Episode 131 – Leadership Lessons from the C-Suite

Harry Truman, the 33rd President of the United States, said, “Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.” Therefore, JMOs should read. Leaders read because they continuously pursue learning and development. They know they never “arrive” and know everything. Additionally, whether they are politicians, business people, military leaders, teachers, or wherever they lead, they know their environment is dynamic.  They read to stay sharp, adapt to new challenges, explore new ideas, and understand ideas and views that conflict with their own. Often when I speak with Junior Military Officers (JMOs) considering the transition, they tell me they have not read much since they left college. I have to admit that I did not read much during my first two years in the military. Fortunately, a new commander implemented a reading program in my third year, and I also started preparing with Cameron-Brooks for my transition. I developed a habit of reading well before the transition that I continue today. In this podcast, I explain four reasons why JMOs should make a habit of reading before the transition. They are: Developing a habit of reading that will carry forward to being a business leader post-transition. Learning business concepts and applying them in the military before transitioning, providing excellent experiences to share in an interview. When interviewing, the JMO will need to understand the language of business. One would not travel to a foreign country without learning some of the language and customs—the same with transitioning to business. The need to incorporate business concepts into interview answers. I provide an example where one individual had not developed an understanding or root cause of problem-solving and project management, and as a result, his interview answers lacked depth and specifics. My colleague, Brock Dudley, wrote a blog post in February 2024 about the correlation between reading and successful interviewing. JMOs should read — especially if you are making the transition. I highly recommend developing a reading habit today. If you have not already done so, start with PCS to Corporate America, 4th Ed. The book has a recommended reading list at the back. I wrote a blog post on 5 Books Every JMO Should Read ASAP a few years ago. In the podcast, I mention Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates’ reading lists. You can find them hyperlinked in their names. Thank you for listening to the Cameron-Brooks podcast! As you consider your potential transition from the military to the business world, if you'd like to talk about your marketability or how Cameron-Brooks can guide you to launching your career, please contact us directly. Schedule a call here.  Cameron-Brooks has a 50-year track record of guiding military officers to create a step-by-step plan to learn about their options, connect their military experiences directly to opportunities in corporate America, craft a resume that will stand out to hiring managers, and ultimately launch a successful business career.

Welcome back! Today you're going to get three tips to manage your career after you transition to business. I am glad to introduce you to Kingsley Spiller. He's a former Army Infantry officer who moved to corporate America in 2016. He spent his time in the Army as a Platoon Leader, Executive Officer, and Battalion Logistics officer and finished up his career with a deployment to Afghanistan. He launched his business career as a District Manager at Aldi. In this episode, you will get a chance to hear Kingsley's story. Specifically, Kingsley gets into some of the decisions he's made in his career thus far as it relates to career development and where he sees his career going. If you are still in the military and wondering what it's like to navigate your career successfully as you get started, this episode is for you! In this conversation, Kingsley walks through three actions he's taken to ensure success and growth as a leader at Aldi. Start Strong It all starts with getting into the right company. Kingsley interviewed for over 10 companies at his Cameron-Brooks Career Conference. He was able to evaluate different industries, companies and career options to find the best option for him. Not only that but within each of the options, he could evaluate many of the intrinsic values of each of the opportunities in order to select the best among many. This allowed him to get into the right role and use the leadership skills he gained in the military to start strong and make an immediate impact in the organization. Be a Giver Kingsley said one of the first things he did when he got to Aldi was looking for challenging assignments. He volunteered for hard jobs and took on the work that no one else wanted. This is exactly what corporate America is looking for in the JMOs. We want people who will go the extra mile without being asked and do it with a great attitude. Unbeknownst to Kingsley, this is one of the reasons he was able to rise quickly in his organization, which allowed him to build his brand and be seen as a leader in his organization. See the Big Picture Like most transitions or major changes in life, after the "honeymoon" phase, there is typically a dip. It's typically not an insurmountable issue or problem. It's more like the excitement of being recruited has subsided. The newness and novelty of the new thing have passed. This is often where people quit and start over. Kingsley does a great job talking about seeing the picture of his career. He knew that the next chapter of his professional book