returning to apply much of what he learned in that program. Lastly, he gives advice on how to challenge yourself to get better every day! Hunter is an interesting guy and gives some great insight into the world of consulting.
Enjoy listening! Curious to learn more about consulting careers for military officers? Or the career fields we represent? Click here. To learn more about turning your JMO leadership skills into a successful transition and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Late last year, LinkedIn published the Veteran Opportunity Report with some concerning statistics. Around 33% of veterans report being underemployed and 70% describe taking a step backward in responsibility when moving to the business world from the military. The number one reason this occurs is that many companies do not understand the value veterans bring to their organization. The majority of those surveyed were Junior Military Officers, so this risk of being underemployed and taking a step back is very real for the JMO demographic.
A big reason that many veterans, JMOs included, end up with organizations that don't truly understand their value is because the veteran placed too much emphasis on the starting position during their career search. Meaning, they select the company or opportunity based on location, salary or company name only. They never conducted a full career search to completely evaluate a number of options. Hence, they may start in a good initial position but as they progress in their career, they realize they are on the wrong path. This path will not take them where they want to go. So, they quit and start over again.
This cycle could even happen for those who do a career search and explore numerous options. If they select their next career with too much emphasis on the initial position, they can also end up in the same situation.
At Cameron-Brooks, our JMO career search process is designed to help JMOs transition with confidence, exploring their options, understanding the initial position and the path they are choosing. As a result, 99% of Cameron-Brooks Alumni are with their original company after 1 year and 93% after 3 years.
So how can you choose the right path? In this podcast, I describe how hiking is similar to a JMO career search. Tune into this podcast to learn more...and to hear how the above pictures relate to the career search!
Enjoy - Joel
To learn more about turning your JMO leadership skills into a successful transition and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Welcome back! In this episode we feature Jonathan Brewer. He is a former Army Field Artillery officer who transitioned to Corporate America in 2018 and is an Account Manager for Anderson & Vreeland. When Jonathan came to the Cameron-Brooks Career Conference, he had 15 separate interviews and just about every company expressed interest in having him out for a follow-up interview. At the Conference, he had more interviews focused on operational team leadership than any other type of career field, but through the discovery process of the Conference (his testimonial video here,) he learned that he was a better fit for roles focused toward business development. In this episode, Jonathan talks about making the transition into a sales role and gives three tips to launch a successful sales career. He takes the time to explain how he manages his territory and interacts with customers all the while being a good husband and father. I think you'll really enjoy listening to Jonathan's experience.
To learn more about turning your JMO leadership skills into a successful transition and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
In this podcast, Pat Moesta shares the interview advice he would give other JMOs when preparing for their transition.
Pat made a successful transition into the business world as a Brand Manager at Stryker back in 2017. He is a USMA 2012 grad and a former Army Infantry officer. When Pat attended the Cameron-Brooks August 2017 Conference, he converted 13 interviews into 9 company pursuits and had 3 offers to choose from. He knows how to interview.
"Interview for every opportunity as if it is your only one."
"Make decisions. Do not eliminate options until after the interview as you will have so much more information."
Our archived blog posts are chock-full of other interview advice. You can find a few of our favorites here:
Five Easy Tricks to Improve Your Interviewing Skills, Two Keys to Successful Interviews, Five Interview Mistakes to Avoid and The Number One Factor to a Successful Interview.
To learn more about turning your JMO leadership skills into a successful transition and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Joel
Welcome back! This episode is a bit different than our normal podcast. For this episode, Joel Junker is on the other side of the microphone. He shares his insight on how to answer the simple, but very important interview question "Tell Me About Yourself".
If you were ever going to rank people who give interview advice, Joel should be at the very top of your list. Not only did he transition as a JMO and have an outstanding Career Conference, but he also has over 21 years of experience helping literally thousands of military officers transition to Corporate America.
As Career Conference interviews continue to trend toward being more conversational in nature, this podcast will help you develop an effective response when a hiring manager presents you with the interview question "Tell me about yourself." We dive into why the question is important, the component parts of the answer, tailoring the answer to be specific to different career fields and some do's and don'ts.
Our archived blog posts are chocked full of other interview advice. You can find a few of our favorites here, here, here and here.
To learn more about turning your JMO leadership skills into a successful transition and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Thank you for listening to another episode of the Cameron-Brooks Podcast. In this episode, Kilian Wald, Associate Finance Manager at Stryker, joins me for a conversation about his transition from an Army Air Defense Officer to a development candidate career in Finance with Stryker Medical. In less than two years with Stryker, Kilian has already been promoted and earned a special assignment for 6 months in Singapore. He credits his success with JMO leadership lessons he learned during his time in the military: do the hard work, be willing to learn, build relationships and be adaptable.
He also talks about the value of the Cameron-Brooks program and how it prepared him to make a successful transition to Stryker. His advice, "While it can be hard, trust the Cameron-Brooks process because it works." He credits his military to business transition success to the multiple in-person one-on-one conversations with experienced Cameron-Brooks Recruiters and working with his study group in Clarksville, TN.
A couple of resources Kilian recommended listeners check out:
The Leadership Podcast What They Don't Teach You at Harvard Business School
To learn more about turning your JMO leadership skills into a successful transition and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Welcome Back! In this podcast episode, I interview Kirby Rolfe (Kastner). She is a former Army Transportation officer who transitioned to Corporate America in August 2016. She launched her business career with Boston Scientific as a Senior Production Planner. We had a great conversation and covered a lot of ground in a short amount of time regarding career management. She started by explaining why she chose Boston Scientific from her Career Conference and the day-to-day responsibilities of her first role. The conversation quickly moved to discuss Lean Manufacturing, Lean Business Practices and how continuous process improvement played a major part in her first year at Boston Scientific.
After a year she was promoted to lead a team of Production Planners. At this point, the conversation focused on how she has managed her career to where she is now in a completely different part of her company. At one point in the conversation, I asked what her next move would be. She enthusiastically replied, "I don't know! The possibilities are endless!" I really enjoyed how she not only explained how she's been successful but exactly what she did to get there.
This episode is chalked full of good career management ideas for JMOs preparing to transition, as well as those who have already transitioned to Corporate America.
To learn more about JMO transitions and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Welcome to another episode of the Cameron-Brooks Podcast! Have you heard about Big Data, Data Analytics or Artificial Intelligence? Wonder why it is so important in business today? Curious how JMOs can break into big data career fields?
In this episode I interview Cameron-Brooks Alumnus, Jason Papale, who is a Senior Operations Business Analyst at USAA. Most are familiar with what USAA does, but you may not realize exactly how they use data science to create a better experience when interacting with the Member Service Representatives at the Call Center or through their website or app.
Jason is a former Navy Nuclear Power Submarine Officer who transitioned to USAA in early 2019. This episode covers topics of the different data projects Jason has worked on at USAA, his pursual of an advanced degree in data analytics, thoughts on why data analytics continues to grow in business and projecting a future career path.
If you want to learn more about Data Analytics or Big Data, check out this article on Data Analytics Basics. The post even gives recommendations for taking a deeper dive and how JMOs can break into big data career fields.
If you are curious about your fit with Data Analytics and other business analyst roles, sign up for a Personal Marketability Assessment to learn more and how you can prepare for a transition. Want to learn more about Career Fields Cameron-Brooks represents? Visit our website for more information. You can also sign up for one of our introductory webcasts or watch a recorded version. Enjoy!
Warm Regards,
Joel
Welcome back! I'm excited to bring you my conversation with Brian Fitzgerald. Brian is a former Army Infantry officer who transitioned to an Engineering Project Management role within Boston Scientific in 2016.
We started the conversation by discussing Brian's transition. He had 12 interviews at the Cameron-Brooks Career Conference and all of the companies he interviewed with expressed an interest in pursuing him for a follow up interview. Then, we discussed how he narrowed his 12 options down to the best 5 that suited him and his family and how the follow up interview process went for him.
Through that discussion, he described why he chose the cardiovascular franchise within Boston Scientific. Brian explains his initial role as a Manager, Process Development, and how his academic background and military leadership experience helped him quickly find success in his role.
Since starting at Boston Scientific, he's been promoted to Senior Manager, Process Development and describes how his role has grown more toward strategic process leadership. He also discussed where he'd like to take his career in the future.
Finally, since Brian has also been back to a Cameron-Brooks Career Conference twice as a hiring manager, we talked about what he looks for when interviewing JMOs. Our conversation was enlightening and I hope you enjoy it and pick up something new.
Best,
Pete
Several listeners have requested to hear about what it's like for a JMO to work in the hi-tech industry. In Episode 81, Cameron-Brooks Alumnus, Eric Dvorak, describes his work with the Corning Emerging Innovations Group. We wanted to follow that episode up with another alum in the hi-tech industry but with a different type of company and business sector.
Chazz Hoskins is a former Air Force Development Engineer who is now a Manufacturing Engineer with Lam Research. Lam Research makes some of the most innovative wafer fabrication equipment - meaning they make hi-tech machines that make semiconductors. Specifically, Chazz works in their Pilot Manufacturing Plant that manufactures some of the newest developed machines for customers prior to being transferred to higher volume production operations.
During this podcast, Chazz describes his experience working in Silicon Valley and the culture of the hi-tech industry. He also explains his strategy for his transition and for making a quick impact at Lam Research.
We hope you liked this podcast on what it's like for a JMO to work in the hi-tech industry. To learn more about JMO transitions and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Welcome back! On this episode you will meet Eric Dvorak and learn about making an impact with no industry experience. Eric is a former Air Force Civil Engineer. He transitioned to Corning in 2015. Corning is one of the world's leading innovators in materials science, with a 168-year track record of life-changing inventions. Corning applies its unparalleled expertise in glass science, ceramics science, and optical physics, along with its deep manufacturing and engineering capabilities, to develop category-defining products that transform industries and enhance people's lives. You can learn more about some of the innovative technology here and here.
