021 Making a Successful Military to Civilian Transition – Patrick Jump

Making a successful military to civilian transition is no simple task. Military service is a much more jack-of-all-trades affair than its various specializations may imply. So how do veterans navigate the unfamiliar waters of civilian work, and how can civilian employers help? This episode’s guest is uniquely qualified to answer this question.

Patrick Jump is the National Business Development Executive for Humareso, a human resources outsourcing firm. A former U.S. Marine who served in in Kandahar and Fallujah, Patrick graduated from the Art Institute of Philadelphia in 2013 and has spent the last 15 years working in the private sector, in the retail, transportation and movie industries. He currently lives in Philadelphia with his wife and young son.

In this episode, Patrick offers up advice for servicemen and women looking to enter the private sector, tips for employers looking to hire veterans, and why “Thank you for your service” might not be the best compliment to give a soldier.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS EPISODE:

(2:56) - Patrick describes his transition to private life and working in the private sector following his honorable discharge.

(4:46) - Which mental quirks and traits from his time in the service carried over to his retail work?

(6:44) - Patrick’s tips for those in the service entering civilian work in the next year and what skills they should focus on promoting to employers.

(8:34) - Getting hired at a company vs. putting in your time in the military.

(10:19) - The single biggest challenge Patrick faced going from military to civilian work.

(12:28) - The jack-of-all-trades nature of military work.

(15:24) - What’s easy about the private sector compared to the military?

(17:35) - Patrick’s advice for companies looking to get serious about hiring veterans.

(19:37) - What can the military do to better prepare service members for civilian careers?

(24:17) - What can the average American citizen do to support veteran hiring initiatives?

(26:21) - His ultimate tip for any veteran/soon-to-be-veteran seeking civilian work.

TWEETABLES:

“It’s very hard to accept that someone who’s spent twenty years in the same career field is now transitioning.”

“I know how to take apart an engine, but I don’t have any formal training on it.”

“One thing that was easier about the private sector is that I didn’t have to worry about getting yelled at anymore.”

“If those companies really intend to hire those hundred thousand veterans, the veterans are certainly there.”

“If the top 15 companies actually hired the amount of vets they have committed to hiring, in 8 years there would be no unemployed veterans.”

“Train your HR staff, train your people on interpreting what military skills are.”

“Remember that just as in your military training, sitting in a classroom and learning those skills and then applying it just to pass the class just isn’t enough.”

“While a veteran might not be the perfect candidate on paper, if they are given the opportunity veterans will always make you look like you made exactly the right decision.”

Guest Links:

Patrick Jump on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickjump

Humareso: https://humareso.com/

Resources:

Get Nick’s Daily Dose: https://www.