after the military wasn't the last chapter! Often, JMOs tend to see the world in the very next step, not realizing that pivot transition phases of life and decisions made in the process will affect future chapters. Kingsley has done a great job making an immediate impact when he started at Aldi, seeking out the toughest assignments and seeing the big picture regarding managing his career. If you are wondering about your options as you consider the future, let's have a quick chat on the phone. We have built a reputation for helping military officers make the move from the military to the business world, and we are standing on over a half-century of experience. If you are interested in launching your career in a leadership role in the world of business, I want to meet with you. Feel free to call or email directly to get started. If you want to learn more about how we help military officers or your career options, visit www.cameron-brooks.com. You can also hear about other officers' experiences with Cameron-Brooks. Best of success, Pete Van Epps // (210) 874-1519 // [email protected]

Welcome back! We recently wrapped up our January 2024 Career Conference. The primary takeaway from the Conference is that companies remain motivated to pursue JMOs for their important leadership openings, and the prepared candidate will succeed at the Career Conference. Diving deeper, the key takeaways were: The Economy The economy tends to be a question on JMOs' minds. Specifically, is the economy strong enough to support my transition, and will I find the right job when I exit the military? A fact I love to quote is that Cameron-Brooks has been helping military officers PCS to Corporate America for over half a century, and in all time, we have never canceled a Conference. Not during the "dot-com" recession in the early 2000s, not during the "Sub-prime mortgage recession" in 2008-2009, and not during the "Covid recession" in 2020. Never. Why? Well, just like the military never stops commissioning second lieutenants and ensigns, the business world never stops hiring and promoting leaders. That said, when we are navigating economic headwinds, opportunity heavily favors the prepared. And when you make a military transition with Cameron-brooks, we make sure you are prepared! Read (or Listen) Through the years, some of the most prepared candidates I've seen at Career Conferences are those who call themselves "voracious readers." I believe that those people tend to have an advantage over those who don't read much because they are way better at connecting the dots in an interview. Follow my logic - imagine you are not much of a reader, and you get an interview question like, "Tell me about a time you led your team to reach an important goal or objective." Well, with no context to the position, company, or industry, you may just throw out an answer with a lot of hope that you'll hit the target. Now, imagine in your transition preparation, you've read or listened to a book on Lean/Six Sigma, operational excellence, project management, finance, data analysis, and team leadership and you get the exact same question. With your knowledge, combined with the context of the position, company, and interest, you'll tell the right experience in the right way and not only hit the target but nail the bullseye! Alumni In this episode, we feature three of our most recent alumni. It is so impactful to hear them tell their stories because they successfully navigated the interview process, earned offers, selected the best for them and their families, and are preparing to launch their new careers in the business world. In this episode, you'll hear from Harry Donahue, Army Civil Affairs, USMA 2015 Austin Weiher, Army Intelligence, USMA 2019 Colin Stringert, Army Infantry, University of Wyoming, 2019 If you are looking for help, let's talk about making a military transition with Cameron-Brooks! We have a track record of guiding military officers to create a step-by-step plan to learn about their options, connect their military experiences directly to opportunities in corporate America, craft a resume that will stand out to hiring managers, and ultimately launch a successful business career. If you want to hear more from our alumni, check out our YouTube Channel where you'll find many officers sharing their experiences with Cameron-Brooks. Best, Pete Van Epps // [email protected] // (210) 874-1519

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 with Luke and Marquette Leveque share their experiences with us. This episode was originally intended for them to share their experience in the Engineering Management Career Field. In this episode, Joel and the Panel discuss the misperceptions of Engineering Management, explain what Engineering Management is along with the competencies required to be successful, describe how diversified the work is, and provide the listeners with some sample industries. However, we felt our alumni were great examples of former junior military officers who made decisions early on in their careers that helped them establish a track record of success, build a skillset, and then make decisions that pivoted closer towards their ideal personal and professional goals. Chazz made the transition from the Air Force as a Developmental Engineer and launched his career with Lam Research as a Manufacturing Engineer in Silicon Valley. Lam Research makes advanced microchips that are in many familiar products we use every day such as our mobile phones, computing devices, entertainment systems, and even smart cars! He and his wife then decided it was time to move back to Ohio. Chazz