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Learn from vets who made the journey. Find valuable insights from professionals in a variety of career fields and industries that you may be interested in.
New site and looking for some feedback, good and bad! If you are interested in completing a brief written info interview about your job/career field/industry, let me know. This blog helps vets learn about different options/tips from a variety of industry professionals. http://1vet2another.com/ @roninart-tactical
1vet2another: Interview - Director of Technology - IT - Ecommerce
Name: Daniel Carroll
Job Title: Director of Technology
Career Field: Computer Science (IT)
Industry: E-Commerce
Company: Grunt Style LLC
Military Branch: USMC
Military Occupation: 0351 Infantry Assaultman
How did your military background help your career so far? Did it make anything more difficult?
The Marines taught me about discipline and hard work. Without the drive and motivation imparted from senior Marines, I would never have acquired the skills necessary to be successful in the formal education and career paths that followed my service.
What advice or steps would you recommend for veterans preparing to enter your career field?
Be wary of coding bootcamps and certifications that are not standard or accepted throughout the industry. Work hard and study in and outside of school. Code in your free time as much as you can and never stop acquiring new talents. Keeping up with current trends and continuing education is necessary to remain relevant.
What do you enjoy the most about your career field?
The ability to work remotely, the culture of the tech field, and the mental exercise of constantly solving problems are my favorite parts. Additionally, being able to create a tool or logic to do advanced computations or complication procedures just by writing some lines of code to a computer is always fascinating to me.
What do you like least about your career field?
There are long hours and much of it is spent sitting at a computer screen. Not much physical activity involved.
What skills, abilities, and personal attributes are essential to success in this career field?
Math, organization, self-motivated to learn.
How do most people get into this career field (internships, networking, etc.)? What are common entry-level jobs?
The easiest path to a job is either a Bachelor’s degree from a four-year university or being self-taught and aggressively approaching Open Source or volunteer work to build a portfolio.
How did you find and apply for this job role (career fair, networking contact, online application, etc.)?
I found out about the position through my military background (the company is veteran owned and operated) and I had just finished college for Computer Science as they were looking for someone to come in and run their IT department and E-Commerce technology.
What made you stand out as a candidate for this job role?
Military service, College education, Relevant experience, Communication Skills
What kind of education, training or experiences does your job role require?
College is probably the easiest route but certain individuals with great self-motivation are capable of being self-taught and successful.
What are the major components of your job role on a daily basis?
Writing computer code, managing staff, architecting technology solutions for problems, creating roadmaps and expectations for the future, setting and enforcing company policies and procedures etc.
What do you like about your industry?
The IT field is well paying, mentally challenging, and every other industry relies on technology professionals. I can continue to be a Software Engineer at a science lab, for websites, and companies like Google or Apple, in warehouses and machine shops, in the space or automotive industries, etc. Any industry needs IT professionals, so you can tailor your work environment around your interests.
How do you see your industry changing in the next 10 years?
Technology is changing every day at a rapid rate. In 10 years more and more of our lives and tasks will become automated by technology. Our society’s reliance on Technology is ever growing, so the demand for skilled workers will continue to rise. I would say it’s probably one of the safest fields to be getting into in terms of job security.
1vet2another: Interview - Director of Apparel - Ecommerce
Name: Matt Metzger
Job Title: Director of Outdoor Apparel
Career Field: Sales/ E-Commerce
Industry: Apparel
Company: Grunt Style
Military Branch: Marine Corps
Military Occupation: 1161 Refrigeration Mechanic
How did your military background help your career so far? Did it make anything more difficult?
My military background opened a lot of doors that wouldn’t normally have been opened. With my high school grades, I wasn’t accepted into any schools, but the military helped open those doors. I got in and then graduated with honors from Western Illinois University. Western not only helped with the education, but the knowledge on how to act professionally. It continued to open doors after college, in getting noticed at different jobs. A lot of employers saw that and it helped as a differentiating factor on getting the resume call back.
I currently have a job that is very military and veteran focused. The interaction with co-workers and higher ups has benefited because of my military service. Working with business to business, you find that the military aspect is huge with businesses wanting to hire, or being started by veterans. The interaction within the military and the respect for the chain of command has helped lead my career down the correct path.
What advice or steps would you recommend for veterans preparing to enter your career field?
