After serving nearly eight years as a Marine Corps Officer, I transitioned from active duty in March 2015. As the end of active service approached, my anxiety ramped up regarding the impending job search. Like many young military officers, I joined the military because of September 11th. My original goal was not to have a military career, but to simply serve my country and move on, so the fact that I stayed on active duty for eight years still sometimes surprises me. I was enjoying the challenges of being a Marine Officer and figured that taking a second assignment would set me up for a successful transition.
I majored in Criminal Justice before joining the military but soon realized that it was not a career field I was interested in long-term. Instead, I was attracted to the business world. I had seen many of my peers transition into business leadership roles and corporate leadership programs. I realized that the skill set I had attained as a Marine Officer had more applications in the business world because of the leadership, communication, and decision-making skills I was utilizing daily. These are skills that are not taught in a classroom but are forged by experience, pressure, and confidence.
Two months before I reached the end of my active service, I received an offer from the General Electric Junior Officer Leadership Program (JOLP). GE has Continue reading »