navigated his career and now works with Silflex, a division of Lam Research, they’ve bought a home and are living in their dream location. Chris built a skillset and navigated to the ideal location! Marquette and Luke Leveque were classmates at the Naval Academy, Navy Nuclear Submarine Officers, came through the Cameron-Brooks program in 2018 and attended the April 2018 Career Conference. TOGETHER, they launched their careers at Boston Scientific, a leading medical device company that makes innovative solutions and medical devices to help improve the health of patients around the world. Marquette began her career in a Process Development Manager role where she led a team of engineers to successfully implement large-scale manufacturing processes for new biopharmaceutical products. She then wanted to be closer to the customer and is now in a marketing role with Boston Scientific. Luke launched his career as an Operations Project Manager where he led a cross-functional team moving new products out of the research and design stage into the manufacturing stage, and ultimately into commercial use. Luke has now shifted into a marketing role on the commercial side of the business leading their laser therapies team. Luke and Marquette navigated their career to the desired roles! Career Management When I meet with junior military officers to discuss their career goals, I ask a lot of questions to get to know them. One of those questions I ask is, “Why are you leaving the military?”. I often get the answer, “For more career control”. Makes sense! In the military, most decisions are made for you. You haven’t necessarily had to make decisions as it pertains to “Career Management”. Your detailer, branch manager, or assignment officer makes it for you. It’s also a specific career path within your MOS. If you deviate from it, you may not be selected for command or make the next rank and will be forced to make the transition out. For example, you are told when to move, when it is time for a new assignment, which organization, or unit you will join, etc. While this can make life hard for military officers, it does free them from the responsibility of “Career Management”. To some, that may be ideal. For some, it’s not. In the business world, there are no scholarship contracts, assignments officers, early outs, PCS commitments, ADSOs, or mandatory job changes. Regardless of your company,

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 number one response I have heard over my 25-year career is, “I want to have meaning and purpose.” Finding purpose in your post military career is a common concern. Purpose and Passion Are Different Yes, I agree! Finding meaning and purpose in your post military career are critical to career and life satisfaction. We all want to do work and live a life that matters. We want to know the time and effort we put forth will make a difference in this world. Yet, over the last year or so, there has become a shift in the response. I now occasionally hear, “I want to do something that I am passionate about.” When I ask them to elaborate, often they describe working in industries where they have hobbies such as, “Crossfit,” “Outdoor activities,” “CrossFit”,  “Sports,” and others. Some might say something like, “Working to preserve the environment.” You Grow Into and Develop Passion I see passion as something that we grow into over time. It is similar to love in a relationship. Over time and with experience, it deepens and becomes stronger. The problem when I hear JMOs talking about passion is that they seek something external to give them that meaning. They are looking for CrossFit, the environmental impact, alternative energy, or the outdoors to do it for them. In the end, it won’t satiate them. Purpose Comes from Within I see purpose as something that gives your work meaning. Purpose comes from within you. It is not external. You find meaning from what you give and the joy of using your talents to make an impact. Purpose, or meaning, which I am using interchangeably here, does not come from wearing a uniform, company name, or industry. Those are external. They do support and facilitate it, but they can’t do it; only you, the individual, can. You can do this by leading and developing people, leading change to build an organization, using your talents and growing, and more. I do not want to hold anyone back from pursuing their dreams. That is not the intent of this podcast or post. Rather, my intent is to make the case that pursuing meaning is more important, and from my perspective, passion and purpose are different. In this podcast, I tackle the topic of passion and purpose. It’s a lot easier to talk about than write about here. I want to admit that this is MY opinion fully, and I know people will disagree with me. I would love to hear from you. I am not trying to be right, but rather help JMOs understand that finding meaning in work is important and that it will come from inside them and not to look externally for it. Thank you for listening to the Cameron-Brooks podcast! As you consider your potential transition from the military to the business world, if you'd like to talk about your marketability or how Cameron-Brooks can guide you to launching your career, please contact us directly. Schedule a call here.  Cameron-Brooks has a 50-year track record of guiding military officers to create a step-by-step plan to learn about their options, connect their military experiences directly to opportunities in corporate America, craft a resume that will stand out to hiring managers, and ultimately launch a successful business career.

