Discussion: View Thread

  • 1.  What helps veteran transition success?

    Posted 03-21-2023 14:38

    Fellow Veterans (both currently serving and those that have transitioned),

    I'm currently going through the Hiring Our Heroes (HoH) Corporate Fellowship Program run by the US Chamber of Commerce.  While I'm still in the midst of the hunt for a job, I can say that this truly is a big advantage in job searches.  If you are not familiar with this program, here is a link to tell you more: https://www.hiringourheroes.org/career-services/fellowships/internships/cfp/

    For those still in service....it is a great way to gain a significant advantage in getting hired after transition.  For those of you already in the corporate or private sector, this is a great way to support fellow veterans AND hire top performers.

    This is but one of many transition programs out there?  Are you involved with supporting veteran transition?  Do you (or your company) want to host a webinar specific to service members in the analytics space?  We all have a ton of experience and lessons learned.  What worked for you?  Share some of that on this thread.

    Best,

    Nick Ulmer



    ------------------------------
    Nicholas Ulmer
    Faculty
    Chair, INFORMS Veterans Forum
    Pacific Grove CA
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: What helps veteran transition success?

    Posted 03-21-2023 22:57

    The DoD SkillBridge / Hiring Our Heroes (HoH) Corporate Fellowship Program is definitely something that I highly recommend.  It's essentially 3 more months of paid transition above and beyond terminal leave.  This is another good link with info about the program…  https://dodskillbridge.usalearning.gov/.

    I also highly recommend considering connecting with American Corporate Partners! https://www.linkedin.com/company/300645/.  They have a 12-month free mentorship program where they connect you with a mentor in Industry.  I did it and I'm very glad that I did.  9-12 months from EAS is ideal, but I'm pretty sure that you can do it post-EAS, too.

    One more program to consider is Onward to Opportunity (O2O).  This is a free career training program that provides professional certification training, https://ivmf.syracuse.edu/programs/career-training/.  You have to be within 6 months of EAS to participate.  This is one way to earn certifications like PMP, Six Sigma, or other industry certs for FREE.

    And finally, definitely don't forget about INFORMS Certified Analytics Professional (CAP) program.  CAP is one more way to ensure that you stand out to hiring managers looking for top OR and Analytics talent.  Learn more about the CAP here, https://www.certifiedanalytics.org, and I know that the VA will reimburse veterans for the cost of the exam, https://www.va.gov/education/about-gi-bill-benefits/how-to-use-benefits/test-fees/.

    I have a ton of transition-related gouge that I'd be happy to share with for those who are interested, so feel free to reach out.



    ------------------------------
    Shaun Doheney
    INFORMS MAS VP
    Sr Data Analytics Strategy Consultant, Amazon
    shaun.doheney@outlook.com
    sdoheney@amazon.com
    ------------------------------



  • 3.  RE: What helps veteran transition success?

    Posted 03-22-2023 15:21

    I also did the ACP mentorship program and was very glad I did it! Even though my mentor didn't fully understand the type of operations research career I was hoping to have, me having someone to consistently go to for basic civilian career advice was super helpful. I got a lot of practice talking about my work in terms someone outside the Coast Guard could understand.

    INFORMS has its own mentorship program. I've had the same INFORMS mentor for over four years who has helped me go from not knowing what was going on in my first civilian job culture-wise to finding a better job and getting more involved in INFORMS itself. The only requirement for signing up for this program is being an INFORMS member.

    CAP helped me, too. It wasn't exactly known by everyone I talked to during my transition, but it did always give me something to talk about that allowed me to describe my analytics skills.

    For those with less than 12 years of service, the Deloitte CORE program is a weekend-long crash course on resumes, interviews, networking, setting career goals, etc. It's for anyone and not a Deloitte recruiting program. They pay for everything, too, including travel.

    The Tuck Next Step program is like a mini-MBA at Dartmouth's business school for people who are military veterans and/or elite athletes. It's a bit pricier than other programs I did (scholarships are available). As someone who knew almost nothing about how businesses work, this program taught me a lot while introducing me to many interesting people.

    Similar to Tuck Next Step, I've heard good things about the Stanford Ignite program. They have a cohort specifically for veterans.

    There are many nation-wide organizations with local groups that, at a minimum, can help build networking skills. Bunker Labs focuses with entrepreneurship, Team RWB has fitness activities both in person and online, The Mission Continues does volunteer work, etc.

    Toastmasters isn't veterans-specific, but I recommend it anyway for speaking skills. I often use Toastmasters meetings to practice explaining analytics-related subjects to people with no analytics knowledge. Being able to communicate my work to people who don't already know it has been one of my most valuable skills in my career.