Eric started his career at Corning within the Emerging Innovations Group and specifically within their automotive glass division.
After learning more about his Air Force background and Corning, the two main topics we focus on in this podcast are:
Jumping to the an industry without any experience and making an immediate impact. Owning and navigating your career within your company.
Eric is an excellent example of a former JMO who is accelerating his career in Corporate America.
To learn more about JMO transitions and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
What are the secrets for a JMO to launch a successful business career? In our latest podcast, we hear from a Cameron-Brooks alumni on his secrets to success.
Dave Dostal is a former Naval Aviator who now leads transformation and operational excellence improvement projects at Medtronic, one of the world's largest medical device companies.
Dave made the transition from the Navy to Medtronic in April 2017 after 10 very successful years in the Navy. He landed a career with Medtronic through the Cameron-Brooks Career Search Process. As a Program Manager focused on operational excellence and business transformation, he is using many of the skills and knowledge he gained when he was an Aviation Safety Program Manager in the Navy.
Dave offers 3 tips for JMOs to successfully establish themselves in their careers:
Have the mindset that you have control of your career. Many military officers are used to the military controlling their career. It is different in the business world, and successful JMOs pivot to the new mindset of having ownership of their careers. Take on as many hard and challenging assignments early on in your career. Seek them out. The learning curve will be steep but you will benefit in the long term. Do the small things well, then people will start to trust you.
In addition to the 3 secrets for a JMO to launch a successful business career we also talk about the importance of self-development and continued reading to include the books The First 90 Days, Quiet and Drive.
Enjoy the podcast!
Joel
Welcome back! On this episode, I interview Amber McColl. She is a former Army Intelligence officer who transitioned in 2015. Amber launched her career at EY as a Senior Consultant. She excelled in that role for two years and then transitioned to an Operations Manager position.
Much of our conversation centers around career management and the secret to managing your career. She highlights some key steps she took to find success early in her career, some things she's done recently to continue her success and some thoughts she has about where she will may take her career in the future. Amber provides some great insight that you can use as you are managing your career. She also recommended the book Blind Spot by Mahzarin Banaji. She said the book has helped her focus on inclusive leadership.
To learn more about JMO transitions and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
We sometimes have to explain to JMO’s that just because you have never heard of a company does not mean that they don’t offer great potential career opportunities. Top companies you've never heard of can often present tremendous career opportunities. After all, not all Fortune 500 companies sell consumer products and services and are household names. If we stick only to what we know, we miss out on opportunities. You could also miss out on hearing another opinion. Or could even miss out on giving someone else who is different from us an opportunity to bring their full skillset and experience to bear.
Embracing diversity in your career search is important in conducting a career search. If you focus just on what you know or companies you've heard of, you will miss most of Corporate America! Our Alumni continually say one of their favorite aspects of working with Cameron-Brooks was interviewing with companies they never heard of or considered before.
In this podcast, Kim Schimick, Director of Global Go To Market Business Solutions for PepsiCo, talks about the value of interviewing with a diverse range of companies and the parallel to that in her role of how she engages with unique companies that are not household names to launch products for PepsiCo. Kim is an USMA 2003 grad, former Military Intelligence Officer, who made the transition to PepsiCo in 2008. She has been extremely successful in her career. In addition to the topic of engaging with a diverse range of companies, she also shares her thoughts on how a JMO should establish themselves in a career and how adding value to the company helps you reach your own goals, too.
Enjoy the podcast!
Joel
Welcome back! On this episode, I explore the role of grit in business success as I interview Cameron-Brooks alumnus Paul Young. Paul is a former Army Armor and Adjutant General officer who transitioned after Company Command. He launched his business career at All Risks as a Broker. He started in a business development role and he explains the grit and determination he needed to grow in his company. He makes the point that JMOs are uniquely experienced and can bring that grit to Corporate America.
Paul has done a good job managing his career and building his skillset and recently started a Senior Broker role at Aon. He also recommends three books that you can use to be more effective in your day-to-day interactions - they are The Like Switch, Just Listen and The Checklist Manifesto.
To learn more about JMO transitions and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
When one thinks of a military officer, a Marine Corps officer nonetheless, one does not immediately think of empathy in leadership. Empathy, the ability to share the feelings and understand another person, is a valuable trait. In fact, this is what Chris Parks, Cameron-Brooks Alumnus from our January 2018 Conference, says is critical to business leadership. In this podcast, Chris shares that his sales manager remarked how his ability to show empathy with his team impressed her. This surprised him because he thought his JMO advantage came from organizing the team, taking initiative and delivering results. He never considered how his ability to relate to the challenges of his young Marines helped him become a more empathetic leader. At the same time Chris shared this story with me on our podcast, I also read an article in the Harvard Business Review on the importance of empathy in leadership. You can read the article here.
Chris started his career as an Account Manager with Pactiv in April 2018 and within one year, the company promoted him to a Sales Manager role. I bet his ability to get results AND empathize with people contributed to that quick promotion.
You might be wondering what leadership skills YOU have that will be marketable in the business world. Find out by signing up for a Personal Marketability Assessment here.
Enjoy the podcast!
Joel
On this episode of the podcast, I interview Austin Welty about his Conference preparation experience. Austin is a former USMC Infantry officer who attended the January 2019 Career Conference. After the conference, he launched his career as an Operational Team Leader at PACTIV.
Austin has been a long-time listener of this podcast. As a result, he suggested we do an episode about Conference preparation from the perspective of someone who recently attended a Career Conference. So, we did just that with Austin. Austin shares his first-hand Conference experience by walking us from weeks before the Conference up to the present.
He talks about his journey from admitting he wasn't sure of his transition options to explaining the interest he received at his Career Conference interviews, and finally to where he is today.
It's great perspective for anyone in the process of transitioning and preparing for a Career Conference.
Enjoy! Pete
Are you a JMO considering a military transition? Well did you know that one tire on a wheel loader for mining equipment retails for over $75,000? Did you also know that the type of tire a farmer uses on their equipment significantly impacts future crop yield due to soil compression?
Until I interviewed Mike Morookian, Regional Sales Manager for Michelin, for our podcast, I had no idea either. Who knew the vast complexity of tires and their value in the mining, agriculture and transportation industries? Mike had no idea either prior to starting with Michelin. I even joked with him during the podcast that when he considered a JMO transition from the Army, I bet he never said to himself, "I want to transition from the Army and sell tires." In fact, I doubt any person has ever thought that.
Mike says he did not fully understand all of the opportunities available to him until he attended the Cameron-Brooks Conference. He chose a career with Michelin in the Sales Leadership Development Program. He said 6 months prior to the transition he never even thought of something like this. Then, he continued to realize he didn't know what he didn't know until he learned the complexities of commercial tire sales. In the podcast, he describes the complexity of the tires and how they add value to customers in a wide range of industries.
I hope you find my interview with Mike as fascinating as I did.
To learn more about a JMO transition with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Joel
Welcome back! On this most recent podcast episode, we feature Ben Sewell's JMO transition from Army officer to Account Manager in Corporate America. Ben made the transition from the military to Corporate America in 2014. He's in an Account Management role at Altec.
In this episode we discuss:
What Altec is and what they do (learn more on their YouTube channel) Ben's customers and how he brings value to them Some of the best things about being in an account management/business development role How his military background connects to what he's doing now A specific deal he's worked on recently A typical day-in-the-life for Ben Career progression
We feel Ben's experience transitioning from an Army officer to an Account Manager is so helpful to getting an inside look at a specific slice of Corporate America. Therefore, we hope it helps in your learning and discovery process during the JMO transition from the military to corporate career.
Would you like more information on how to best transition to Corporate America? Be sure to check out the Cameron-Brooks blog and our book PCS to Corporate America: From Military Tactics to Corporate Interviewing Strategy, Fourth Edition.
Do you know the difference between a Job Fair and Hiring Conference?
Unfortunately, many JMOs mistakenly think all transition searches and services are the same. The reality is: most of these searches and services are Job Fairs that end up being more of a networking event instead of an interviewing opportunity. Cameron-Brooks breaks this mold. We defined the Career Conference and Career Search process. At our Career Conferences, JMOs interview for open positions with hiring managers, and the companies and candidates are matched based mutual interests and requirements.
In this podcast, Cameron-Brooks Alumnus, Kris French, explains the difference between the Job Fair search and a Cameron-Brooks Career Conference. He knows because, before partnering with Cameron-Brooks, he went the Job Fair route with the Service Academy Career Conference.
Kris is an USMA 2013 grad with a degree in Engineering Management and a former Army Engineer. He is currently an IT Project Manager with ExxonMobil at their new campus north of Houston, TX. In addition to talking about the Job Fair and Career Search differences, Kris also explains how he landed an IT position with ExxonMobil and some of the projects he has worked on over the last year.
To learn more about JMO transitions with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Welcome back to the Cameron-Brooks podcast on JMO transitions! This episode features Chris Wilkerson, a former USMC
Combat Engineer Officer who transitioned in 2015 and went to work for Davita Kidney Care. Davita is a healthcare company focused on providing a suite of dialysis services to patients with End Stage Renal Disease. What did Chris know about kidneys or dialysis as he was exiting the military? Not much. What did he know about leadership, problem solving and process excellence? A ton! As a matter of fact, one of the main reasons he chose Davita was because the role gave him an opportunity outside of the military to focus on skills that he'd honed in the USMC. In this episode, he shares insight into his company and "a day in the life" of a Regional Operations Director. One of the key drivers of his performance centers around teammate retention and he also recommends the book Love 'Em or Lose 'Em: Getting Good People to Stay.
To learn more about JMO transitions with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Hello! And welcome back to another episode of the Cameron-Brooks podcast: helping you find the best JMO job after leaving the military.
In this episode, I interview Mike Wilkinson. Mike is a former Navy Surface Warfare Officer with a Bachelors and Masters in Communication. Mike transitioned out of the Navy through the Cameron-Brooks Career Search process in 2016.
