Lessons Learned for Vets

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Misty Moreno, you may remember from Episode 15 of Season 1 of the show. She retired from the Air Force as a Senior Master Sergeant and went right into the private sector by masterfully leveraging her network on LinkedIn.

Misty starts the conversation by discussing the similarities and differences in the human resources career field from the military to the private sector. There are a lot of transferable skills between the military and private sector in HR, but Misty recognized that there were some gaps in the application of those skills. In collaboration with the team at Vets2PM, Misty set out to help veterans bridge some of those gaps by creating the Associate Professional in Human Resources (aPHR) certification training course. 

Misty and Jeremy talk about the content of the aPHR certification prep course, why they decided to start with the aPHR instead of a higher-level certification and how the course will help you build your skills and pass the certification exam. They see the aPHR as an effective stepping 

While a veteran does not need to start at the bottom when they leave the military and enter the civilian sector, they need to realize they may need to take a few steps back in order to get used to a different application of their military skills. Misty took a role a few steps back from where she was in the Air Force in HR, gained knowledge, experience and certifications to fill her knowledge gaps and has already been promoted twice in just 18 months with her company. 

Misty addresses the issue of checking your ego at the door. You may want to consider the fact that taking a position a step or two below what you are doing in the military will take some pressure off you and give you an opportunity to adapt to this new work environment. There are many changes that will happen during your transition and taking some pressure off at work may help you better navigate this process. 

We address whether or not a certification is required for getting a job in the private sector during their military transition. While certifications are not always required, it helps you stand out among the crowd of similarly qualified candidates, while also validating and expanding your knowledge as you transition from the military to the private sector. 

Jeremy addresses some of the ways that active duty service members and veterans can get the costs of their certifications paid for or partially paid for through Vets2PM. There are many valuable benefits and services, such as job search and placement support, available to students who pursue their certifications through the Vets2PM organization.

In celebration of the new podcast, Military Transition Academy, that Jeremy Burdick and Eric “Doc” Wright recently launched, he is offering a discount to our listeners on all courses at Vets2PM. You can visit their website at www.vets2pm.com/training/ and enter the discount code MTA10 to save 10% off any of their certification courses.

Connect with Misty Moreno at https://www.linkedin.com/in/misty-moreno/

Connect with Jeremy Burdick at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-burdick/                                  

SUBSCRIBE & LEAVE A FIVE-STAR REVIEW and share this to other veterans who might need help as they transition from the military!

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Benjie Manibog served 15 years in the United States Marine Corps in the Special Operations Command. His career came to an abrupt halt due to his wife’s illness so he found himself in the midst of a transition 5 years before he expected. Benjie, who often has blue hair and loves skateboarding is not your typical Marine Raider, but it is this love of skateboarding and a dedication to living his purpose that led him to launch a skateboard and apparel company, Thrash N’ Raid and to serve as the Operations Officer for Six Feet Above, a non-profit that uses skateboarding to help veterans build connections.

 Benjie’s first reaction was that he was only qualified to carry a gun and serve as law enforcement, so he immediately applied for a role with Customs and Border Protection. Along the way, he decided to purse his Master’s degree at University of Southern California and he participated in several programs such as the Honor Foundation and some therapy programs that helped him figure out what he wanted to do with his post-military career. 

 Benjie had a very difficult childhood, where he found himself involved with substance abuse and spending time with homeless people and addicts. He made a decision to join the military and found the inspiration he needed to change his life and take full ownership of his own actions. 

 Benjie shares the lessons he learned as a Marine Raider that have helped him achieve success since he left the military. Some of those lessons include:

 - You can still be a veteran, even in the Special Forces, and show emotions other than anger. Learning to deal with, express and stop burying the experiences you have had, both in the military and in your private life is important to moving forward, being a better parent, sibling, spouse, etc. 

 - As a military service member, you learn how to overcome difficulties and achieve complex issues. You have overcome dangerous situations and it gives you confidence and motivation to keep moving forward.

 - The planning, detailed analysis and decision making skills you learn in the military helps you analyze the big picture and make decisions strategically based on your research.

 - The military helps you prepare to take risks, but teaches you how to take calculated risks.  

 - When someone says no, instead of accepting that look for a way to turn that into a yes by overcoming road blocks. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you hear no, then look for a way to change the answer. 

