PCS to Corporate America

Welcome back! In this episode, we’re going to talk about why it’s important to get your foot in the door—THEN navigate your career. You’ll meet three Cameron-Brooks alumni who have successfully made the transition to the business world, all have been promoted and navigated their careers wisely. Two of them happen to be married! We were fortunate enough to have Chazz Hoskins , along wit...

When I meet with junior military officers JMOs to discuss their career goals, I ask them, “What will make a happy, successful career for you?” I deliberately ask them an open ended question to leave a lot of space on where they can take their answer. I might hear things like, “Using my technical skills,” “Solving problems and making an impact,” or, “Learning, growing and developing.” However, the...

The DoD launched a pilot program in 2011 called SkillBridge. The intention of the program is to provide service members and spouses with an in-depth and real-world training opportunity as they prepare to move from active duty to post-military employment. Today, the program has grown to almost 3,000 different SkillBridge opportunities. Cameron-Brooks is one of them! So what is the Cameron-Brooks Sk...

Welcome back! If you’re questioning whether or not you need help with your military transition, this podcast is for you. In this episode, you will meet Colin Floyd. Colin is a former USMC Air Defense officer who attended the August 2023 Cameron-Brooks Career Conference. When I first met Colin, he was attempting to find a job on his own in a medium-sized city in North Carolina. Our first inte...

My experience has taught me that if I want to achieve excellence in something, I should study and learn from the people who have achieved success in that area already. Why should I reinvent the wheel? So, when Cameron-Brooks Alumnus Liam Burns messaged me on LinkedIn that he wanted to be a guest on the podcast and share how he managed his  30+ year career, I jumped at the chance to interview him....

If you are (or have ever) considered a move from the military to the business world, you have probably wondered if the current economy will support your transition. And the question is not just, “Will I get a job when I get out of the military?” The answer to that question is invariably YES! Finding a job, any job, is not the issue. The real question – the amplified version of th...

Today we interview three former officers and give you three keys to success! I often get positive feedback on the Post Career Conference reviews webcasts that we do after every Conference. People tell me that it is so helpful to hear the stories of recent Cameron-Brooks alumni as they navigated the Career Conference and Follow-Up Interview Process in order to secure their next career. That is exac...

Welcome back. In this “3 reasons for gratitude” episode, Brock and I sat down with some coffee to discuss the benefits of being thankful and having a strong sense of gratitude. As we approach Thanksgiving, we thought it’d be a great idea to share the things that we are most thankful for in our lives that may resonate with you all. We briefly touched on the personal and professional thi...

Are you waiting to prepare for your military transition? Junior military officers have a distinct advantage over those who graduate college and straight into the workforce. Simply put – they have leadership experience and leadership potential. There is just no denying that JMOs are given the opportunity to lead as soon as they hit the force. They get to lead teams, manage programs, solve problems,...

For three decades, I have led teams, coached leaders, helped thousands of Junior Military Officers (JMOs) transition to business, and worked with hiring managers to hire and develop leadership talent. One common theme is that people want meaning and purpose in their work. They want to create something or serve someone beyond themselves. They want to live undivided lives where their values align wi...

Welcome back! On this episode, we bring you a Career Conference BTS (Behind the Scenes) as we wrap up our August 2023 Career Conference. We enjoy doing these episodes because it’s a bit of a “peek over the fence” as some of our most recent alumni share their experiences through their process and journey. In this episode, we feature: Brad Franke , a former Navy Submarine lieutenan...

We are in mid-September and kicking off the football season.  With Cameron-Brooks Team Members who attended Texas A&M, Baylor, Notre Dame, West Point, and the Naval Academy, we are huge college football fans. Football is a holiday season here in Texas, you know. So, to celebrate, I hosted a podcast with my good friend, Troy Prehar , who played football at West Point from 1990 to 1993. Troy&#82...