Mike launched his post military career with Altec Industries which is a privately held company that is a leading supplier of products and services for the electric utility, telecommunications, contractor, lights and signs and tree care markets. They design, manufacture and sell products and provide services to more than 100 countries throughout the world. Like many Cameron-Brooks Alumni, Mike shares in the podcast how he never considered such a company prior to the Cameron-Brooks process. He chose Altec because of their strong values and culture. In the podcast Mike explains that location was important to him and his spouse, Martelle. However, they prioritized the quality of the company, fit with the organization and career opportunity ahead of location. Because of this, he chose to accept Altec as a Process Improvement Analyst in Kansas City among several other employment offers. Due to his performance, in approximately one year, Altec promoted Mike to a Service Area Manager in Houston, TX. Houston was Mike's and Martelle's ideal location preference. Mike's advice is to prioritize factors like quality of company, fit and future opportunities over initial location because by doing so, he ended up with a great company fit and location.
To learn more about the Cameron-Brooks experience for transitioning JMOs, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Hello! And welcome back to another episode of the Cameron-Brooks podcast for transitioning JMOs.
On this episode, I interview Angela Jung. Angela is a former Army Military Intelligence officer who transitioned to Russell Reynolds Associates in January 2015. She launched her business career as a Research Associate and has been promoted twice since then! We start the episode by talking about her company and her career progression. From there, we get into the "The World Is Your Oyster" discussion where she describes the control she has experienced over her career and the difference between career management in and out of the military. She also shares advice on how to see your military background and a technique for connecting to functions in Corporate America. She gives some great advice and I think you'll appreciate her insight.
To learn more about the Cameron-Brooks experience for transitioning JMOs, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
The junior military officer transition can be risky. You are changing industries, companies, positions and most likely location. You have to resign 4-9 months in advance without a job already in hand. A lot can happen in that time to the economy and the job market. If you have a family or a spouse/significant other, they may depend on you for income and benefits. No wonder you might feel a little vulnerable in this transition despite a track record of amazing accomplishments in the military. However, the transition from military to business does not have to be risky. Partnering with Cameron-Brooks reduces the risk and the variability in a career search. Cameron-Brooks helps the JMO prepare and get in front of open leadership positions that have potential for future promotion with leading companies. We host Career Conferences where candidates interview for positions specifically selected for them based on their background and interests. Additionally, candidates interview with hiring managers, not people who are screening candidates for the next steps. While Cameron-Brooks provides a successful path to the business world, the partnership takes trust. In this podcast Cameron-Brooks Alumnus, Rob Swanson, talks about how he had some mistrust of the process initially but, by placing his trust in Cameron-Brooks, he had a successful transition to Michelin's Global Leadership Program. Rob also describes his key preparation hacks that helped him succeed in his initial and follow up interviews, which allowed him to consider multiple opportunities before finally deciding on Michelin. You can learn more about Rob at his LinkedIn profile and send him any follow up questions you may have. Enjoy! Joel
Welcome back! During this podcast episode, I interview Dee Rodriguez. Dee is a former USMC Infantry Officer who transitioned to Corporate America in 2015. He launched his career at Preferred Materials where he started as a Project Manager. Dee has an undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering and is working in the horizontal construction space. In this episode, Dee shares his transition experience, why he chose Preferred Materials, and how to define leadership in the day-to-day.
As we got into the discussion about "a day in the life", Dee made an excellent point about how to find and define leadership experiences in the day-to-day work of a JMO. This is an especially important point because I find some JMOs struggle with seeing how their experience is relevant to a career in business. Dee breaks this down very nicely. He also gives some good advice about making it a point to learn exactly how your company earns revenue (he references The Goal) and also why it's so important to work with team members across the organization.
To learn more about Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
ENJOY!
Welcome back to the Cameron-Brooks podcast! We have a special year in review episode as Joel Junker and I review 2018 and take a look back on the year we experienced at Cameron-Brooks.
In this episode, Joel and I dig into the quality and quantity of companies who filled important and complex leadership roles in 2018.
More than 100 different divisions of companies made offers to our clients across five conferences last year. On average, 45 interview rooms were in full use during these conferences, with companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Boston Scientific, Stryker Medical, and more.
We explore the complexity of those roles and the fact that companies are looking for great leaders AND team players AND those who are adaptable AND analytical AND have learning agility AND... When Corporate America hires military officers into roles typically reserved in for industry-experienced hires, they are looking for something special. Lastly, we touch on corporate leadership rotational programs and explore the pros of cons of those programs.
Cameron-Brooks is excited for 2019, and we look forward to continuing to provide a path for proven leaders to conduct a broad and diverse career search and launch their business careers!
To learn more about Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Best, Pete Van Epps
Listeners often give me feedback that Cameron-Brooks Podcast Episodes are "fresh" and "not canned or rehearsed." When Pete Van Epps and I interview our Alumni for these episodes, we do not prepare them ahead of time and only edit episodes when the alumnus asks us to. We want to ask the questions and then let the Cameron-Brooks Alumnus provide an honest answer from his or her experience.
Keep in mind this concept of allowing our Alumni to be honest in the podcast as you listen to C-B Alumnus, Josh Halu, explain how hard it was for him to agree to partner with Cameron-Brooks 5 years before he made the transition. Because the Cameron-Brooks Partnership Agreement asks JMOs to wait until after the completion of our Career Conference before they contact other companies or recruiting firms to set up interviews, Josh feared he would be missing out. Yet, instead he trusted Cameron-Brooks and the process. Because of his trust, the line up of companies for Josh's January 2016 Conference "shocked" him. He could not believe the number, variety and caliber of companies he interviewed with during his Career Conference. He went on to explain one should really be more concerned with missing out on the Cameron-Brooks Conference experience rather than what they might miss by striking out on his or her own.
No doubt Josh could have found a position on his own. He is a USMA 2009 graduate, former Army Aviator and has his MBA from Indiana University - Kelley School of Business. Instead of conducting the search by himself, Josh wanted to interview with multiple opportunities and conduct several onsite follow up interviews. He trusted the Cameron-Brooks process to help him explore his full marketability. After a successful Career Conference and follow up interview process, Josh accepted a position as an Account Manager with Hewlett Packard Enterprise.
In addition to addressing the Cameron-Brooks Exclusivity of Partnership Agreement, Josh had some other great advice for transitioning JMOs. Josh's Key Advice on Establishing Yourself in a Career
Work hard Commit to the path and stick with it Persevere despite obstacles Do the work nobody else is willing to do
Josh's Book Recommendations Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdani
The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever by Michael Bungay Stanier
I hope you enjoy the podcast with Josh!
Joel
When I speak to Junior Military Officers (JMOs) with engineering degrees, they often want to avoid doing engineering related work because they believe that companies would only hire them for their technical knowledge. When I ask them to explain more about their perception, they voice concerns about being “stuck” or “pigeon holed” into one specific technical area within a company. While companies absolutely need technical experts and engineers who want to further their expertise, the development positions Cameron-Brooks represent for those with engineering degrees are multi-dimensional where JMOs use their leadership, problem solving, project management and technical skills. They also have the opportunity for promotion and increased responsibility throughout their company.
In this episode, Scott Grigg, Cameron-Brooks Alumnus from November 2015, describes how he has used his Aerospace Engineering education and military leadership experience as a Development Candidate with Eli Lilly, an industry leading pharmaceutical company. Scott started his career with Eli Lilly in their manufacturing and engineering organization as a Six Sigma Blackbelt and has been promoted twice since starting with the company. Today, he is a Project Manager for Oncology Drug Development. Scott explains how he leveraged his military experience and education in each of his 3 positions. When he made the transition in 2015, his Aerospace Engineering degree was 11 years old, yet he uses the learning agility, process thinking and technical aptitude from his degree. The degree coupled with his Air Force leadership experience provided him a foundation for a successful career with Eli Lilly.
Scott also shares that some the best advice he had ever received came from Cameron-Brooks: encouragement to network at the start of your new career and beyond. Scott credits much of his success to the relationships he cultivated quickly once he started in his new career.
To learn more about the various engineering roles and positions Cameron-Brooks represents, visit our Career Field section of our website.
Joel Junker
WELCOME BACK! This episode features Peter Sceusa. Peter is a former Army Air Defense Artillery officer who
transitioned to business in early 2014. Peter started his post-military business career at the consulting firm, PwC as a Senior Associate in Compliance and Data Analytics. He quickly learned the ins-and-out of that part of their business and shares some key insights on the podcast on how to get up to speed quickly in an unfamiliar environment. He specifically mentions using Coursera as a great platform to expand your knowledge in different areas. Peter also shares some interesting perspective into the world of consulting and why he chose PwC after the Army. One of my favorite parts of the conversation came toward the end when he talked about what he focuses on regarding career growth, development and taking ownership of his career. He shares some excellent advice, including using your strengths immediately when joining a new team. He also shares how companies are harnessing the power of the JMO, who can be put into any situation to rally toward a solution.
To learn more about Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Best, Pete Van Epps
Welcome back! On this episode, I interview Melanie Mansbach, a JMO who transitioned to the biotech contract manufacturing industry. She is a former Army Aviation officer who transitioned to Lonza in 2016. She is managing a technical team of people who essentially produce very technical and intricate pharmaceutical products. Lonza a 120 year old Swiss company. They are a contract manufacturer for the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world.
For the first half of the podcast, Melanie gives an in-depth description of
what biotech contract manufacturing is and what she does in her Manager role. She has a lot of different responsibilities and it is very interesting to hear how her role relates to her military experience. We also get into the discussion of finding meaning in what she does, as well as and working with other JMOs at Lonza.
Melanie has also been back to a Cameron-Brooks Conference as a Hiring Manager and gives some great advice to JMOs as they are transitioning and preparing to interview in Corporate America.
