What are your thoughts on military mentorship programs in the workplace?

2017-04-20T14:59:28-04:00

I've had candidates in the past ask about any veteran/military mentorship programs that the company offers. Have you been a part of a military mentorship program? What are your thoughts on them?

Response by CPO Robert (Mac) McGovern made Apr 20 at 2017 3:10 PM

2017-04-20T15:10:12-04:00

Great idea. Brings the civilian and military sectors together. Provides the opportunity for screening potential prospects and is a great training experience. Thanks for posting.

Response by SGT Dennis Miller made Apr 20 at 2017 3:13 PM

2017-04-20T15:13:06-04:00

This is an outstanding question Danielle! I wish that I had a mentor when I was getting out of the military. Someone that could tell me what to expect when I get out, how to properly write my resume, how to articulate what I did in civilian terms and so on. I have mentored soldiers in the past and it's helped them get a step ahead when getting out or moving from one MOS to another. Sometimes just having someone to bounce ideas off of is all you need. Mentorship for military folks is very important and I'm always open to assist someone that wants to be mentored.

Response by CPL Bryan Thornton made Apr 20 at 2017 3:15 PM

2017-04-20T15:15:29-04:00

I currently work for HCL America, my location in Cary NC has talked about starting something more concrete and I have never seen it go past talk. I have even offered to help get it off the ground. Sometimes I think it's just lip service on Veterans day.

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Apr 20 at 2017 3:33 PM

2017-04-20T15:33:33-04:00

I used to hold after hours mentoring in my civil service office for transitioning officers. Much had to do with getting resume stuff well written and USA JOBS right. Then there was the mental game aspect and "tells" they could observe from job fair booths. All good. Now mentoring in the new job is a different story. First, employers don't spend time and money unless it's worth it, and more specifically, if you're worth it. This isn't a MIL only thing. So if you are recognized as a good proactive worker willing to go the extra mile, then it can be worth it to the outfit to mentor you up to gain the rewards of what you can become. You see that frequently and more apparently in small business. A boss that has to do retail, and administration, and inventory, would love to offload a chunk so they can do what they do best. See that all the time at any mall although people politics gets in the way frequently. For larger organizations, a competitive development program frequently exists. Not everyone is worth spending a chunk of change on. So they filter it down to pay more attention to people they see will be great leaders in the future. Remember, being able to flip more burgers per hour does not a manager make.

I used to do a major "reverse marketing" thing where you have a large number of providers wanting you to hire them. One of my #1 Rules is you never want to work for an Alpha Hotel. If you're a good client and treat people well, the cream will want to work for you. Same thing applies to firms. Great outfits attract the cream more readily. That means they pay attention to bringing good people on who will contribute well in the long term. They'll take care of the as well. Remember, there is always a bell curve. The great firms are past the first standard deviation (15%) and the OK-Good's are around 34%. The rest fall below the mean.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 20 at 2017 5:22 PM

2017-04-20T17:22:37-04:00

Danielle Gray I have not been part of a military mentorship program. I think this is an excellent idea. New hire veteran men and women could be paired with veteran mentors. In turn, the mentoree could pay it forward by mentoring new hire veterans.

Response by SGT Craig Northacker made Apr 20 at 2017 5:25 PM

2017-04-20T17:25:09-04:00

If they are good then they are a great asset. If not, they should join the long lines of crooks and others who are trying to make money off of us without offering anything of value.

Response by CPT Aaron Kletzing made Apr 21 at 2017 12:21 AM

2017-04-21T00:21:40-04:00

If the program is well put together it can be a great thing and be attractive to veterans

Response by MSgt Mark Bucher made Jun 7 at 2017 8:54 AM

2017-06-07T08:54:21-04:00

One of the most treasured memories I have of my military career is that of mentoring young officers. l would get a new 2Lt about every six months and enjoyed exposing them to the realities of the military. Showing them how to take the classroom theories of leadership and put them to use. Explaining to them, showing them how to pick your battles and when to fall on your sword. teaching them how to interact with young jr. enlisted, pointing out to them that the young troops are our future.