Benjie is the founder of a skateboard and apparel company, Thrash N’ Raid, is based in Southern California. Many of their proceeds go back into the community to help veterans and at-risk youth. You can find more information about his company at www.thrashnraid.com. You can find and follow them on Instagram at thrash_n_raid. 

 In addition, Benjie is the Operations Officer of Six Feet Above, a non-profit that uses no-cost skateboarding retreats to help veterans connect with a new tribe. You can find more information about Six Feet Above, a 501(c)3, that can be found at www.sixfeetabove.org. 

 You can connect with Benjie Manibog on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/bmmanibog/.

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Surprise! I know I said that last week was our final episode of the season, but we had so much fun recapping the highlights of the last year, that I invited Bob Newlin and Jonathan Fisher to join me to share their favorite episodes. We highlight Episode 2 with Keith Forte, Episode 8 with Ben Killoy, Episode 15 with Misty Moreno, Episode 16 and 17 with Herb Thompson and we look at another clip from Episode 19 with Adam Braatz. Jonathan and I revisit my resume episode with Alfredo Torres and we wrap up with the gentlemen of the Military Transition Roundtable, Episode 50 with Matt Scherer and Episode 52 with Don Gleason. 

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We are welcoming back our friend and, now three-time guest, Chris Dreisbach to recap his favorite episodes from the last year. We are so grateful to have you as our listener and want to thank you for tuning in to all the episodes. These recaps will wrap up our Season 1 of the show. Be on the lookout for Season 2 in early January 2022. More details to come!

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Lakeydra Houston is currently going through her transition process as she retires from the United States Air Force. She is in the SkillBridge program and offers some insight on what the inside of the program looks like. In addition, Lakeydra talks about her experience with sexual assault in the Air Force and how her avoidance of that experience and other personal tragedies led her to a place where she attempted suicide. Laykeydra is committed to advocating for other victims and she talks about how she fought her way through the darkness to thriving today. If you or someone you know is struggling or having suicidal thoughts, you can reach help with the Suicide Crisis Number at 800-273-8255.

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After retiring from the US Marine Corps, Charles Wells had an easy transition. He quickly landed a good job in the private sector through networking. Within a few months, he was able to secure a position with the federal government, where he gets to continue making a difference for military service members. He attributes his "easy" transition to his mindset. Charlie is known for his humor and outgoing personality, but he has so much great advice about the military transition in this episode including his 6 steps to success, creating LinkedIn content and the importance of being authentic.    

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Cheryl Mason is the Chairman of the Board of Veterans' Appeals. As a military spouse of a former USAF officer and the daughter of a veteran, Cheryl understands the veteran benefits process, both from a leadership perspective and a personal viewpoint. Cheryl gives input on navigating the benefits process, both as you transition and throughout your life as your needs change. However, she also shares her military spouse perspective of the transition and the importance of mental health awareness as her US Navy veteran father and veteran brother both committed suicide. She shares many resources as well as the Suicide Crisis Number at 800-273-8255.

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Jonathan Fisher is preparing to transition from a career in the US Army in aviation maintenance into the IT and cybersecurity career fields. He has taken charge of his transition and been very active, perhaps too active as we will discuss in the episode. He comes on to ask me questions about transition burnout, pursuing SkillBridge opportunities, how often and what to post on LinkedIn, how to translate transferable skills when you are taking your career in a new direction and how to take advantage of all the Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) out there without getting overwhelmed. Jonathan also shares his news about landing two great SkillBridge offers and how he made the decision of which one to accept, even though the other one was his "dream" opportunity. 

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Jason Willett retired from the US Army as a Command Sergeant Major. He went from deployed overseas to retired in a very short period. That abrupt "full stop" caused some bumps in his transition. After he focused his efforts on the where he wanted to live and what he wanted to do, his networking efforts helped him land a great job with the State of Washington. However, he found himself unhappy and unfulfilled and he set out to discover his purpose. In the episode, he talks about his struggles and what he learned from that process. He also shares valuable insight into SkillBridge internships, networking and more in the episode. 

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Retired US Air Force officer Don Gleason knew exactly what he wanted to do with his career from a very young age. He had a successful military career and then a smooth transition to the private sector. However, his focus changed several years ago and he found a new purpose as a career coach and in serving veterans in transition . He walks you through his process of discovering your purpose, creating your life plan and shifting your point of view about the difficulty of your military transition.