The following is an
essay from Navy veteran Frank Villanueva. Mr. Villanueva recounts his military transition experience and
offers some insights for those in the process of transitioning from military to
civilian life.
I joined the military at age 18, after quitting college
and having no clue as to what to do with my life. I rose through the enlisted
ranks fairly quick and spent most of my military years as a supervisor. After
spending over twenty years in the US Navy, I felt that I had achieved a level
of comfort and seniority to be considered a senior manager. I always tried to
lead by motivating, inspiring, and setting the right example to my
subordinates. In many ways, I considered myself a mentor. So, when the time
came to retire, I did not foresee any obstacles.
When I retired from the military, I thought I could just
"flip" the switch and make the transition. I soon learned that this
was not easy and that I needed help making the adjustment. I read articles
about ways to prepare for and apply to civilian jobs. I also enrolled in
college. Eventually, I found a position on a military base. However, my goal
had been to work for a Fortune 500 firm as a Program Manager.
An email from the university I was attending offered
veterans the opportunity to be mentored by a corporate employee from the
private sector through the American Corporate Partners (ACP) program. I thought
about the many years I spent as a military mentor; however, I did not feel
comfortable asking for help. This would require me to change my mindset from a
military mentor to that of a protégé. Eventually, I decided to try the ACP
program and see where it took me.
My mentorship proved to be an amazing experience. My
mentor was the President and General Manager for a large company in the oil and
energy industry. My mentor allowed me to completely immerse myself in his
business world and rapidly became a constant source of knowledge, networking,
and motivation. We were about five hours apart by car, so we tried to make
contact at least every two weeks. We communicated via FaceTime, phone, email,
and even text messaging.
During my first in-person visit, my mentor introduced me
to key senior managers who shared how they were able to succeed as program
managers and in other senior positions. These introductions helped me
understand that to succeed as a civilian program manager I needed a new way of
thinking. I also met with senior managers who served in the military and they
provided me with advice on transitioning to a civilian career. My mentor also
facilitated a one-on-one coaching session with his company's Human Resources
manager. We discussed résumé-writing techniques and I was able to rewrite my
résumé in a way that makes it easier for prospective employers to recognize my
qualifications and accomplishments.
On one occasion, my mentor invited me as his personal
guest to a company picnic. We even attended a car-racing event together and the
entire day was fun and productive overall. I used the opportunity to talk to
him about management and leadership topics and I was introduced to other
executives from the company. This allowed me to expand my network base, which I
found out is essential in the civilian sector.
When I told my mentor that I was pursuing a PhD in
leadership, he quickly offered his assistance. I asked him if he could connect
me with CEOs and other senior executives who were willing to be interviewed for
my dissertation research. He arranged several meetings with senior executives
on my behalf and even had his staff prepare an itinerary with scheduled
interview times. I was able to conduct all interviews and added information to
my research. Thanks to my mentor's guidance and assistance, I plan to defend my
dissertation in April 2014.
The mentorship between us became more than just a one-year
program. He learned from me, just as I learned from him. I allowed him a window
into a veteran's life, which helped him understand why we often need help
adjusting to civilian life, but, more importantly, he also learned the benefits
companies can gain by hiring veterans. I will be forever grateful to ACP for this
opportunity.
To learn more about American
Corporate Partners and how you can get involved please visit the ACP website at http://acp-usa.org.
Another resource for veterans
to get connected with professional opportunities outside of the military is
Military.coms Veteran Career Network (VCN) at http://benefits.military.com/vcn/search.do.
VCN connects you with over one million veterans, and finds veterans working in companies, government agencies, career fields, industries, or locations that are of interest to you.
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