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CPT Military Police
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I think this is exactly right and it also helps the Veteran to make the transition easier if these things are in place. Many Veterans move from job to job when they first get out because their looking for something that they had in the military and all civilian organizations do not have. Culture, Teamwork Position and Development.
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs
COL Mikel J. Burroughs
>1 y
CPT (Join to see) Great points - thanks for contributing!
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PO1 John Miller
PO1 John Miller
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CPT (Join to see), I 100% agree. In the almost 3 years I've been out, I'm on my fourth job!
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SP5 Mark Kuzinski
SP5 Mark Kuzinski
>1 y
Spot on!
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CW3 Jim Norris
CW3 Jim Norris
>1 y
I will retire, retire in 3 weeks and I really wish I had this article in my back pocket 30 years ago. I left the military and retired to be close to my family and 'settled' for a job that was none of the things in this article. I figured it was 'a job' and in my IT wheel house, so I could help the company along, well several years later I moved along to another 'job'.....I found some satisfaction in each and every 'job' along the way, even became a CIO for a major city, but the organizations were never intent upon changing culture...and to my chagrin were intent upon making use of my skill set to 'right the ship' of their technical woes and then rein in my enthusiasm for staff development and stabilization. You see I discovered, too far down the rabbit hole that the intention and matter of fact the financial survival of some of the organizations depended upon high levels of personnel churn. Even at the director and CIO levels it was the expectation that stagnation and lack of continued training were to be used as a tool to 'manage salaries and longevity' a quote from the Mayor (in some cases the 'step' level increases for service mirrored military and government civil service) Thanks for the great post Mike and I think many, many here can learn from the positive lesson it contains and perhaps not repeat my mistakes.....
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PO2 Mark Saffell
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Love the way it starts ou. deserves a job you love. Sad hard facts are most of us work a job to survive that we honestly hate. Things happen to crash those dream jobs like kids, house, car payments to the point we take jobs for the pay rather that the enjoyment.
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs
COL Mikel J. Burroughs
>1 y
PO2 Mark Saffell I agree that life's event can definitely take you away from the job that you really would like to have, but don't give into those pressures my friend. Stay positive and always keep an open eye for somethig better in your immeidate area. Sometimes the grass is greener on the other side! Keep an open mind that is all I'm saying. I've survived two divorces (lost 401K and pensions, lost a home) and surviving three daughters in college and live paycheck to paycheck, so I know where you are coming from. In the end I did find a job that I really enjoy and they appreciate me! It took a step back to get it for over a year first! Never give up and never stop looking for better! Just my humble advice for the day!
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LTC Stephen F.
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs, the first thing I noticed about this AMTRAK "commercial" is that it is geared towards attacking veterans who were junior to mid-grade NCO enlisted personnel or junior officers who want to be part of a team. This advice fits well to those who would be interested in joining AMTRAK or another "average" company. This advice does not apply well to entrepreneurs or those fast-track personnel who can write their own ticket in Fortune 500 companies.
{I have placed my editorial comments in brackets:-)]
1. Culture: Whether you’ve served four years in the military or 40, if you’re looking to move on to a civilian position, it will take some adjusting. During your service you likely encountered an atmosphere and camaraderie that was easily identified by your team’s loyalty to one another and its shared values. [Interesting, I suspect this may resonate better with somebody who has one or two tours much better than somebody who 40 years of service who has experienced multiple military cultures and learned how to make the best of the situation and progress to the top.]
2. Development: Nobody joins the military and knows exactly how to fulfill every part of their job from Day One. In fact, you’ve been well-trained your entire military career. [Yes military people are trained in formal schooling; but, much of our training is gained by experience and asking questions of those around us who are more experienced. We also are frequently encouraged to train ourselves through external schooling, etc.]
3. Position: Beyond having a need for your talent, a company that has a position you’re passionate about deserves your attention. Isn’t it time you have a job that also serves you? Find a position that you genuinely care about. [Unfortunately this description seems to trash the previous experience of the veteran's position(s). While there are veterans who feel that their military position never served them, I expect many veterans were served by the positions they served and grew up in them.]
4. Teamwork; It goes without saying that teamwork is intrinsic to the military, and often times, your connections with your teammates are nearly palpable. While you were willing sacrifice your own security for the good of the team, you knew your teammates would do the same. Much of this comes down to your mutual respect for one another and for your positions. [Teamwork is certainly important especially among the led. Leaders at all levels leverage teamwork to get the mission accomplished and both train and are trained by the people they lead.]
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs
COL Mikel J. Burroughs
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LTC Stephen F. Thanks for your input. Like I said I'm out of "Votes Up" for the day- catch you tomorrow morning!
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