Best, Pete Van Epps
Location, location, location. While those are typically the top 3 criteria for opening up a retail business, it commonly seems like top criteria for a JMO transition. Yet, when JMOs narrow down a search based on location, they miss out on exploring many unique opportunities. Paul Speckin is Cameron-Brooks Alumnus who attended our April 2018
A lot of JMOs wonder why they should partner with Cameron-Brooks versus other recruiting firms or striking out on their own. They also wonder why they should enter a Cameron-Brooks agreement and wait to send out resumes or contact other companies until after the Cameron-Brooks Conference. In other words, they wonder, “How does this benefit
Welcome back! On this episode I interview Scott Holtman. Scott is an Operations Manager at a leading textile manufacturer. He's a former Navy E-2 Pilot who transitioned in January 2014. On this episode, we explore how to see an acquisition as an opportunity as well as:
The value of conducting a broad career search and leading with your leadership strengths The large overlap of Manufacturing and Naval Aviation Scott's day-in-the-life and career progression as a Safety Analyst and Operations Manager What it's like to go through an divestiture and acquisition
Scott shares some excellent insight about where he sees his career going, and I think you will be energized from his experience. His story is an interesting one, especially the twist and turns that led him to his current company after attending one of our Cameron-Brooks conferences.
We also get into the conversation of what it's like to go through an acquisition process and what kind of opportunity can be present as a result. We don't get a chance to talk to officers often who are going through this type of transition.
To learn more about Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Best, Pete Van Epps
Welcome back to the Cameron-Brooks podcast! On this episode you will meet Ashley Philbin, who talks about her first year in Corporate America. She is a former Army Ordnance officer who transitioned from the military after finishing an EOD Company Command. She had a perfect Cameron-Brooks conference, with 13 interviews and 12 companies that pursued her.
A Junior Military Officer (JMO) transitioning to consulting after the military is unlike any other career pivot. After all, the JMO is changing industries, career fields and locations. That is a lot of change. Therefore, preparation, interviewing and on-boarding into a new company are more difficult and important than most people making a career change. The Cameron-Brooks' Team provides a lot of advice and support for that transition to ensure the JMO launches into a successful career. In this podcast, Nick Tsikalas explains how he made a successful transition to a consulting career with Liberty Advisor Group. Companies hire Liberty Advisor Group for their expertise in business, technology, and mergers and acquisitions strategy. How did a Naval Aviator find his way into such a unique opportunity? Nick credits his experience as pilot where he had a "never fail" attitude and led change as two reasons why Liberty hired him. Additionally, Nick had excellent academic credentials with a BS Systems Engineering from the Naval Academy and an MBA from University of Florida. Even with these credentials, Nick took full advantage of the Cameron-Brooks preparation program to help him land a position with Liberty and make contributions early in his career. In this podcast, Nick shares his keys to transitioning to a new career. They include:
Be intentional about your learning. Proactively network and establish relationships across the company. Find opportunities to learn from other people, no matter their position. Do everything well, no matter how mundane. Be responsive. Get back to people quickly. Work hard and be positive.
Lastly, Nick shared some of his favorite books which include: Drive by Daniel Pink How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton M. Christensen and James Allworth Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman I have read all 3 books myself and found them really valuable. I heartily endorse Nick's career advice and his book recommendations! Enjoy the podcast. Joel
Welcome back! On this episode, I interview Trey McAfee. Trey is a former Army Chemical Corps officer who transitioned from the Army in early 2015 and is currently a Plant Manager at Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope. Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope is a company that primarily makes commercial glass for some very interesting and beautiful buildings across America.
Trey was recently promoted and moved cross-country from Arizona to New Jersey. He attended our January 2015 conference, before starting his career at Oldcastle. I really enjoyed the conversation with Trey because we ended up talking about a broad range of topics, but tended to center most around making a difference every day.
Trey has a really interesting background. We discussed:
His partnership with Cameron-Brooks and why he choose to transition from the military. What 21st Century manufacturing is really like. His first year at Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope. The difference between production ("back end") and customer-facing ("front end") operations. P.A.C.E.: Positive Attitude Changes Everything
He offers some great perspective and should prove helpful to those who are considering or who have made a transition.
To learn more about Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Best, Pete
Considering a transition from the military? Do you feel a little anxious about your decision? This anxiety is natural. In this podcast, I interview Cameron-Brooks Recruiter and Principal, Rob Davis, about his decision to make the transition 19 years ago. What makes Rob's decision unique? His dad and father-in-law both retired from the military. Rob attended West Point with the goal to follow in their footsteps. He stayed in the Army beyond his original commitment to command a Tank Company on his way to making the Army his career. Yet, he decided to transition and did so successfully to Cisco Systems.
Rob explains how he made his decision and offers advice to others considering their future as well. He recommends:
Map out your next 5 years in the military. Does it excite you? What is going to be important to you in 5 years? Does the military help you align with those priorities? Research business by reading business books like PCS to Corporate America, 4th Ed. and business periodicals like FORTUNE Magazine. Talk to people working in business. Does this excite you? Does it align with your priorities?
Additionally, Rob explains why he accepted a position with Cisco in his least desired geographic area (Northern California) and how he navigated his career back to his ideal location, Dallas, Texas. Rob also earned his MBA at the Cox School of Business, SMU, while working for Cisco. He has great perspective on the value of earning the MBA while working.
This is our 55th podcast episode and, so far, this episode is my favorite. While I have worked with Rob for 8 years now, interviewing him for the podcast allowed me the opportunity to really listen and learn from him. Rob has excellent advice for any JMO considering a transition.
You can learn more about Rob's experience by viewing his LinkedIn profile. Also feel free to email him directly with any questions. He is passionate about helping military officers reach their potential and goals.
Enjoy.
Joel Junker
Welcome back to the Cameron-Brooks podcast! Are you interested in consulting? Prepare for sales! In this episode, I interview Rene Barber. She is a former USMC Logistics officer who transitioned from the military to the Corporate America in 2016. She is a Manager at Protiviti, a leading consulting firm providing solutions in many different industries. Protiviti was recently named as one of Fortune Magazine's 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2018. Our conversation centers around her consulting career: what she does, how she prepares, and how she's been so successful. As she describes what she does, she weaves some great transition advice into the narrative including: expect to fail, be humble, learn how to say no, and learn how to sell! She recommends How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling by Frank Bettger as a book that has helped her be a better consultant. To learn more about Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Pete Van Epps
Cameron-Brooks' mission is to help JMOs reach their potential and dreams. The path to get there starts with understanding goals, values, and strengths. The Personal Marketability Assessment with Cameron-Brooks (PMA) is a proven resource to help JMOs identify these career drivers. During this session, an experienced Cameron-Brooks Recruiter asks JMOs specific questions to help them reflect on, evaluate, and verbalize their thoughts on these areas. It is a powerful exercise to help JMOs make the best decision about their future whether that is continuing with a military career, transitioning to business, or pursuing some other endeavor. The Personal Marketability Assessment also lays the foundation for how JMOs should prepare and what to focus on, if they do decide to pursue business.
In this podcast, Cameron-Brooks alumnus Bob Schultz describes how his Personal Marketability Assessment with Cameron-Brooks Partner Joel Junker helped him clarify his goals and set him on a path for a successful career with Textron Aviation where he has been in sales, marketing and general management.
If you are considering the transition from the military or have already made the decision, the Cameron-Brooks Personal Marketability Assessment is a proven resource to help you set goals and develop a plan to reach them. You can sign up to schedule a PMA here.
Bob also expands on his MBA experience while working. You'll hear his perspective as he found it valuable to pursue his MBA while working because he could take problems from work to the classroom and solutions from the classroom back to work. He also built a strong network with other professionals and with his professors.
Lastly, at the end, we both offer several book recommendations to include:
The Right—and Wrong—Stuff: How Brilliant Careers Are Made and Unmade by Carter Cast
Immunity to Change by Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey
Enjoy!
Joel
Is Sales for Development Candidates? In our latest episode, I interview Cory Nordstrom to find out. Cory is a former Air Force officer who transitioned to Corporate America in 2014. He started his career at Medtronic selling spinal implants in the hospital operating room to orthopedic and neurological surgeons.
For this podcast, I asked Cory to describe his experience leaving the Air Force and going directly into a medical device sales role. In doing so, he essentially describes a-day-in-the-life, which I found helpful in fully understanding what sales looks like in that environment. We also get into the topic of career progression and some possible areas that he can move to after this role. He shares some memorable advice that he is considering as he evaluates his future options. What he shares is not only relevant to sales, but really every career field in business. I hope you enjoy the conversation with Cory.
To learn more about Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Pete Van Epps
With so many veteran recruiting initiatives, social media sites like LinkedIn, and an unemployment rate of 3.9%, it has become a lot easier for transitioning JMOs to land a job. While seemingly positive, this can be a problem. Why? Most JMOs do not want a job, they want a career. The definition of a job is, "work that one routinely does in return for pay," whereas a career is defined as, "the natural progression of one's professional life". Let's look at why a career search is better than a job search.
How do JMOs end up in a job when they want a career? They do not conduct a career search. A career search includes interviewing with multiple companies over a short period of time to evaluate them and find the right fit. This allows the JMO to compare their options with factors such as industry, promotional opportunities, career field, culture, location and money. Careers have a mix of these and short- and long-term trade-offs in each of these areas. No one opportunity will be perfect. The career search allows the JMO to compare the trade-offs and make an educated decision on where to launch their career. This decision then allows them to stay with their company for several years, fully transitioning to the business world and developing a track record of success.
It is very difficult to line up the resources to do a career search without help. On their own, most JMOs will get to fully interview (initial interview, onsite follow up and evaluate an offer) and compare maybe two opportunities. Most of the time, they cannot sync those options with one another to fully vet them. Instead, they get caught in a position of having an offer from a good company with good compensation and location. The opportunity looks good, so they accept. Yet, they did not get to fully explore the available options. Then, when challenges come or they get bored, they get the itch and start looking for another role. They last less than two years with their original company and do not develop the track record of success.