The E-commerce field is very big. There is a great potential for people within the E-commerce platform. Find something worthwhile, that you enjoy to do, and figure out how to make money off of it. Hard work is essential, unless you are going to be a dead end 9-5er. E-commerce has allowed for many entrepreneurs to sprout and make millions. Know your stuff with the web, learn as much as you can, and prepare to learn as you go. The internet is always changing and evolving. Know your basic marketing, and know how to market in the 21st century with social media.
What do you enjoy the most about your career field?
The constant change has been something that is enjoyable with the E-commerce career field. If you can stay on top of the change, you can ride the wave until the next change that comes out. Knowing how to manipulate changes with marketing and social media allows for the wave to be ridden and success to be everlasting. Working with Vets is always a great feeling as well.
What do you like least about your career field?
It’s a tough pill to swallow, but the best part can also be the worst. Veterans can be very difficult to work with. In the realm of social media, vets can be some very cruel people to other vets. I would like to see a more uplifting and encouraging to other vets and veteran ran businesses. Vets need to work together instead of against each other to spread into the civilian mindset.
What skills, abilities, and personal attributes are essential to success in this career field?
The ability to accept change, roll with it, and not let the BS get you down. I feel that is a lot of the career fields out there. But the ever-changing internet realm requires you to be very flexible.
Is there something you wish you’d known or a skill you wish you’d had starting out in this career field?
I wish I had more of a marketing background. Business classes and marketing would have really helped my career field. My major was Law Enforcement and Political Science, not really what I am doing nowadays.
How do most people get into this career field (internships, networking, etc.)? What are common entry-level jobs?
So especially with our company, many vets start at the bottom and work their way up. The epitome of the American Dream. Work hard and you can move up. They are starting in production or shipping, and move up there or they can move into a front office role. Hard work equals advancement.
How did you find and apply for this job role (career fair, networking contact, online application, etc.)?
Honestly found the job posting on a YouTube video
What made you stand out as a candidate for this job role?
I was originally hired for a sales position, and was coming from a previous sales role. I was a veteran and had sales experience. It was a good fit.
What kind of education, training or experiences does your job role require?
The current position would require business and marketing knowledge, an expert in social media, and good knowledge in the fashion industry.
What are the major components of your job role on a daily basis?
I report on the previous days sales numbers, work with outside manufacturers, oversee marketing and social networking employees, discuss new designs for shirts and apparel, and focus on future product releases for upcoming months.
What do you like about your industry?
The constant change. Its challenging and fun. Planning out what is going to be the next hit is always hit or miss. It’s nice to get those hits. The E-commerce platform has rapidly increased the total percentage of all retail sales, and will only increase.
How do you see your industry changing in the next 10 years?
The percentage of total retail sales will continue to increase and therefore make our industry a lot more relevant.
#randomselfieswithstrangers #NatCon2018 #SVA #studentvets #nlu #nluexperience (at JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa)
The SVA challenge coin! #studentvets #svaleads #veteransclub
The Student Veterans of America staff putting work at the Leadership Institute. @jaredslyon #studentvets #svaleads #dallas
Riding with style with Bravo Co. #Svaleads #studentvets #veterans #serviceselfie
SVA Voices: Peter Meijer - From Student Veteran to Vice-Chairman of the Board
by, Peter Meijer, SVA Board of Directors, Vice-Chairman
Starting as an Army Reserve NCO mobilized to deploy to Iraq during college, I have experienced firsthand the challenges of transitioning from the military to a civilian education. In the years that followed, I went overseas again as an aid worker in Afghanistan before returning to school last fall to pursue a business degree.
Since joining my first SVA chapter in 2007, I have witnessed three key events that have had, and will continue to have, a profound effect on veteran re-integration: the 2008 passage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the 2011 end of combat operations in Iraq, and the 2014 end of combat operations in Afghanistan.
We have made great strides to adapt to the challenges and opportunities brought by these pivotal moments and their resulting trends, but the work of Student Veterans of America and our fellow service organizations remain vitally important.
Today, enlistment contracts forged to supply additional troops during the surges in Iraq and Afghanistan are winding down, returning new veterans to civilian society. Meanwhile, resurgent conflicts in the Middle East and South Asia continue to put pressure on our military and those service members who have recently joined or re-upped. Although military and veteran issues garner fewer headlines than in previous years, the need has hardly ebbed.
After eight years of involvement with Student Veterans of America, I am honored and excited to step into a position of greater responsibility as Vice Chairman of SVA’s Board of Directors.
At SVA, our mission to support veteran transition through education is as essential today as it has ever been. As we strengthen existing programs and build out additional resources and services, I am thrilled to continue to support and work with the great chapters and staff at Student Veterans of America.
