PCS to Corporate America

On the forefront of every job seeker’s mind? How to interview during a global pandemic. Let’s introduce you to Madeline Calves . She is a former USMC Communications officer who attended our very first virtual Career Conference in April 2020. Madeline launched her career with Abiomed, a leading medical device company that makes products to help revitalize patients in preparation for imp...

Welcome back! In this episode we are continuing the conversation with Cameron-Brooks President and CEO, Chuck Alvarez . In Episode 114 , Joel Junker interviewed Chuck as they explored how Cameron-Brooks helped Junior Military Officers (JMOs) move from the military to Corporate American in 2020 (during a global pandemic.) Chuck also looked forward to 2021 and shared his predictions on how things wo...

Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Cameron-Brooks Podcast.  I caught up with Cameron-Brooks Alumnus, Dave Hanson , who transitioned from the Army to Love’s Travel Stops in 2015.  As one of the first Cameron-Brooks Alumni to transition to Love’s, Dave knows a lot about career management to include self-development, being a giver and the value of the part-time MBA. As we go...

Well, here we are!  The beginning of 2021.  What were you thinking about one year ago?  I’ll share what I was thinking about:  I had big goals for growing our reach with JMO candidates.  Our client companies had predicted a lot of openings throughout 2020 and, together with our recruiting team, we needed to find the most talented JMOs who were making a transition and wanted to become the nex...

One of the most common idioms in the English language is, “Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.” When discussing our partnership agreement with military officers, this phrase comes up quite often. We tackled the topic of our partnership during a recent in-depth podcast episode . However, we thought it would be helpful to address this specific phrase as it relates to crafting...

Several years ago I received feedback from a leadership assessment that in an attempt to help my team members solve problems, I was actually making them feel “less than” and defeated.  Team members would bring me problems or challenges, and loaded with so much experience, I thought it best to give them advice on how to solve it.  Instead of listening and asking questions, I’d sen...

Did you know that less than 8% of the people who make New Year’s Resolutions keep them to the end of the year? Today on the podcast, we encourage you to be the 8% with the will-power supercharger emotion: gratitude. On the Cameron-Brooks podcast, many of our discussions and topics revolve around career success and the journey on how to get there. A large number of our candidates have been su...

One of the most frequently asked questions we receive as a military recruiting firm? Do you have a partnership agreement? We encourage military officers to ask this question (check out our full list of recommendations, here ) as they begin their initial transition research. Each military recruiting firm has a different flavor. Some require a signed agreement, some have partnerships, and others don...

Welcome back! We have a special treat for the podcast. On this episode, I interview Cameron-Brooks team member, Hope Drury. Hope wears multiple hats in the organization including advising JMOs on how to prepare to transition, helping spearhead our marketing and social media programs, and also plays a key role in the JMO resume writing process. Hope is a native of Fredericksburg, Texas and graduate...

There are many former military officers who are now at the C-Suite level.  Some Cameron-Brooks Alumni who have made the C-Suite level include Debra Crew , the former CEO of Reynolds American, Inc. and now President of Diageo North America; Anthony Noto , CEO of SoFi; Roland Smith , former Chairman and CEO of Office Depot; Howard Friedman, President and CEO of Post Consumer Brands; Andy Callahan ,...

What is a self-evolved leader? We tackle this exact question and cover the  importance of elevating your leadership in this episode of the Cameron-Brooks podcast. Our guest speaker and subject matter expert is Dave McKeown . Dave has spent his career working with leaders and leadership teams to help them elevate their focus, develop their people and get more done. He helps individuals, teams, and...

For 21 years I have partnered with Junior Military Officers (JMOs) making a transition to business.  One of the top reasons JMOs want to make a transition? They want a promotion and responsibility based on performance.  Some think that means they will transition right out of the military and take a big step up in responsibility.  In my experience, I have found that to be far from reality.  Instead...

Welcome back! Today you’ll meet Aaron Carter . Aaron is a former Army Field Artillery officer who transitioned in June 2014 and launched his career in a Professional Sales role at Cordis . Cordis is a company that develops and manufactures medical devices for diagnostics and interventional procedures to treat patients suffering from coronary and peripheral vascular diseases. When Aaron start...