Cameron-Brooks offers a career search. As far as I know, there is not another source that provides the opportunity to interview with numerous decision makers/hiring managers representing industry leading companies and development positions in one place, and then facilitate follow up interviews over 18 working days to find that right fit. Sure, there are Service Academy Career Conferences or other Veteran Job Fairs that have excellent companies attending, but they are networking events or, at best, conducting screening interviews. At a Cameron-Brooks Conference, JMOs interview for real positions, well matched for their background and interests, that sync up with their timing.
In this podcast, Stephen Reiff describes the value of this type career search and being open minded to available options. By conducting his career search with an open mind, he landed a position he never even knew existed. Stephen is the Operations Manager for Starrett-Byetwise, which is a laser metrology company. He offers excellent insight into his transition experience.
Enjoy!
Joel
When it comes to your career, can your attitude really determine your altitude? We talked to Abby Horvath, a Cameron-Brooks alumna and manufacturing manager at Ethicon, one of the largest operating companies within Johnson & Johnson.
A former Army MEDEVAC pilot who transitioned into a team leadership role as a manufacturing supervisor, Abby has occupied many different roles across her organization in just five short years. In this podcast episode, she explains how she did it. In some ways, Abby found working for Johnson & Johnson to be lot like working in the Army. But one of the biggest differences she noticed is her ability now to have control over her career.
Abby impressed me when she explained the steps she took in her career progression. Her approach should be natural to JMOs starting a new career in a new industry. But, unfortunately, the humble attitude she took when starting out is not always the attitude JMOs start with. One thing she said that particularly stuck out to me is, "You don't get successful because you are awesome!" She then goes on to talk about loyalty, humility, and having an attitude of learning. She also mentioned a popular quote that goes a long way: "Humility is not thinking less of yourself. It's thinking of yourself less." Words to live by.
Finally, Abby recently read and recommended Radical Candor by Kim Scott. I hope you enjoy Abby's insight.
To learn more about Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Best, Pete Van Epps
Two weeks before former JMO Jenna Sanders attended her Career Conference, she wasn't considering sales as a possible career opportunity. Based on the companies attending her Conference, I called and asked if she would consider a few sales interviews. A few specific sales positions really fit her personality and interests; most importantly, because she was conducting a joint search with her spouse, Bryan, it would provide them with more overlapping locations.
Jenna listened to me with an open mind, although she still had some reservations. In addition to her other interviews in Team Leadership and Business Analysis, Jenna interviewed for a few sales positions and received several offers. She chose a sales position with Textron Aviation. She has since moved on from Textron and is now the VP of Sales at VistaJet.
In this podcast you will hear about how she applies her experience as an Army JMO to succeed in her career. You will also hear my envy when discussing her client engagements. She has been to the Masters Golf Tournament three times and is taking clients to an art exhibit opening in NYC soon. I am sure it is not all fun and games, though, as Jenna is a goal-oriented and hard working professional.
She tells her story in this podcast and also recommends the book Power of Nice: How to Conquer the Business World with Kindness.
Enjoy!
Joel
Anthony Applegate is the National Sales Director of PACTIV. He is a former Army Special Forces officer who transitioned to PACTIV in early 2012 and started as a Territory Sales Manager. In his relatively short 6 years, he has had a meteoric rise professional by focusing on both the business and the customer.
In this podcast, we focus primarily on topic of starting a career in sales. We agreed that many JMOs tend to have misconceptions about business to business (B2B) sales. Anthony helps to dispel some of the myths by simply walking through some of the roles he's held in his career thus far. He also chose to stay in the National Guard after he transitioned, so I asked him some questions about that decision. Finally, he is also getting his Executive MBA from TCU, so we discussed some of the pros and cons that come with getting an advanced business degree while working full time. To learn more about Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. Best, Pete Van Epps
Tim Crownover, a former JMO, generated $25 million in sales. How is this possible? Tim served as an Army military police officer with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. One would think, if he left the military, he would naturally transition to the FBI or another law enforcement type of role. Instead, in 2015 Tim transitioned to All Risks, an insurance intermediary, and started in a sales role as a broker. Since his transition, he has been promoted to Assistant Vice President/Branch Manager where he leads a team of 34 people that generates $25 million in sales annually. I recently spoke with Tim to learn how he made the transition from his military career to one in business, and how he became so successful. Here are some of the topics we cover: In sales, you will be told “no” way more often than “yes”, meaning, you will fail more often than you succeed. But that does not make one a failure! While Tim did not mention the book, To Sell is Human, by Daniel Pink, I highly recommend it for those wanting to know more about this topic. Also important in his success? Celebrating small victories, especially when being told “no” so often. Four steps to Tim's success:
Master the basics Take action Evaluate your results Adapt and adjust your actions based on your results
The best advice he ever received was, “The most important step you take is the next one.” Tim also told me about an insightful Tony Robbins Podcast, “Why we do what we do.” Since telling me this, I have listened to the podcast three times. It discusses understanding people’s motivations for their actions, and I've found it helpful. For those wanting to learn more about the Sales Leading to Management career path, go to the Career Field section of our website and read about the Sales Career Field. Enjoy the podcast. Joel
In this episode, I interview Cameron-Brooks alumnus John Edwards on the keys to building your professional network. John is a former USMC Logistics officer who transitioned to Corporate America in early 2014. He started his career working for an integrated solutions company focused on supply chain and packaging in the wine industry. In his four years post-military, he has been very successful and has been promoted multiplies times. In this conversation, we walk through his career path and some of the projects and teams he's led. He also shares his thoughts on specific actions he's taken to be successful and gives some great advice which will be beneficial to both those already working in business, as well as JMOs considering making the transition. He also recommends multiple books: Getting Things Done by David Allen, Grit by Angela Duckwork and Mindset by Carol Dweck. He said all three of those books have been instrumental in helping him in his career. I enjoyed talking to John and think you'll benefit from hearing his experience.
Best, Pete Van Epps
Last year, Cameron-Brooks Alumnus Dan Meloro walked into a meeting for his production site. This meeting would change the trajectory of his career. He learned that his production site would reorganize, and the Maintenance Manager position he worked hard to earn as a promotion would no longer exist. He was disappointed. His supervisor explained that it had nothing to do with him, but the plant had to make changes to better achieve goals; furthermore, there were two other options within the plant they wanted him to consider as his next move. Unfortunately, Dan wasn’t as excited about these two roles as he was about his current job. Career disappointments, bad news, unexpected changes, unrealized goals, high hopes dashed, etc. They happen. Business is not a career utopia. You will have disappointments. The question is what will you do? Here is what some former JMOs with unrealistic expectations do: A disappointment comes up. For example, it could be a promised promotion or raise is delayed due to some circumstances out of the boss’ control or, in Dan’s case, his career path suddenly took a hard right turn. Thinking that these disappointments do not happen in business, do not happen to you, or expecting a boss to be perfect is unrealistic. Thus, the former JMO gets frustrated, emotional. This is not a good place to be making a decision, especially one with the magnitude of making career changes. Unfortunately, this is what the emotional JMO candidate with unrealistic expectations would do. He or she starts looking for another role outside the company. He or she thinks, “There is something wrong with this company, position, or boss.” So, he or she makes a change, often too early in his or her career, and then has to start building the career foundation all over again. Here is the chain of events: Unfortunate event, frustration or disappointment, react with emotions, and make what is likely a poor decision. Here is what Dan did. He learned of his job change and was understandably disappointed and frustrated. He reached out to me and explained how he felt and asked for advice. He essentially put a barrier between his emotions and reacting. I recommended he talk to his boss about his concerns and his goals, and I also recommended he reach out to the Cameron-Brooks JMO network within his company. I knew a Director at his company who really cared about developing JMO talent and put Dan in touch with him. This Director helped him apply and interview for a manufacturing planning position at the corporate headquarters. Dan earned the promotion offer and moved to the headquarters at the beginning of the year, changing the trajectory of his career. Let’s review Dan’ situation again from the beginning. He wants to make a successful transition from the military, which he knows it takes 3-5 years with a company to develop a track record of success. If he leaves anything short of that, he would have to start his transition all over again. Dan starts as a production supervisor and does so well he gets promoted to a manager level position where, once again, he does very well. He learns one day with no fair warning that his role is being eliminated and he needs to change roles. He is upset. Dan, however, unlike some, does not make an emotional decision. He utilizes his network and the Cameron-Brooks network to get good advice. A unique opportunity avails itself to him and his career not only stays on track, but it points up. Want to hear more from Dan? Tune into our podcast as he explains what manufacturing really is and gives great advice on navigating your career. Enjoy. Joel
In this episode, we meet Keaton Thomas, a Cameron-Brooks alumnus who transitioned from a USMC supply officer to a career in consulting. Keaton is a Manager at A.T. Kearney, a leading management consulting firm. He calls what he does being the "doctors of business" and in this episode, we examine how he went from being a successful USMC Supply Officer to solving big problems for different companies. He explains his day-to-day life as a consultant and his career progression so far. We dig into the analytics that he engages in regularly, as well as his relationship with customers. He gives some great advice on how to look at problems for different angles and recommends The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman. Keaton is a wealth of information - I hope you enjoy our conversation. Pete Van Epps
Mike Cotter is a former Marine Corps Infantry Officer who now works for Stryker Medical as a Senior Operations Manager. His specific focus is on their Mako Robotic Arm Assisted Surgical Device. The Mako Robotic device assists orthopedic surgeons in total knee and total hip replacement surgeries. In our latest podcast, Mike discusses his transition from Marine Corps Infantry to Robotic Assisted Surgery. Mike is responsible for leading two teams. One team manufactures the Mako robots, and another team analyzes the CT scan of a patient to develop the plan for the robot to guide the surgeon's hand during joint replacement surgery. How is a Marine Corps Infantry Officer with a Liberal Arts undergraduate degree qualified for such a role? Mike explains that the military taught him how to lead, ingraining in him an attitude of "refusal to fail" and the importance of adding value wherever he can. These attributes have helped him to succeed in his career. I also asked Mike what he recommends to other officers in establishing their careers. His advice includes:
Go deep to learn Be self-aware Know what you don't know Let your guard down
Additionally, Mike recommends the following books, Radical Candor and The Gold Mine: A Novel of Lean Turnaround. Enjoy. Joel Junker
Welcome back to the podcast! This week, I interview Josh Ewing who shares with us his key to transition success. Josh is a former Army Logistics officer who transitioned to EMCOR in the latter half of 2013. He started in a Transition Team Project Manager role for two years and was then promoted to Account Director in January 2016. Josh offers great perspective on EMCOR and Integrated Facilities Management, focusing on delivering value to the customer and effectively managing his business. Toward the end of the conversation, he also gives some great advice that I think is beneficial to anyone listening, whether still in the military or out. To learn more about how Cameron-Brooks helps military officers transition, head over to our website at Cameron-Brooks.com. Enjoy! Pete Van Epps
In this episode, I interview former Navy LT, Lydia Barrett. Lydia graduated from Tulane University with a BS in Biomedical Engineering and served five years in the Navy as a Nuclear Power Surface Warfare Officer. She transitioned from the Navy to Stryker Medical as a Quality Engineer in early 2017. Our conversation focuses on her move from Navy Nuclear Power Officer to Medical Device Quality Engineer. Lydia does an exceptional job of explaining her role as a Quality Engineer and how she interacts with and impacts key leaders in marketing, sales, and engineering as well as with customers. I learned that she is a problem-solving consultant. Lydia's advice to those establishing themselves in business includes:
Be approachable. Communicate often and, when in doubt, pick up the phone instead of emailing. Be "team" versus "I" oriented. Always bring pen and paper to a conversation or meeting.
