Transition & Entitlement

The transition from the military to civilian life can be a struggle. By the time my enlistment in the Marine Corps was over, I had earned my Collateral Duty Inspector stamp (Quality Assurance) and was the shop Desk Sergeant as a Corporal. I was running the daily operations of my squadron’s Airframe/Hydraulics shop. So when I got out, I expected to start back up where I left. That wasn’t the case. It can be a challenge to compete with individuals your age that have earned their four-year degrees. The wrong attitude won’t help either.

I was lucky enough to earn a position working as a contract employee for a company. I worked for the Aircraft Group, building and testing hardware that was used for the helicopter I worked on in the Marines. I went into this position thinking I had already earned my place and that becoming a permanent full-time employee was in the bag. I felt entitled; sure I came off that way too. I mean I had four years of experience and quality assurance support under my belt. Everytime a full-time position became available, I would bid, take the test and wait for the phone call that I was sure was coming. Every time I would find out another individual was hired over me, I would e-mail Management and Human Resources and question their judgment. I was lucky enough that I didn’t get fired. About two and a half years later, after being looked over, over and over again, I caught my break. The same company, Space and Defense Group, was hiring a Contamination Analyst. I got the job! Someone had finally recognized my potential!

It was 2012 - three years had gone by since my enlistment in the Marine Corps had ended. I had attended the local community college off and on since getting out, but I didn’t have anything to show for it. My G.I. Bill was wasting away. I knew I had to make a change if I wanted to move up at this company. I spent a few months weighing my options and decided to enroll at the University of Phoenix. I started my journey to earn my Bachelor of Science in Information Technology with a concentration in Software Engineering. About six months into that journey, a job posting caught my eye: “Engineering and Computer Science Co-op Opportunities.” This was it! I was going to move up! Well, I made a few phone calls, sent a couple e-mails, and found out it wasn’t going to work. I was told that I was more than welcome to apply, but I would lose my full-time position, benefits, and take a pay cut. This wasn’t a chance I could take because I have a mortgage. An individual in Employee Relations suggested contacting a few IT managers to see if they had any work I could help them with on a temporary basis.

Guess who showed his face again? “Entitled” Mario did. I e-mailed several IT managers the same long, drawn-out, entitled e-mail… not. one. response. back. So, I went to Human Resources. I was frustrated. Here I was again getting passed up. I earned my right to do something like this, I thought. That was when I met the woman who helped me realize I was only hurting myself and needed to make some changes on how I approached things. She showed me how my actions were really destroying my chances. We revised my e-mail and I sent it to those same managers. This time, they all responded back.

Fast forward to now, I am still in that entry-level position. But, due to the many connections I have made with my positive approach, I have worked on quite a few side projects that have helped me get to where I am today. I am one week away from finally earning my Bachelor's degree. The best part though - I just had an interview for a position that has the potential to fast track my career to Upper Management. This was only possible because I was able to change my attitude with the help from someone who was able to look past my entitled mindset and see the potential in me.

I don’t know if I will be chosen for this position. There are several candidates whose education lines up better for this position. But, it will be okay if I don’t. I have spoken with several executive level individuals in Human Resources and Employee Development and they have all said the same thing to me – “I see great things coming your way in the very near future. You are everything this company is looking for in an employee.”

Don’t make the same mistakes I made. Approach this next chapter in your life with a positive outlook and don’t expect anyone to give you anything because you think you deserve it. Prove it.