On this unique episode of the Cameron-Brooks podcast, we interview an alumni about his journey with multiple sclerosis and his positive mindset in handling adversity.  Kevin Byrne , a former Army Apache Helicopter Pilot, who transitioned through the Cameron-Brooks program in 2000, recently volunteered to be a guest on our podcast.  Kevin has a heroic story to tell.  This podcast is unlike any othe...

Welcome back! On this episode of the Cameron-Brooks podcast, I interview Jim Marek. Jim spent over 7 years as a USMC Infantry officer before transitioning to Corporate America. When Jim came to his Career Conference in January 2016, he received multiple employment offers in roles focused in Consulting and Professional Sales. He ultimately chose to start his business career at H-P Enterprises. Sinc...

What are the best tips on how to impress a corporate recruiter for a JMO? We cover this topic (and more!) in our latest podcast with special guest, Frances Cole Jones. Junior Military Officers (JMOs) are taught to be calm under pressure, to stay even keeled and be short and to the point when speaking with superiors.  While this style is important as a JMO leader, it does not translate well to inte...

Welcome back! On this episode we meet Bryce Saddoris, former Marine and Olympic qualifier . Bryce launched his career as a Sales Representative at Altec after serving as a USMC Ground Supply officer. For the first part of Bryce’s military career he was on the USMC Wrestling Team and the U.S. National Olympic team. Bryce had a long and distinguished wrestling career, culminating in being #1 i...

We are celebrating our 100th podcast with special guests Roger Cameron and René Brooks, founders of Cameron-Brooks and the Junior Military Officer (JMO) recruiting industry . Roger launched the JMO recruiting industry during the Vietnam War as veterans looking for work transitioned back into civilian life.  Consequently, because of the Vietnam draft, Corporate America needed to find an alternative...

Welcome back to the podcast! On this episode I interview Brent Whiteman . Brent is a former Air Force officer who transitioned to Corporate America as a Derivative Trader in 2015. He holds a BS in Management from the United States Air Force Academy, and, upon commissioning, Brent was afforded the opportunity to attend Harvard where he earned an MPP in Business and Government Policy. Brent launched...

Welcome back! On this episode of the podcast I interview Greg Payne . Greg is a former Army Infantry officer who transitioned in 2019 after attending a Cameron-Brooks Career Conference . Greg launched his business career at Abbott , a Fortune 500 Global Healthcare Company and specifically started within Abbott’s Point of Care division. Today on the podcast, we cover his transition into a sal...

Junior Military Officers (JMOs) face numerous obstacles in making a successful transition to business.  They are switching industries (defense to business), companies (Navy, Army, Air Force, etc., to a new company), career fields (unless they are going to a defense contractor or government agency) and locations.  They have to identify companies and positions that value their background, ensure the...

Welcom e back! In this episode, I’d like to introduce Nick Barlow. Nick is an Associate Product Manager at Zimmer Biomet . He is a former Army Finance officer who was branch detailed to the Armor branch for the first four years of his service as a commissioned officer. Nick was in the Cameron-Brooks Development and Preparation Program for 21 months in preparation for his transition to Corpor...

Welcome back! On this episode of the Cameron-Brooks podcast I interview Jim Rhoden . Jim is a former Army Logistician who transitioned in 2015. He had 13 interviews at the Cameron-Brooks Career Conference and through the Conference and Follow Up Interview Process, he engaged in a total of 45  interviews which rendered 4 different offers for employment. Jim launched his career at Foster Farms as a...

As we all navigate the turbulent waters of this COVID-19 pandemic, we wanted to bring you insight from someone who has helped military officers transition through all types of economic ups and downs. Joel Junker began his career at Cameron-Brooks over 20 years ago. In all that time, Cameron-Brooks has never cancelled a Career Conference! Through the Dot-com bubble, 9/11, the financial crisis of 20...

At Cameron-Brooks  we believe, amidst this global crisis, that quality leadership is more important than ever. So we will continue to post our regular podcasts to educate potential transitioning military officers. You are the future leaders Corporate America will need. This episode features Porsche Wilson .  Porsche transitioned to Corporate America from the Army in 2009 was serving as Army Medica...