If you are interested in learning more about a transition from the military to Corporate America, visit our website, create a profile and pick up a copy of PCS to Corporate America. Joel Junker
On this episode, I interview Dustin Mackie with Avalution Consulting to learn his 3 Keys to Success as a Managing Consultant. Dustin is a former Army infantry officer who transitioned to Avalution in 2013. He shares what it's like to work at a consulting firm focused on business continuity and mitigating IT disruptions within an organization. He then shares some ideas about what has made him successful thus far in his career and mentions some courses through Coursera (and another) and EdX that he has taken to help him be a better leader. He's also taking a course through Syracuse's Onward 2 Opportunity program. I had a great conversation with Dustin and we discussed a lot of helpful insight regarding his transition and career.
If you are interested in learning more about a transition from the military to Corporate America, pick up a copy of PCS to Corporate America from Amazon.
If you want to know more about Cameron-Brooks, visit our website here.
Enjoy, Pete Van Epps
Time flies. Most are familiar with the saying. I have worked for Cameron-Brooks for 18 years now and, as far as I know, there isn't another professional out there meeting with JMOs considering a career transition with more time in the industry than me. Yet, I still think I just started in this industry and have so much to learn. But even with that in mind, over the years, I have developed a few key JMO transition and career tips to help you on your path.
Joel Junker - still has a lot to learn
In this podcast episode, Pete Van Epps interviews me about my background, Cameron-Brooks' experience and advice on making the transition, and succeeding in a business career. While the interview lasts more than 30 minutes, my advice to transitioning officers or former military officers now working in business is pretty simple:
Humility. If you are not humble, life will humble you anyway. Take time to learn from others and find mentors. Realize you ALWAYS have a lot to learn. Go hard. If you have humility, drive, work ethic, and energy to reach excellence, you have a great foundation for success.
This podcast goes into more detail about how to do both.
I have participated in over 90 Cameron-Brooks Career Conferences, helped more than 3,000 JMOs make the transition, mentored hundreds of our alumni, and I still have a lot to learn myself. Yet, my advice to myself is the same as it is to you: stay humble and go hard so that you never think you have "arrived", continuously seek to learn, and always look for ways to serve others and add value to your company.
Joel Junker
If you'd like more information about Cameron-Brooks, you can visit our website here or pick up a copy of PCS to Corporate America by Roger Cameron here.
On this episode of the podcast, former Navy submarine officer Paul Galatro sheds light on leading teams and technical projects in manufacturing. With the help of Cameron-Brooks, Paul transitioned to 3M in 2014. Since working at 3M, he's been promoted twice and is currently working as an Operations Manager so we also dive into his career progression and his thoughts on career management. If you'd like more information about Cameron-Brooks, you can visit our website here or pick up a copy of PCS to Corporate America by Roger Cameron here. Enjoy, Pete Van Epps
Cameron-Brooks alumnus Tom Wilson is a Business Consultant for Marketing Analytics with Nationwide Insurance. He supports a $50 million portfolio of financial products and services at Nationwide advising business unit managers on technology, marketing road maps, and industry trends. I asked Tom: What are three things JMOs in Year One of a business career should do and three things they should not do? Here’s what he had to say. Three things JMOs should do in year one.
Work hard up front, put in the hours. Ask a lot of questions, be curious. Focus on continuous learning. Tom earned his Executive MBA in his first 3 years with Nationwide.
Three things JMOs should not do in year one.
Don't be overconfident. In other words, be humble. Don't be in a rush. Take your time to learn, develop and make contributions. The responsibility will come. Don't be overconfident. In other words, be humble. No, that is not a typo. Being humble is so important that Tom mentioned it twice.
Tom also adds in three things every JMO should do before the transition.
Be proactive about self-development and, if you have time, earn a Lean Six Sigma or Project Management Certification. Read business books and periodicals. Get some exposure to the business trend, Big Data. You can search YouTube for some videos explaining this or find white papers online. Bottom line, businesses are harnessing a tremendous amount of data to analyze what is happening in their business and how they can better service customers.
If you are a military officer considering a transition, you can learn more about Cameron-Brooks here. Joel Junker
In our latest podcast, Kristen Coar, a former Navy Supply Officer who transitioned to ExxonMobil in 2014, shares tips on taking control of your career. She started her career as a Senior Procurement Specialist and, after about a year and a half, was promoted to a Senior Business Analyst. While working at ExxonMobil, she earned her MBA from Jones Graduate School of Business, Rice University. Kristen recently made a career change and is now an Operations Associate at McKinsey & Company. In this episode, we talk about taking ownership of your career outside of the military. She highlights networking, being patient, and managing expectations as keys to her success thus far. If you are a military officer considering a transition, you can learn more about Cameron-Brooks here. Pete Van Epps
Is it possible to earn your MBA while working and still find that elusive work life balance so many of us seek? Cameron-Brooks alumna Aubrey Williams says yes. And, not only that, but she gets to take her dog to work too! Aubrey is an eCommerce Account Manager with Mars Petcare who transitioned from the Army to business in 2012. She earned her MBA and a Master's in Marketing at Indiana University - Kelley School of Business while working full time for Mars. In our latest podcast, Aubrey explains how earning her master's degrees while working allowed her to apply that knowledge on the job and also how it helped her with career progression. Additionally, one of the biggest reasons military officers cite for leaving active duty is their desire to find a work life balance. Thus, many ask me what this is like in the business world. As an expectant mother, Aubrey offers unique insight into this facet of work and how she achieves it now in Corporate America. You can learn more about Aubrey at Mars Petcare's website. And, you can sign up for our Personal Marketability Assessment to learn more about your possibilities of transitioning from JMO to a business career. Joel
In this episode, I interview Sean Cooke, a Senior Compliance/Audit Engineer for Medtronic. Before transitioning to Corporate America, Sean was a US Army Engineer officer. He has a Mechanical Engineering degree from The Catholic University of America and initially transitioned into a Design Assurance Engineer role with Medtronic. In this episode, we focus on overcoming obstacles in your first year of work outside of the military, taking ownership of your professional development and the keys to career progression in the business world.
Head over to Cameron-Brooks.com or read PCS to Corporate America for much more information about Cameron-Brooks.
Pete Van Epps
Doug Orr is a United States Naval Academy '03 graduate who served 10 years in the Marine Corps before partnering with Cameron-Brooks to transition to a business career with Russell Reynolds Associates, a leading global executive search firm, in 2013. After four years at the Naval Academy and 10 years in the Marines, it was not an easy decision for Doug to leave the Marine Corps. Once he made the decision and transitioned, he worked very hard to assimilate into civilian life and business practices. He has been very successful in his four short years, and in this podcast he shares six steps he took early in his career to establish himself as a top performer.
Work harder than anyone else. Seek out unfiltered feedback. Be intellectually curious. Be honest and authentic. Find opportunities to help others, even if just for five minutes. Find time to be grateful every day.
Additionally, Doug recommends the book, Give and Take, by Adam Grant. I read Give and Take earlier this year and also highly recommend it. The book makes a strong argument with hard data that "givers" are much more successful in life and careers. Grant also outlines steps you can take to become more giving. Joel
We have a first for the Above and Beyond Podcast - this week I am joined by two Cameron-Brooks alumni - Craig Miller and Zach Boguslawski. Both are in leadership roles at Godiva. Craig is a former Army Military Police officer and currently a Manager of Global Supply Chain Finance and Zach is a former Navy NFO and currently and Project Manager. This conversation came about when I spoke to David Koch on Episode 32 about his transition from the USMC to Godiva. He mentioned that he, Craig and Zach are focused on raising awareness of the leadership advantage of former JMOs. They are also involved in "Reverse Mentoring" where Millennial leaders meet with more senior members of the leadership team to to discuss ways to grow their business.
They provide some great insight into both topics and give an inside look at the different they are making at Godiva. Enjoy! Pete
Bobby Eisenhart made the transition from the Army in 2011 and is now enjoying a career in manufacturing as an Engineering Manager with Nestle Waters North America. Bobby spent the first five years of his business career with Unilever in a variety of manufacturing roles before transitioning to Nestle last year. Since joining Nestle, he has earned two promotions. Bobby attributes much of his success to three ways he benefited from the Cameron-Brooks program.
