Lessons Learned for Vets

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US Navy veteran Marina Rabinek had a smooth transition. She started networking early, built a strong network on LinkedIn, created her own support tribe and participated in a SkillBridge internship that turned into a full-time role when she retired. Unfortunately, within 3 months her position was eliminated. That is when Marina's hard work and strong network paid off. Within 5 hours of being laid off, she had a new job offer. Hear her story of how she did that on this episode.

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Though his transition from the US Army was 20+ years ago, William "Bill" Kieffer was unprepared for his transition. He had to quickly learn how to network, write a resume and market himself. He went on to build a successful career in human resources and is now a coach and mentor for corporations, service members and others in career transition, leadership development and performance improvement. Bill discusses the upcoming launch of his book "Military Career Transition: Insights from the Employer Side of the Desk." He shares valuable insight, from the employers' point of view, into the job search and military transition process.

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US Army veteran Clifton Clevenger served 10 years as a personnel administrative assistant and infantryman. When Cliff transitioned out of the military he planned to finish his education. However, he also met and married his wife, a US Army officer that year and soon became both a veteran and a military spouse. Cliff made some mistakes along the way with interviewing and his resume, but he has become an expert networker. He is now dedicated to serving veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses by providing job search advice and guidance. He shares what he has learned along the way as he has had to restart his career 8 times due to military PCS moves. Listen in for Cliff's advice on networking, writing a resume, researching your potential employer and preparing for the job interview process.

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Ray Jokie had great success in the United States Air Force and tied his identify and self-worth to his USAF career. Unfortunately, when he retired, he struggled so much that he was not sure if he would make it to the next day. Thankfully, he found several sources of support and refocused on his mental health in order to pull himself out of a rough period. Now, as a talent acquisition specialist, Ray shares not only his struggles, but also his advice for connecting with recruiters, building your resume and networking to achieve success. 

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USMC veteran Wayne Worthington went from his 5-year service into the executive recruiting career field. Wayne gives us his insider's perspective on the different types of recruiters, strategies to optimize your success working with recruiters and even shares a few names of veteran-focused recruiting agencies. Additionally, Wayne has a great strategy for networking strategically and building your own transition accountability and support group.

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Wounded Warrior and US Marine Corps veteran Justin Constantine has a unique story to tell and valuable lessons learned to share. He was shot in the head by a sniper in Iraq and though he has had countless reconstructive surgeries, he has gone on to build his own business, enjoy a successful career with a workforce development company and launch a non-profit called Veteran Success Resource Group. In 2020, Justin was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer, but through changing his health and mindfulness habits he is thriving today. Listen in as he shares how his attitude toward life has helped him succeed, despite all the setbacks he has faced.

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Greg Fischer served 4 years and 3 combat tours in the US Marine Corps. When he separated from the military, he went to school to complete his degree and took a job in the insurance and finance industry. On the surface his transition looked seamless. However, he was not happy in this role. During the recent COVID-19 shutdown, Greg and his business partner took a leap of faith and started a business teaching people how to barbecue and selling  rubs and sauces, called Burn Pit BBQ. Listen in as Greg discusses what helped him make this change and all the times he had to learn to embrace discomfort in order to move forward toward a fulfilling career.

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Dave Poole served 21 years in the US Marine Corps as a Combat Engineer. Though the extent of his computer experience in the USMC was sending emails, Dave landed a software development role that he will start in June 2020, a week after his military retirement. Dave participated in the Microsoft Software and Systems Academy (MSSA) SkillBridge program to gain additional skills and knowledge. Dave shares how networking and mentorship through a new connection he met on LinkedIn played a key role in him landing this new role. He also helps draw the connection between his skills gained as a Combat Engineer directly translated to his new role.

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In this episode USMC veteran Mark Holman and US Navy veteran Marina Rabinek discuss the Resilience-Building Leader Program and the value of the Resilience-Building Leadership Professional certification. Listen in as Mark tells us how the certification program can improve your ability to communicate your value and Marina takes us through the program and how active duty service members can pay for their certification before they transition.

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Cindy Dorfner retired from the US Air Force in 2013 after a successful career in public affairs. She quickly landed a director-level role in the private sector and although she wasn't happy with the role herself, within 6 months she was fired from her first post-military job. Today, she holds a high-level leadership role in the federal government and has found that the environment is a better fit for her. She shares her insight on successfully applying for and working for the federal government, both as a job seeker and a hiring authority.