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 SkillBridge experience like? It's the ideal opportunity for high-achieving JMOs that want to transition to a growth position in business. Cameron-Brooks has been an approved DoD SkillBridge provider since 2022 and many officers have participated in our 12-week, curated training program as they prepare to attend the Cameron-Brooks Career Conference and follow-up interview process. What can come from a Cameron-Brooks SkillBridge opportunity? Lots more opportunity! In this episode, I talk to Wyatt Boyd. Wyatt shares his Cameron-Brooks SkillBridge experience in preparation for the January 2023 Career Conference. At the conference, he interviewed with 10 industry-leading companies, and just about every one of them demonstrated a high level of interest in pursuing him for follow-up interviews. Wyatt conducted multiple follow-up interviews and received offers for employment along the way. He ultimately received and accepted an offer with Abiomed, a Johnson and Johnson company. Wyatt describes how he was able to benefit from the Cameron-Brooks SkillBridge program in order to maximize his opportunities, earn multiple offers for employment, and ultimately select the opportunity that best matched his career goals. So, what does Wyatt attribute to his success? In a phrase: Preparation is the Key to Success Wyatt was able to focus on some key areas while on the SkillBridge, including: Development and Preparation Program (DPP©) Tabs and Modules: This 5-tab curriculum is designed to lead the participant through a thorough self-analysis, business skill development, in-depth career field option research, and interview answer construction. Development and Preparation Program (DPP©) Required Reading Program: This 10-book reading program is designed to educate and inform the participant on crucial business concepts such as Lean/Six Sigma, Project Management, Corporate Finance, Data Analysis, Business to Business Selling, Operational Excellence, Rapport Building, Team Leadership and other important business concepts. Resume Creating Guidelines – This tool, in conjunction with a proprietary pre-formatted Microsoft Word template, is designed to guide the participant through a resume creation process in preparation for business interviews. Interview Skills Workshops – The participant will participate in 3 different levels of an Interview Skills Workshop: - Basic Interview Skills Workshop: This workshop is designed to teach the fundamentals of interviewing, including how to build rapport, connect their military background, and the methods to answering the 28 most commonly asked interview questions. - Intermediate Interviews Skills Workshop: This workshop is designed to continue to instill the fundamentals of interviewing while allowing the participant to practice their interview skills under the supervision of a trained Transition Coach. - Advanced Interview Skills Workshop: This workshop is typically provided in a smaller setting (4-5 participants) in order to allow the candidate to practice advanced interview skills like answering less common questions, asking quality questions, and closing the interview. Career Field Media: This resource is primarily comprised of seven 1-hour videos designed to educate the participant on the 4 major categories of career fields that Junior Military Officers typically pursue: Engineering Management, Team Leadership, Business Analysis, and Business-to-Business Sales. Interview Preparation Workshops: This workshop, in conjunction with the proprietary Interview Guideline Worksheet,

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 interaction was great - I enjoyed meeting him and learning more about his career goals, but at the time, what he was trying to do and how Cameron-Brooks helps officers were not aligned. We parted ways as friends, and I wished him the best in all of his future endeavors. Fast forward a couple of months, and Colin and I reconnected. He said his situation had changed, and he wanted to explore a partnership with Cameron-Brooks in order to help him reach his career goals. He said he'd had sent his resume to "dozens" in his local area and had not heard back from any. His goal has always been to use his military leadership experience to move to the business world, but didn't have any business experience, didn't have a network of people who could help him get interviews and didn't have a plan. Well, outside of sending his resumes to any and every company he could see, he didn't have a plan. I am glad he called back and was and I am glad we partnered. It's ok to need help with your military transition. In a relatively short amount of time in our program, Colin created an interview-ready resume, gained valuable interview skills, increased his overall business knowledge, and explored different career fields to determine both his interest and