Cameron-Brooks

Beau Hughes – HF Sinclair: Corporate Procurement Leader It 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 Purpose With 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 Purchasing At 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 Transitions The 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 JMOs Beau 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 Back

E223: Transition Rule #4 – Past Success ≠ Future Success Why 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: 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. EgoSome 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 FocusTransition 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 Matters Success 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 Mindset Stay 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 Next Start 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 Takeaway Military 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 Together If you realize past success does not equal future success,

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 Question If 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 Challenges We 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.

Develop an Investment Mindset: Why This Tip Matters 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 Tip #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 Off During 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 Transition We 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 Mindset To 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 Adventure As 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 Together Are 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.

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: 1. Does the guide understand what is important to you? 2. Does the guide have the expertise? 3. Does the guide have the Integrity and Character to do what they say they are going to do? 4. Does the guide have transparency in their motive to help you? 5. Does the guide have a clear track record? Transformation over Transaction Joel 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

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 Panel In 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 Asked Here'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 Themes Some 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 Thoughts These 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 o...

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 Purpose A 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 Development Fran'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 Community Fran 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 Purpose Fran 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 foll...

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 Transition One 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 Yourself We 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. Inspiration Our 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.

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 Edge Leading 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 Strategies 1. 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 LinkedIn

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 LinkedIn

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 Early In 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 Military Too 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 Transition Another 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 Management When 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,

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 Different Yes, 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 Passion I 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 Within I 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,

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 ...

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!

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)...

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 busines...

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 Purpose Now, 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 Work At 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 Leader Everybody 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 ...