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When I told my mom I was thinking about joining the military, her first response was, “Heck no.” I’m sure a lot of you heard that, too. But when I was trying to figure out college, an ROTC flyer changed my life – and eventually my mom’s opinion.
Like what happens in many campus organizations, I made incredible friends and became close to everyone. The ROTC wasn’t all yelling and pushups like I thought it might be. Instead, my weekdays taught me how I could serve, while my weekends ended up teaching me how I could lead. I learned how to prioritize, manage resources, and sign off on tasks. And I was shown how to make leaders out of others – a skill I still use to this day. Joining the ROTC turned into eight years in the military, where I toured in Iraq and Afghanistan. The lessons I learned from the ROTC were reinforced a thousand times over before I eventually got out.
Transitioning back was difficult, to say the least. My military background had a lot to offer in leadership, adaptability, and standing out. I was going to career workshops, paying people to look at my resume, and applying to over 50 companies. It was serious work that I was putting into it, and I never got a single interview in return. It wasn’t fun.
After handfuls of rejections, my brother suggested I join him at Walmart and, nearly three years after I first came home, I had my first interview. I started as a Development Store Manager, and it was kind of creepy how similar Walmart and the military were in terms of structure and hierarchy. Sure, it’s retail – but the way they built their structure felt the same to me. If I’m talking to someone who’s a company commander at Walmart, they can break down the store organization so it lines up to my background. For instance, we deal with a lot of standard operating procedures and decision-making, which is the same stuff we did in the military.
Why am I sharing all of this with you? Because Walmart has a program called the Veterans Welcome Home Commitment (http://rly.pt/walmart-welcome). Veterans honorably discharged since Memorial Day 2013 don’t have to struggle like I did. Instead, Walmart will guarantee you a position just as long as you meet the standard hiring criteria. It’s really, sincerely, just that simple.
Once upon a time, my brother helped me, and now I want to pay that forward to you. At Walmart, there are opportunities to do almost anything. If you’re a pilot, you can fly a plane for Walmart. There are careers in Technology, Logistics, Corporate – there’s so much more than you might initially think.
In the end, it’s a company that makes me proud because it’s a company that knows what we can bring to the table. And that they’re better off with us at their table. Let’s show them they’re right.
Like what happens in many campus organizations, I made incredible friends and became close to everyone. The ROTC wasn’t all yelling and pushups like I thought it might be. Instead, my weekdays taught me how I could serve, while my weekends ended up teaching me how I could lead. I learned how to prioritize, manage resources, and sign off on tasks. And I was shown how to make leaders out of others – a skill I still use to this day. Joining the ROTC turned into eight years in the military, where I toured in Iraq and Afghanistan. The lessons I learned from the ROTC were reinforced a thousand times over before I eventually got out.
Transitioning back was difficult, to say the least. My military background had a lot to offer in leadership, adaptability, and standing out. I was going to career workshops, paying people to look at my resume, and applying to over 50 companies. It was serious work that I was putting into it, and I never got a single interview in return. It wasn’t fun.
After handfuls of rejections, my brother suggested I join him at Walmart and, nearly three years after I first came home, I had my first interview. I started as a Development Store Manager, and it was kind of creepy how similar Walmart and the military were in terms of structure and hierarchy. Sure, it’s retail – but the way they built their structure felt the same to me. If I’m talking to someone who’s a company commander at Walmart, they can break down the store organization so it lines up to my background. For instance, we deal with a lot of standard operating procedures and decision-making, which is the same stuff we did in the military.
Why am I sharing all of this with you? Because Walmart has a program called the Veterans Welcome Home Commitment (http://rly.pt/walmart-welcome). Veterans honorably discharged since Memorial Day 2013 don’t have to struggle like I did. Instead, Walmart will guarantee you a position just as long as you meet the standard hiring criteria. It’s really, sincerely, just that simple.
Once upon a time, my brother helped me, and now I want to pay that forward to you. At Walmart, there are opportunities to do almost anything. If you’re a pilot, you can fly a plane for Walmart. There are careers in Technology, Logistics, Corporate – there’s so much more than you might initially think.
In the end, it’s a company that makes me proud because it’s a company that knows what we can bring to the table. And that they’re better off with us at their table. Let’s show them they’re right.
Transition
Civilian Career
Walmart
Command Post
ROTC
Posted 8 y ago
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