fit. Ultimately, Colin attended the August 2023 Career Conference, where he had 11 interviews with hiring managers and decision-makers. He went on to conduct follow-up interviews with multiple companies from the Conference, ultimately accepting an offer for a sales and account management role at Berry Global. During our conversation, Colin described his company and role, and I think that for those wanting to know more about launching your career in sales and account management, his experience can be helpful in learning more. Additionally, a few points I hope you glean from this podcast are: Define Your Goal I often talk to military officers who are convinced they are going end their time on active duty but, beyond that, aren't thinking past, "I am going to find a job." The adage holds true: if you don't have a goal, you won't know if you are on the right track. I encourage you to set a goal, not only for the day you get out but 5+ years down the road. This step is critical as it will guide you to build a plan to get there. Have a Plan Once you know where you want to go, it's time to build a plan. Where are you going? What skills and experiences are required to get there? Do you need help? If so, who do you know? What knowledge do you need to gain to be successful in reaching your goal? Answering these questions and more will get you moving toward developing a solid plan. Have a Guide People trust experts to do things that they can't do themselves. Even as I write that, it grates against my nature. I want to do things myself and I do. Simple things like changing my oil, detailing my car, or spraying pesticides around my house. You know, easy stuff. Heck, whenever I need to do something, I go to YouTube first because I know someone out there has tried it. That said, I don't go to YouTube for tax advice. I go to my accountant, Jake. Jake is an expert in tax code. I don't have the time or desire to learn the tax code or keep up with the ever-changing tax laws. When I know I need an expert, I don't waste time - I go to the expert. If I know it will be more costly, whether it's time, money, or quality, I call an expert. So it's smart to lean on an expert when you need help with your military transition. If you have been out there trying to do it on your own or don't want to start down that road even ...

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. Liam is a former Navy Surface Warfare Officer who transitioned to a business career in 1991. He spent the first fifteen years of his career in various sales and marketing leadership positions with Johnson & Johnson. He used that experience to start consulting, executive coaching practices, and C-suite leadership positions with start-up medical companies for the last fifteen years. In the podcast, Liam explains that the key to a successful career is building a strong foundation in the first ten years. With that foundation, one will have many options in the future. These options include living in an ideal location like Liam does now in Denver, choosing to continue as an executive leader in a larger company, pivoting to start-ups, or even striking out on your own and starting your own company. Liam has done all three! I asked Liam, "What's the key to establishing that foundation?" Liam referenced the book The 5 Patterns of Extraordinary Careers: The Guide for Achieving Success and Satisfaction by James M. Citrin and Richard Smith. Citrin is the CEO of Spencer Stuart North America, an Executive Search firm and Cameron-Brooks client. As or the 3 keys to an extraordinary post-military career, Liam specifically references Pattern 5: Find the Right Fit. The key to establishing the foundation is choosing positions and companies based on your ability to leverage your strengths, do work that interests you, and work with people you like and respect. I strongly encourage anyone considering a change or launching a career to evaluate their choice based on those three factors. Make those a priority. Unfortunately, there is a lot of other noise out there that clouds decisions. Sometimes, people want a great career but prioritize the path because it is the path of least resistance; it's easy. The authors do not say this is easy, in fact they say it take work and preparation. Other times, people decide to pursue a career because of the pay or the location. The authors specifically advise against prioritizing extrinsic factors. In fact, they say that when one prioritizes strengths, interests, and fit, those other factors will follow! Just like they did for Liam. If you listen to this podcast and want more than these 3 keys to an extraordinary post-military career, we are here to help. Cameron-Brooks has a 50-year track record of guiding military officers to create a step-by-step plan to learn about their options, connect their military experiences directly to opportunities in corporate America, craft a resume that will stand out to hiring managers, and ultimately launch a successful business career. Don't wait. Give me a call at (210) 874-1502 or email me at [email protected] - we can have a conversation about your plans and goals and if Cameron-Brooks is the right guide to help you get there. Joel