    ------------------------------
    Kathryn Walter
    Senior Operations Research Analyst
    Avista Corp
    Spokane WA
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: What helps veteran transition success?

    Posted 03-22-2023 17:41
    Edited by Ralph Asher 03-22-2023 17:41

    I did ACP in its very early days (2012) and am immensely grateful for it. I transitioned from active-duty USMC with a fresh MS OR from a civilian university. I was living in a new metro area (Minneapolis) and had never worked in OR in any capacity. I requested a mentor who had worked as an OR, I didn't care about location or sector.

    ACP linked me with a mentor who had worked in supply chain design, and was local to me here in Minneapolis. My mentor had never even met a veteran before, they just signed up when their company's veteran ERG issued a blanket call for participants! So I guess it was my responsibility to positively portray 200+ years of American service members.

    After a few months, my mentor told me that even though I hadn't worked in supply chain or logistics before (I was a comm officer and recruiting officer on active-duty), that I'd be good at supply chain design. She then helped grease the skids for me to get my first job in the field, at that same company.

    So long story short, ACP was instrumental in getting me from unemployed to employed in a fulfilling career. I am eternally grateful for that.



    ------------------------------
    Ralph Asher
    Founder, Data Driven Supply Chain LLC
    Data Driven Supply Chain LLC
    Minneapolis MN
    ------------------------------



  • 5.  RE: What helps veteran transition success?

    Posted 03-23-2023 12:47
    Edited by Matthew Ferguson 03-23-2023 12:47

    I'll be honest, when I first heard of the programs like DOD Skillbridge, Hiring Our Heroes, etc... my reaction was something like, "that sounds like a great program for our junior enlisted" but I never considered it might apply to me.  Then I had a boss who took it, spending some time to get himself ready for his transition. 

    My initial thought was again something like, "Really? At his rank?".  Upon reflection, I've come to think that it was actually a great leadership moment.  The organization kept going without him, just like it would after his retirement, and he showed that preparing yourself for life after the Army was necessary for everyone.  What better way to lead than to lead by example, right?  My mentality was challenged.  After further contemplation, I'm now definitely giving these programs serious consideration as part of my transition planning (I still have a year or two left). 

    I'm coming to terms with the fact that my time in uniform is coming to an end.  I love being an Army ORSA, but I also recognize that I'll have to move on sooner than later.  I'm thankful that there are so many resources out there to help when the time comes.  I appreciate everyone sharing what's helped you; I'm taking notes!



    ------------------------------
    Matthew Ferguson
    Senior Operations Research Analyst
    United States Army Human Resources Command
    Elizabethtown KY
    ------------------------------



  • 6.  RE: What helps veteran transition success?

    Posted 03-23-2023 14:55
    Edited by Nicholas Ulmer 03-23-2023 14:55

    To pile onto the information sharing, beyond HoH/Skillbridge and ACP which are both wonderful programs, I've also participated in FourBlock and the COMMIT Foundation.

    Fourblock (https://fourblock.org/) is a great setting that brings veterans together with companies in a group format to discuss topics related to transition.  I found the best part to be the connection to fellow veterans at the host companies.  Effectively great network building.

    COMMIT (https://www.commitfoundation.org/) assigns a one-on-one coach similar to how ACP matches people.  Although I would say this coaching is more about self-reflection and discovery.  It is also a short timeline.  I will say that this program also helped me find a scholarship to pay for my CAP prep course and exam.

    Veterati (https://www.veterati.com/) is one I have NOT used.  It is another mentoring style program, but with a more user driven experience.

    Another two resources specific to our field of work, but I've had little interaction with thus far:

    Vets in Tech (https://vetsintech.co/) connects vets with options in the tech sector.  I'm on their distro, and they seem to offer quite a few options to do workshop and upskill before (and after) transition.

    Vets in DS & ML (https://vetsindatascience.com/) is a membership driven option that is not necessarily free so I've shied away from it due to all the other programs out there.  However it could be a good fit for some.

    There are other employer specific programs that companies like Google and Salesforce use to both train and hire veterans.

    It seems there is an abundance of programs out there....to the point of information overload.  Thank you to all those who have shared, and I hope more of you continue to share.  It seems like we could easily create at least one webinar, but possibly even a series of them to feature members and their lessons learned.



    ------------------------------
    Nicholas Ulmer
    Faculty
    Chair, INFORMS Veterans Forum
    Pacific Grove CA
    ------------------------------

    Original Message