From Navy Dental Tech to Project Manager: How the Military Shaped William Serbia’s Story

In honor of Veterans Day, I interviewed one of our Veteran employees to get his unique perspective on transitioning out of the military and into the civilian workforce.

William Serbia served as a Dental Tech Third Class in the U.S. Navy for seven years. At Delta Dental, William is a project manager on the Sales Enablement team, where he assists with the request for proposal process, providing the sales teams with comparative dental network analysis to help win new clients.

Q: William, thank you for sharing your experience in the Navy and your journey after active duty. What did you do in the Navy?

William Serbia: I was a dental tech, and my main responsibilities were assisting the dentist, taking X-rays, doing teeth cleanings and working in the prosthetic lab.

My first duty station was on a ship, and while I was worried what that would entail, I was pleasantly surprised to find out how much I loved serving on a ship. I enjoyed the travel, the sense of adventure, the work and the people I worked alongside with. I admired the strong leadership as well. It was an experience I’ll never forget and one that I have taken a lot away from.

Q: Tell me about your transition out of the Navy into civilian life. What was that like?

William: When I finished serving in the Navy, I wasn't necessarily looking for a job that was directly related to my dental background. But then a friend who was with me in the Navy Reserve mentioned that Delta Dental was looking for people with a dental background like I had, people who knew dental terminology and could read X-rays. And it was a perfect fit — just like a glove. It still is, even 30 years later.

Q: Thirty years is impressive. What's kept you at Delta Dental?

William: The culture, along with the coworkers that I’ve had the luck to work with, are just a couple of the things that have kept me here. I also find the kind of work I do really interesting, and I have a passion for it. There’s a saying that if you love your job, you never work a day in your life, and that’s how I feel.

Q: You mentioned that Delta Dental’s culture is important to you. I think Veterans can be overwhelmed by choice because there are so many companies and careers to choose from. What should a Veteran transitioning out of the military look for in an employer?

William: I think if you come from the military, you value good leadership. If a company doesn’t have good leadership, I think you’re going to have a company that is based off a weak sense of direction.

One of the things I found at Delta Dental was strong leadership, and that’s been sustained throughout the years. In the military, our leadership would determine our mission and what we’re trying to accomplish, communicate these goals to us and, at the end of the day, tell us how well we performed. I think Delta Dental’s senior leadership has been very effective at doing this.

Q: Other than your dental skills, what else did you learn in the military that has helped you in the private sector?

William: The strict training and the behavior that's ingrained in the military — the discipline and how you conduct yourself — go a long way. I think that’s worked perfectly with my current role and has helped me get promoted. How I apply myself, my work ethic, I think it has a lot to do with my military background.

Q: For people still on active duty, what are some things they can do to prepare to make this leap into the next chapter of their lives?

William: Take advantage of any education you can while you’re in the military. This way, when you get out, you’ll have either a degree or relevant skills for the careers you’re interested in. That’s a great head start.

Networking is important. If you don’t leverage tools like LinkedIn and Facebook, you should, because that not only helps you create a network of people who can help you enter a professional career, it can also help you discover new careers you might be interested in.

It’s also a good habit to expand your skillset. This widens your perspective and helps prepare you for what’s coming next. For instance, when I wasn’t assisting the dentist, I’d ask my boss to show me how to order supplies. Computers were still pretty new, so that was a great opportunity to learn how to use a PC. At the same time, I learned administration and how it related to our ship’s preparedness. These little things I took the time to learn have translated perfectly into what I do now.

Q: Do you have any final pieces of advice?

William: I think that people coming out of the military may feel a bit intimidated in the beginning.

Don’t worry too much. Just rely on the training you’ve received in the military. I can’t begin to tell you how valuable it has been for me. It’s helped me deal with many situations that I wouldn't have been prepared to deal with otherwise. You also have the discipline that's reinforced in the military, which really helps you in the corporate world.

I would tell anyone that is on this journey — don’t give up, just keep trying and you’ll be fine. If you made it in the military, be confident — you can make it anywhere.

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