Through prescribed self-analysis exercises, he learned his strengths, weaknesses, and top accomplishments and how they related to business. The opportunity to interview with numerous companies and positions at a Conference allowed him to explore multiple career paths. He thought he would go into a sales position post military, since that is his dad's and brother's career field, but he ended up finding his best fit with Manufacturing. He learned the importance of continuous self-development and reading, both of which allowed him to take on an Engineering role despite not having an Engineering degree.
Additionally, Bobby and I talked about: The most recent books he's read: Switch: How to Change things When Change is Hard by Chip and Dan Heath and Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone by Mark Goulston M.D. and Keith Ferrazzi. Misconceptions about the Manufacturing career field and the strategic nature of a Manufacturing Team Leader role and their main responsibilities. The best advice he ever received came from his mom. Enjoy. Joel Junker
David Koch is an IT Project Manager at Godiva.He is a former USMC Communications who made the transition from JMO to a business career in 2013. David is leading multiple high-level projects for Godiva as his company continues to use technology to bring their world famous products to their customers.
In this episode, the main thrust of the conversation is how David makes an impact at work by focusing on the people with whom he works, being authentic and leading with leadership. David makes the point that although he did have IT experience when he transitioned to Godiva, the real reason he's been successful thus far is because he recognizes that the most important aspect in any situation is people.
We also talk about the advantage he sees in working with other former JMOs. In a future episode, we'll have David and two other former JMOs on to talk about their initiative to bring more military leaders into their organization.
I hope you enjoy David's experience and insight.
Pete
Mike DeBock is a 1996 USMA graduate, former Apache helicopter pilot and Iraq War veteran. He transitioned from the Army to Florida Power and Light in 2004 through the Cameron-Brooks transition process. Today, he is the Executive Director of Gas Infrastructure at NextEra Energy Resources which is the largest renewable energy company in America. He is our latest guest on the Cameron-Brooks podcast. While he covers a lot of ground in this episode, the following are the insights he shares about career management:
Your first 3 to 5 years in business is critical. Keep your head on a swivel and be ready to add value wherever you can. Your military officer leadership skills relate to business a lot more than you think. Your initial assignment is a door into the company. Do not be too proud to do any job. It is just a starting point and if you do it well, great things will happen. The military decision making model you learn in business directly relates to the planning and decisions you will make in business. Corporate America needs and appreciates humble and aggressive leaders. They need both attributes as one without the other is worthless. Read great books like Grit by Angela Duckworth, any Patrick Lencioni book, and Mike's personal favorite Everyone Communicates, Few Connect: What the Most Effective People Do Differently by John Maxwell.
Enjoy the episode. Joel
Welcome to another addition of the Cameron-Brooks Podcast. On this episode, I interview Mark Fannin. Mark is leading the marketing efforts for the Crave brand as a Brand Manager at Mars Petcare. He is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and spent 5 years in the USMC serving as a Logistician. In this episode, we discuss his transition from the military to a marketing role at a leading consumer company and how he’s seen success along the way. We dig into some of the specifics of Brand Management and he shares some great insights into the similarities between the military and Corporate America. He is currently reading The Practicing Mind and also gives some insights into staying focused at work. To stay connected, you can sign up for our Career Tip and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. ENJOY! Pete
Dom Alcocer transitioned from the Air Force to General Mills as a Marketing Manger in April 2005. He managed General Mills brands in the cereal and holiday cookies categories. Dom claims he even invented a new holiday, "Back to School," and a type of cookie to go along with it. He left General Mills for Pernod Ricard where he was "Director of Tequila" (pretty neat job title). Today, Dom is a Senior Vice President, Group Account Director at Y&R (Young & Rubicam) in New York City. Dom Alcocer, former AF JMO now SVP, Group Account Director at Y&R Dom is smart and funny. You will enjoy listening to him share:
How to evaluate location in a career search How he and his wife adapted and learned to love Minnesota The best advice he ever received has to do with how to get a cow out of a ditch Why his favorite book is How to Win Friends and Influence People.
Joel Junker
Welcome to the Cameron-Brooks Podcast: ABOVE AND BEYOND! On this episode, I interview Mike McCauley. Mike is an Industrial Engineer at Michelin. He is a former Army Field Artillery Officer who transitioned to Michelin in 2015. Mike shares a ton of great perspective about what he does as an Industrial Engineer and how his military experience has positively impacted his career thus far. He also shares some career progression advice and recommends the book Industries of the Future by Alex Ross.
Mike McCauley - Industrial Engineer at Michelin
To learn more about transitioning from the military to Corporate America, check out PCS to Corporate America by Roger Cameron.
You can find more about Cameron-Brooks here.
Clint Anderson is a former Marine Helicopter Pilot who now manages a $35 million business operation for Davita Healthcare. Clearly, he knows how to achieve success. In this episode, Clint outlines 6 steps every JMO should take in his/her first 100 days of a business career. Clint Anderson, Regional Operations Director, Davita Healthcare Partners
Network Ask questions, stay curious Stay humble Learn as much as you can Be cautious of making changes too quickly Get to know your team and their strengths, interests and goals
I also loved Clint's answer to my question, "What's the best advice you ever received?" You will have to listen to the episode to find out. Clint also recommended the book, What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful by Marshall Goldsmith. For other book recommendations, access our Learning Library.
In this episode, I interview Jerry Morones. Jerry is a former Army Signal Officer and has an Electrical Engineering degree from Yale University. He transitioned from the Army to Medtronic in 2015 and is currently leading technical projects in the Design Assurance group. During our conversation, we spend a lot of time talking about how to naturally transition from the military to the business world and focus on three main areas: Jerry Morones, Program Manager at Medtronic
Using your HOW TO LEARN skill Ways to get buy-in across different functions in an organization Enhancing your skills through education
You can find more information about Cameron-Brooks here. Best, Pete Van Epps
Want to hear 3 things you can do to succeed in your transition from military to business? Then listen to this podcast from a highly successful, former Navy Nuclear Power Submariner who is now a Territory Manager with Boston Scientific Rhythm Management. Patrick Dickerson is a Cameron-Brooks Alumnus who made the transition in 2009. He does a great job sharing what has allowed him to be successful. He also shares what a JMO should do to ensure a successful career transition and describes what a sales career is really like. If you are ready to follow his advice and be well prepared for a transition, then take the first step with Cameron-Brooks by signing up for a webcast and a Personal Marketability Assessment. He also recommends reading the books PCS to Corporate America, 4th Ed., Good to Great and How to Win Friends and Influence People. I love his advice at the end, "Life is short. You only get one shot at it. Go for it." Joel Junker
Welcome to another episode of the Cameron-Brooks Podcast! In this episode, I interview Derek Walsh, VP of Operations Administration, Behavioral Heath Group. Derek shares some of his keys to success since making the transition from the Army to BHG. We explore topics like working through the career search decision-making process, staying flexible, proactively looking for ways to improve an organization and effective ways to overcome the learning curve in a new situation. We also get into what he is working on professionally, and he gives some recommendations that I think you'll appreciate. For more information about Cameron-Brooks, go to our website at www.cameron-brooks.com. Also, be sure to subscribe to the iTunes podcast to listen to past episodes. Enjoy! Pete Van Epps
Thanks for listening to the Cameron-Brooks podcast! This week, I had the opportunity to visit with Cameron-Brooks alumni, Tanya Chavez. Tanya works for G3 Enterprises and transitioned from the Air Force through Cameron-Brooks in 2012. Since that transition, she has earned her MBA at UC Berkely Haas School of Business, led a major enterprise resource planning software implementation at G3, and has been promoted multiple times. Tanya also currently teaches a business leadership and communications class at Haas.
Stay tuned for a great episode as Tanya shares her perspective on everyday leadership, offers advice about bringing your whole self to work and how to take work lessons back home. She also mentions the book The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down by Haemin Sunim.
For additional perspective on everyday leadership, I highly recommend the Ted Talk by Drew Dudley on every day leadership. I watched it this morning and it is really good!
Joel Junker
Thanks for listening to the Cameron-Brooks Podcast! In this episode, I finish my conversation with Rob Carranza, R&D Lifecycle Manager at Johnson & Johnson. We dig into topics like leading cross-functional projects, using military experience in everyday life in the business world and managing healthy conflict. We also discuss the book, The Ideal Team Player by Patrick Lencioni. You can read all about the book here. To learn more about Cameron-Brooks, click here. Enjoy! Pete Van Epps
Thanks for listening to the Cameron-Brooks Podcast! In this episode, I interview Rob Carranza, R&D Lifecycle Manager at Johnson & Johnson. Rob earned his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering and is a former Air Force Navigator. He gives some really good perspective and our conversation went pretty long, so I broke the conversation in two parts. We will publish Part 2 in the next episode.
In Part 1 we discuss using comparative data when making a transition decision, finding balance in and out of work and staying curious.
You can read more about Rob's background here.
Enjoy!
Pete Van Epps
John Tunison is a former Navy Nuclear Power Submarine Officer who transitioned to a career at Shell Oil in 2003. John graduated from the Naval Academy with a major in Political Science, but he has since gone on to a career in corporate finance. John has hired and mentored numerous military officers over the last 14 years. He has also been extremely successful, achieving the position of Chief Financial Officer with a couple of companies. In this episode, you will hear John's advice about:
The importance of frequently reinventing yourself, because "what got you here won't get you there". Reading recommendations for several books such as Execution, Reengineering the Corporation, Leading to Change and Who Moved My Cheese. Says a key to his success has been finding and cultivating mentors.
