Hello, Carol Eggert here. I'm coming by on 4/25 to discuss building a successful civilian career. What questions do you have for me?

I received this email today, 31 Aug 17: https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/hello-carol-eggert-here-i-m-coming-by-on-4-25-to-discuss-building-a-successful-civilian-career-what-questions-do-you-have-for-me?cid=9834&email_token=WjB4MFpHRlpRWFJSTjBWWVdXNUVORzRyYTNOSkszWnljWEkwZEZsU1ZHdEhNV1prUTBGSk5FWlBjejB0TFRrNWRUTmhVVVJTU0dFeFRqSjBhbXA1TjNGTU0wRTlQUT09LS0wNGRlZTg1NDdlOGU1ODc5Yjg0MDA1YzMwYWZiYzdiNzZjODEyODlm&px=ebdf617f-4725-4b45-8544-6cdd365620ad&utm_campaign=digest&utm_content=discussions&utm_medium=unpaid&utm_source=email It doesn't seem timely to me to send it 4 months after the occasion.

MSgt Craig Gauger - Don't know why it took so long for you to get - this may have something to do with your email your using. I had a problem with my AOL a while back and got it squared away. SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" any idea why an individual would just now be getting an email from 4/19/2017? Thanks JP

SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" - JP that's why I copied you on this post - thanks

There is a definite conflict from AOL to Google. Personally, I have never had an email from me and sent to an AOL address, go through. Best advise: Use gmail, yahoo or Hotmail.

LTC Curlee - Thank you! Your service is valued and appreciated as well. Look forward to seeing you more here on RP.

BG Carol Eggert, I liked the responses you provided. I thought they were most helpful and I look forward to more dialogue with you here on RallyPoint as well!

Often times I have noticed the grunts do not think they are made out for corporate life when in fact they are. Many of the skills they have learned in the field such as leadership, teamwork, outside the box thinking, and ect. are known in the civilian world as "soft" skills which are highly coveted-soft skills not meaning soft as in how we think about it but soft as not easily definable as in hard skills like say I am a mechanic or a programmer-so translating those types of skills into civilian speak-team building and ect. Education always helps or at least if not having a degree yet-working on a degree or having certificates working on getting certified. Being in an area that likes to hire veterans is a big plus-here in the Lehigh Valley (Allentown/Bethlehem) in Pennsylvania is a plus. Here is the other thing I would think-persistence. I can't work because of my disabilities-but if it was me I would find a way to figure where that recruiter's office is at and contact him personally or make an appointment-hold their feet to the fire. No one likes bad pub when they say they are going to help retiring or vets leaving the service and then do not do it. That is just the fighter in me:). Don't let the bastards get away with anything when they publicly say they are going to help us and then they don't. Seen that too often at Walter Reed in 2005-2006 and they (these were people working for politicians and charities that kept making all these promises to wounded soldiers and Marines like me about computers and XBOX's and other neat gadgets and never delivered at these once a month parties hosted for us and at one of them I publicly confronted all those motherfuckers and told them to stop making promises unless you had the items ready to pass out now-because they would make promises to guys and gals wounded and emotionally vulnerable would see them light up with promises but these scumbags never had to deal with the depression and negative outcomes from these younglins when they promised the pie in the sky once a month and never delivered their promises-was so funny-they asked me, "Who the heck do you think you are?" My response, "Sgt Emme, who the fuck do you think you are-think I give a flying fuck which congressman or Senator you work for? Let me talk to him and tell him what you are emotionally doing to our Soldiers and Marines making promises you never keep." Never heard about it from my chain of command). Sorry-went off on a tangent on that one-Traumatic Brain Injury and all.

SGT David Emme - Thats a good point you raise about the Infantry MOS and I second it as well. A lot of Infantryman have self-confidence issues before they enter the service and they retain them through their service. I have seen and again 11 Series settling for second or third best because it is all they feel they are cut out for. If they even had an inkling for how many galatically stupid people there are in the Corporate world they would not feel that way. I have no idea how to turn that around. I've tried convincing several Infantry guys even in the GWOT generation that they should set their sights higher but it goes right back to the issues they internalized before joining the Army and I think it is incredibly difficult to change that perspective of self once it sets in place.

Hi everyone! I'm thrilled to be here today and am excited to see the engagement we've had thus far.

GySgt Rogers - First, thank you for your service. Comcast NBCUniversal recognizes that it is essential to find the best fit for all military personnel that matches their skills and experience. Here, that means that we don't expect those senior NCOs and NCOs that you mention to start in our company at entry level positions, if they do not want to. But to make this viable, both the candidate (veteran) and recruiter must understand the skills that the candidate brings. At Comcast, we have developed a program to educate recruiters on understanding military resumes and appropriate interview techniques.

I hear your frustration regarding contact outreach from recruiters. But you can be guaranteed that most companies, including us, undertake a significant effort to respond to all applicants. Based on my experience, companies are not doing this for the tax break - in fact, most companies aren't even aware that a tax break exists. Their outreach to the military community is because companies need the skills and talents the military workforce brings. And there is definitely not a loss of value the further you are from the end of your service date.

Can I recommend that you check out IVMF and their certification programs that are offered at no-cost to post-9/11 veterans.

BG Carol Eggert - Will be looking that up, after doing a paper and public presentation in a management class at Muhlenberg College, people were shocked to learn the significant tax incentives for giving accommodations for disabled people on the federal and often state (Pennsylvania) level. When sharing with others (professional educators), they did not know and was and informative time to educate them. Point is, if there are tax incentives to hire from the military community-educate them. Do not take for granted that companies/corporations know about this. Think of it this way-this is about you, it is not about them. They do not always have time to be aware of everything about us, they have their own world they have to worry about too. We might be only one slice to consider wanting to be helping to veterans or more considerate...but sometimes reality sets in when you have 10,000 other things on your plate. Take the initiative and provide the resource so they can do so going up their chain of command(probably accounting department come tax time.)
I would also say for those hiring, I worked in a program as a disabled vet when at Walter Reed. It was for soon retiring veterans-mostly for us wounded folks to turn unpaid internships into jobs/careers or other opportunities. I received several and did not feel comfortable taking any not sure if I could work as I was spotty working-not working full time, wanting to get my degree full time. It was one of the best experiences I ever had. I worked at Federal Highway Administration for a great boss named Paula Ewen. One of her standards when hiring was when looking through a stack of resumes, she organized them (probably digitally now I suppose) and started with two population groups first-Veterans and disabled people. She expressed because both groups are overlooked and one of the things I learned, people do not realize how smart disabled people are. They just see the disability and accommodation needed but do not see beyond that.