From Military to the Corporate World: Finding Passion and Purpose

In honor of Military Appreciation Month, Delta Dental’s COO and former Lieutenant Commander in the US Navy submarine force, Roy Gilbert, interviewed one of our Veteran employees to get his unique perspective and insights into looking for a career and finding a meaningful path after the military.

Jesse Perez, served as a Specialist in the US Army for four years as a Squad Leader and Infantry Sniper. At Delta Dental, Jesse is a customer operations supervisor and leads a team of 16 agents focused on providing high-quality customer experiences.

During his time in Iraq, Jesse was severely injured in an IED roadside bomb. While still on active duty, Jesse endured 18 surgeries and several years of physical therapy to walk again. After leaving the military, not only was Jesse faced with transitioning back into civilian life, but he was also managing the challenges of his service-related injuries which resulted in an additional three surgeries, the last one being his spine in 2019. His determination and grit through it all have put him on a path where his work is valued, and he enjoys supporting and leading his team.

Roy connected with Jesse to hear more about his journey and to tap into his advice for Veterans as they navigate the process of looking for meaningful employment.

Roy Gilbert: Jesse, always great to talk with you. I’d love to hear more about your transition out of the military, and how you found a meaningful career path that fit you best?

Jesse Perez: When I got out, I focused on trying to find my niche and figuring out where I fit in. You’re given a lot of resources to help you, but with so much going on, you don’t stop to look at them. There are a lot of Vets out there that are like me, grunts, and we come out thinking is the police department or government work our only options for employment. You feel that you still need that structure that you became accustomed to during your time in service, not realizing that you have that structure within yourself–which gives you a huge advantage.

It’s challenging to find our passions, career paths, or simply find our place in the civilian world. Not to mention the added challenges from service-related injuries, ongoing surgeries, and self-doubt. I personally adapted by taking many avenues to see what I would be best at. I went to EMT school, I worked in construction, retail, security, loss prevention, call centers, Community Services, and even became a nurse. I spread myself out to find where my skills would be a fit and to figure out what I enjoyed doing. I realized that I loved working with people, and not just that, but I also loved leading people and bringing the best out of them. That’s how I decided my career path would be in leadership.

Roy: Vets have so many valuable skills that can be transferred to the private sector, but often don’t realize it. With your military background and experience in building and leading teams, what would you say are the unique talents Veterans bring to the table that they can transfer into a civilian career?

Jesse: We come out trained to view life as "missions," but when no one is giving you any, how do you teach yourself to create them? We forget our value and knowledge when we get out because it's not on a degree or certificate. Veterans are given this massive tool bag of skills when they leave the military that they don’t know how to use. I think of it as a Swiss Army knife of talent, and I love peeling that knowledge out of them, as I did for myself, and showing them how truly versatile they are and an asset in the corporate workforce.

As a Vet, you already know how to be a dedicated team player. You know what it’s like to work as part of a cohesive unit and understand that all the components of a team need to work well together to reach a successful outcome. You already possess an unrivaled sense of duty and responsibility–companies thrive on trying to get more of that in their workplace. Meeting goals and criteria is drilled into you during your time in the military, and that is a strong skill to transfer into the corporate world. There’s also a multitude of technical skills, from computer to engineering and analytics, that you can tap into that are extremely valuable. In the military you don’t have much time to reflect. Make sure to take time to look inward and be confident in yourself. Think about what you want your next adventure to be and take advantage of the opportunities that come your way.

Roy: Can you share bit more about what drew you to join the Delta Dental team, and what Veterans should be looking for in an employer?

Jesse: For me, it all came down to values and making sure that my employer’s values aligned with my own. I was at my previous company for six years and while I enjoyed the work, I wanted to advance my career. I interviewed with several companies and focused on how they approached their values. Many of my interviews felt more like an interrogation than a conversation, and I didn’t want to join a team that worked with people that way. During my interview at Delta Dental, we talked about the company’s values and how my work would align with the mission of the company. Right off the bat, I felt like I would serve a purpose and my leadership skills would be valued. When I accepted my position, I knew that I had found a company that would listen to my ideas and saw me as an asset. I’d be able to have an impact on my team, my peers and the company itself. I’d be part of a work environment that matched my energy, that would test me and challenge me each day.

To my fellow Vets or anyone trying to make a career move, find a great mentor, a great friend or support system, and someone to simply hype you up and cheer you on no matter what. It just so happens that we have all of those at Delta Dental, a company dedicated to putting smiles on everyone's face through actions and genuine values.

Roy: Love hearing that you had such a positive experience interviewing here and felt valued right from the start. Given that your background has made you a great asset to Delta Dental, how do you think serving in the military has made you better equipped to serve your team and our customers?

Jesse: It has given me a perspective that I wouldn’t have otherwise. In my military career, I learned how to quickly adapt and pivot to resolve issues. My work with congressmen, generals and foreign dignitaries has given me a sense of serving versus just answering questions. It has taught me that everyone deserves to be treated with equal respect across the board. In the military, you’re used to working on well-orchestrated teams. You depend on one another for support. The corporate world is the same – you work together towards one common goal. As a leader, I always want to ensure that we recruit team members and fully train them so that they are equipped to provide high-quality experiences for our customers. We can’t lose sight of our primary goal and we need to always strive to address our client’s concerns with empathy.

Roy: Jesse, thank you so much for your dedicated service to our country. And thank you for what you do as a leader here at Delta Dental!

If you would like to join the Delta Dental team, we would love to have you! Check out our career page: https://rly.pt/3tzgsJw