This is a great episode packed with simple tips, which you can apply immediately, in an effort to reach your goals. Joel
Thanks for listening to the Cameron-Brooks Podcast! In this episode, I interview Kelly Trout, Senior IT Director at HCA. Kelly is a West Point graduate and served in the Army as an Ordnance Officer. In this episode, Kelly spends some time discussing her career path, managing projects and leading teams at HCA. Enjoy! Pete Van Epps
In another episode of the Cameron-Brooks podcast, we interview Chip Autry, a Demand Planner at GSK. Chip is a former Army Officer who made the transition to business in 2012. Since then, he also earned his MBA at NYU Stern School of Business. Chip does a great job explaining what a Demand Planner does and how important the role is to a consumer products company. He also offers advice on those thinking about making a military to business transition. Joel Junker
Josh Buchanan is a former Army Infantry officer who made the transition from military to business in 2010. Josh started his business career with the Reynolds Group in Jacksonville, IL and earned his MBA while working with Reynolds. He was selected to be a part of a CEO focus group, and due to that opportunity, he was promoted to a Business Development role in Charlotte, NC. He does a great job of explaining the importance of job satisfaction in a manufacturing career. He also talks about being patient in your career and remembering that it's not so much where you start, but the track record you develop that creates opportunities in the future. Joel
Matt Burch is an Interventional Sales Consultant with Medtronic Spinal and Biologics. He is also a former Army Infantry Officer who deployed multiple times and commanded a line Infantry company. Matt made his transition from the military to business in 2012 through the Cameron-Brooks program. In this episode, Matt shares how he used his knowledge of developing operations orders to help him turn around his sales territory. He also dispels many myths of a sales career. Joel Junker
Thanks for listening to the Cameron-Brooks Podcast! In this episode, I interview Eric Baker, Associate Marketing Manager at Foster Farms. Eric is a West Point graduate and served in the Army as an Infantry Officer. In this episode, Eric spends some time discussing his marketing role at a major consumer food company and how it relates (and does not relate) to his Army experience. We also dig into topics like the advantage of doing a broad career search, being humble and treating every single interaction at work like it matters. Enjoy! Pete Van Epps
Another episode of the Cameron-Brooks Podcast! In this episode, I interview Joe Dowdy, former Army Helicopter Pilot, and now a Senior Financial Analyst with Noble Energy. Joe shares his keys to making a successful military to business transition, and why he waited to get his MBA after the military while working at Noble Energy. Just a heads up, Joe is smart person. Some of his finance explanations are pretty heady, but hang with the podcast as he offers a lot of great advice. Joel Junker
In this 11th episode of the Cameron-Brooks Podcast, Dan Allen, USAFA '92 Graduate and former AF Finance Officer, shares what has made him successful for almost 20 years in business. Dan is currently a Vice President at Grey Mountain Partners. He made the transition from the AF to Procter & Gamble in 1997. He also worked in various finance roles at GE and Eaton Corporation before Grey Mountain. I particularly liked Dan's advice, "Do every job like it's the last one you'll ever have." He also shares how he made the mistake of being too cocky early in his career, and how he used that lesson later in life to land his current role at Grey Mountain. Lastly, Dan recommends everyone read the book What Every CEO Wants You to Know by Ram Charan. Enjoy! Joel
In this episode, former Naval Submarine Officer, Joel Godfrey, shares his unique perspective on making the transition from the military to leading very large projects as a Senior Consultant at A-P Networks.
Joel gives some great insight on:
Similarities and differences between leading projects in the military and Corporate America Assimilating into the business world and fostering camaraderie The importance of focusing on customers needs and being a better listener Being patient and taking the long view regarding his career
Joel's advice is not only for those considering a transition, but for those who have already made the transition.
If you are a military officer considering a transition, I encourage you to visit our website: www.cameron-brooks.com
In this episode of the Cameron-Brooks podcast, Ryan Nungesser shares his unique perspective on making the transition from Marine Corps Captain to a career with Boston Scientific. Ryan has been working with Boston Scientific since 2009 and has risen to the role of Production Director, a role in which he leads over 500 people, positively impacting 2 million patients per year.
This episode will discuss Ryan's lessons on:
Learning how to ask for help The value of being yourself People leadership Finding meaning within your work
Ryan has great personal advice for those in the military making a transition and for those already working in business. Enjoy!
In this episode, Steve Joachim, USMA '97, Iraq War Veteran and Cameron-Brooks Alumnus talks about how he created a patent with other engineers on a surgical device that cuts through bone, helped turn around a declining medical device company, and rose to the Senior Vice President of Supply Chain for an $800+ million medical device company and living in Switzerland. Steve shares that he did some highly unusual things to grow and develop. First, he took a double demotion, then he voluntarily took courses in Organic Chemistry and Biology to help him understand his role, and endured a grueling interview even though he was the least objectively qualified candidate. He got the job! He has great personal advice for those in the military making a transition decision and for those already working in business.
In this episode of the Cameron-Brooks Podcast, Rudy Chavez, former AF F-15 Pilot and now a Sales Representative with BIOTRONIK, the fastest growing Cardiac Rhythm Management company in the US, tells his story of success.
In the episode, Rudy and I talk about:
Self-motivation Building trusting relationships How he focuses on self-development The best advice he received, "Give 'em he(ck)."
The podcast starts out a little slow, due to my interviewing skills, but improves as it progresses and is full of great advice. Stick with it.
Julie Wilson is a former US Army Intelligence Officer who transitioned through Cameron-Brooks in 2013 and, today, is the Marketing Director at Textron Systems. In her role, she leads the marketing operations of a multi-business military and defense contracting company. Since transitioning from the military, Julie has been extremely successful as a Manager for Business Development and Category Marketing at Cessna Aircraft Company and as a Senior Manager of Business Development at Textron Aviation. In this episode, Julie shares insights on:
The value of an action-oriented professional mentality Appreciating the leadership landscape of a company Balancing the complexities of work and personal life
Ross Nussbaum is a former USMC Infantry Officer who transitioned through Cameron-Brooks in 2013 and, today, is a Territory Manager at Biosense Webster, Inc., part of the Johnson & Johnson family of companies. Essentially, Ross manages a geographic territory while advising physicians in surgery on the proper use and application of products associated with the treatment of Atrial Fibrillation (AFib). Ross has been incredibly successful and has been promoted multiple times in his 3+ years with Biosense Webster, Inc. In this episode, Ross shares insights on:
Surrounding himself with high-performing co-workers and building a professional network Building his personal brand Taking ownership of his professional development Using new sales techniques to drive business
This is the second half of the interview with Dave Barbuto, Cameron-Brooks Alumnus, former Army Infantry Officer, and today the Senior Vice President of Customer Solutions at Asurion.
In this episode, Dave, who has been promoted 4 times in 11 years, shares:
Gaining broad experience early in his career set him up for success.
Don't fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others.
Finding balance by leaving work at a specific time each day and why Asurion does not have a vacation policy for management.
Dave Barbuto transitioned through Cameron-Brooks in 2005 and, today, is the VP of Customer Solutions at Asurion. So, if you have cell phone insurance and you lost or damaged your phone, or had it stolen, it was Dave's organization that processed your claim and delivered your phone to you the next day. Incredibly successful in his 10+ years with Asurion, Dave shares insights on:
Establishing relationships early in your career Delivering value in everything you do Learning from failure and being vulnerable to share the failure with your team Importance of providing your team members with honest feedback
Beth Gulitus served 10 years as an Air Force Aircraft Maintenance Officer and transitioned through the Cameron-Brooks program to a Sales position with Johnson & Johnson in 1991. 25 years later, she is still with Johnson & Johnson, where she rose to Regional Sales Director and led a team of sales and marketing professionals, totaling approximately 200 people, responsible for $440 million in sales. She has hired and mentored numerous successful JMOs in her career. Beth and her husband David are the parents of two successful children, one that graduated from the United States Merchant Marine Academy and another who also works for Johnson & Johnson. In this episode Beth shares her insights on:
How she balanced being a successful professional and parent.
The importance of enjoying life’s journey.
Overcoming obstacles or career burnout and helping others do the same.
Her definition of success. Beth made a conscious decision to take step back in her professional career and have less responsibility. She explains why she made that decision and how not to let others or society define success for you.
Links to topics discussed in the episode:
Ted Talk: How to Make Work Life Balance Work by Nigel Marsh
Ted Talk: Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Lee Duckworth
Book: Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
Book: The Travelers Gift by Andy Andrews
Book: Emotional Intelligence: Why it Can Matter More than IQ by Daniel Goldman
Book: Integrity Selling for the 21st Century by Ron Willingham
Disclaimer: Beth Gulitus' answers and comments are her own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Johnson & Johnson.
Brad Cantebury is a 2007 United States Naval Academy Graduate who spent 6 years in the Marine Corps before transitioning to business. He is currently a Supplier Technology Manager at United Technologies, and while he has only been out of the military working in business for 3 years, he has a lot share about making an impact early in a career. Topics we cover include:
The best career advice Brad received: “You will solve 80% of your problems with getting the right people into the right positions,” and how he does that. The importance of communicating with your boss and not to being afraid to over communicate. How to find a mentor and manage that relationship. You are responsible for taking control of your career. How Procurement is much more than negotiating price and quantity deals with suppliers. Success comes down to building relationships
Links to books discussed in the podcast:
Sink, Float or Swim: Sustainable High Performance Doesn't Happen by Chance - It Happens by Choice
The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results
We are excited to launch the Cameron-Brooks Podcast. For almost 50 years, the Cameron-Brooks Team has partnered with high performing military officers assisting them with transitioning to a successful business career. We have a continuing relationship with a vast majority of our Alumni. Some of our successful Alumni include the CFO of Twitter, Chief Marketing Officer of Tyson Foods, COO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, COO of RJ Reynolds, VP of Supply Chain at a Fortune 500 Medical Device Company, Executive Vice President of Logistics for Walmart Stores, Inc. to name just a few. The purpose of the Cameron-Brooks podcast is to draw best practices, lessons learned and career advice from our Alumni and other business partners to assist others in reaching their potential and goals. This podcast will help anyone who has a desire to grow both personally and professionally.
While the podcast will mostly be episodes of conversations with Cameron-Brooks Alumni, it will also include book reviews, career advice, interview tips and leadership lessons from Cameron-Brooks Team Members.