Choosing to make a move from the military is an important decision and one that most military officers do not make lightly. We understand. At Cameron-Brooks, we have over a half-century of experience helping military officers navigate that decision. Our company is led by our CEO, Chuck Alvarez , who transitioned from the Army in 1993, and our Senior Vice President, Joel Junker , who transitioned i...

Ted Lindell is a former Marine Corps F18 Officer who transitioned to a business career with Conagra Brands in 2017. His transition journey started in 2015 when Ted and his wife, Carrie, reflected on what they wanted for their family. They decided they no longer wanted the long deployments and the risk of Ted’s flight operations. They wanted a better quality of life. While they knew they were going...

You’ve already met Quinton Cookis . We actually featured him a year ago on Episode 154 of the podcast. Now he’s experienced one year in Corporate America. Quinton is a former USMC Logistics officer who attended the June 2022 Carrer Conference. He interviewed with 14 different hiring groups and launched his career with Campbell Soup Company as an Associate Brand Manager. When we recorde...

In this episode,  JMO Brock Dudley explains: “Why I trust Cameron-Brooks with my transition to business.” As a transitioning Junior Military Officer (JMO), you have several options for making the transition. You can do it on your own, attend full-time grad school, attend a job fair, or partner with one of the several recruiting firms. To help JMOs understand the options and what Camero...

Welcome back. As many of you know, we like to record an episode after each Career Conference capturing some of the Conference’s best practices from a few of our most recent alumni. We have found that these podcast episodes help soon-to-be transitioning military officers get a good handle on what to expect and how to be as prepared as possible. This episode features three of our most recent a...

Welcome back to the podcast! One of the questions that I get on a fairly regular basis is, “What’s going on with the economy?” I totally get it! So let’s have a 2023 mid-year economy check. From the Spring 2020 to now, we’ve seen the economy move in a few different directions. I remember being in the Army and wondering if the economy was strong enough to support me, a...

Almost 80% of the junior military officers (JMOs) we help transition from the military to a business leadership career are either married or have significant others involved. This creates complexity in developing a transition strategy that makes it possible for the JMO and civilian spouse/significant other to reach their career goals. In this episode, you will learn transition strategies for JMOs...

Many Junior Military Officers (JMOs) transitioning to business are curious about what to expect in an interview and what hiring managers want to see or hear. From a high level, they wonder how they should communicate their experiences to business leaders. Then they even worry about the more minor details. Do they call the hiring manager by their first name or more formally? Do you have the same qu...

We are honored to bring this episode to you. You might say it’s a story of “hoops to heroes”. Last year, Melissa Miles , Cameron-Brooks alumnus from 1994, approached Cameron-Brooks and shared with us a project that she and West Point teammates Melody Lutz and Dena Caradimitropoulo were working on. Melissa (Miss) and Dena were USMA class of ’81, and Melody was USMA class of ’84. M...

Welcome back for another special episode where we will give you keys to interview success! Rob Davis interviewed 3 of our most recent alumni from the April 2023 Career Conference for our post-April 2023 Conference review webcast.  At the time of the interview, all three alumni had already accepted an offer of employment.  These episodes are particularly valuable as it allows those who are planning...

Welcome back! We are pleased to welcome Connor Pratt to the podcast. Connor is a former USMC Logistics officer who attended the Cameron-Brooks Career Conference in January 2018— and the perfect example of how a prepared officer has options when making the transition to business. He spent eight years in the USMC and held many positions, including Battalion Maintenance Management Officer, Platoon Co...

If you are a JMO, do you have what it takes to be a Development Candidate? I interview thousands of JMOs a year who tell me they want to leave the military and continue their leadership career in business. They express the desire for increased responsibility and the opportunity to grow and develop to reach their full potential. They want to become a part of the top 10% of leaders in corporate Amer...

Many blogs, books, and LinkedIn posts advocate negotiating the initial employment offer.  Their advice sounds well-intentioned and thoughtful on the surface.  They assume the company needs to provide a better offer, is holding back, and wants the candidate to negotiate. These resources provide the questions and statements to ask that will help the candidate earn more base salary, signing bonus, an...