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 the question posed in the title of this podcast is, "Will the current economy allow me to launch my business career by stepping into a leadership role in an industry-leading  company where I can  use my skills to make an impact and grow professionally?" Unlike previous podcast episodes, episode 187 of the PCS to Corporate America podcast was recorded LIVE with 45 guests asking questions and covering the topics surrounding the question "Will the current economy support your transition?" The Economy We conduct 5 Career Conferences each year; of course, 2023 was no different. In the face of higher-than-normal inflation, higher-than-normal interest rates, and higher-than-normal uncertainty, companies still came to each Conference in 2023 with open positions. Not only that, but the positions were developmental roles commensurate with a military officer's level of leadership. Why? Well, just like the military doesn't stop commissioning officers, companies don't stop hiring future leaders. In 2023, we partnered with hundreds of companies from different industries, including healthcare, consumer, technology, building materials, and construction, energy and power, industrial and others. DoD SkillBridge Believe it or not, the DoD SkillBridge program has been around since 2011. It started as a pilot program to address concerns about U.S. military personnel returning to civilian life following the 2008 financial crisis. Lawmakers wanted to ensure service members leaving the military at that time would be able to find work.  The program has gained an incredible amount of momentum in recent years. It has helped junior officers, senior officers, junior enlisted, senior enlisted, National Guard, Reserves, veterans and even spouses! The program is broad and has obviously helped many people. As a company that has helped military officers transition for over half a century, we know the value and leadership advantage that a JMO brings to the table. Unfortunately, we have seen some JMOs' lose that advantage (or at least water it down), as many companies tend to lump every SkillBridge applicant, regardless of experience, into the same category. We are grateful to be a DoD-approved SkillBridge provider. If you'd like to know more about how the program can fit into your transition plan, just let anyone at Cameron-Brooks know that you are interested. Certifications It is natural to think that different certifications, be it a Lean/Six Sigma Greenbelt, a PMP and Data Analytics certification, will lead to increased marketability by simply taking the class or earning the credential. It makes sense that a military officer would try to bolster their military resume with a program to authenticate their commitment to business. In such cases, military officers tend to use the certification as a ticket. We encourage officers to see the certification less as a ticket and more as a tool. By increasing your knowledge of a specific ubiquitous business concept (i.e., Lean/Six Sigma or Project Management) it enables you to 1.) consider your own military experience relative to the skill and 2.) learn new skills that you can apply at work in order to increase your experience on the topic. In both cases, this actually WILL increase your marketability, not by providing a path to get more hiring managers to interview you, but by being able to better explain your military experience to business leaders. "Will the current economy support your transition?" With the right plan, preparation, guidance and coaching, yes! Thank you for listening to the Cameron-Brooks podcast in 2023!

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 exactly the reason that we introduced these webcasts over three years ago and why we converted the Q&A with the alumni to podcast episodes. It's one thing for me, Pete Van Epps, Cameron-Brooks Career Coach, to explain the process, but it's quite another to hear a few military officers who recently finished the process tell their story. On this episode, I am glad to introduce three of our most recent alumni: Valerie Roberts - Navy Intelligence Lieutenant who accepted a position as an Associate Brand Manager position with Mars, Inc. Beau Hughes - Army Logistics Captain who accepted a position as a Procurement Specialist with HF Sinclair. Rhyan England - Army Air Defense Captain who accepted a position as a Senior Account Manager with Motorola Solutions. Even though this podcast with chocked full with way more than 3 pro tips to find success at the Career Conference, here are three keys to success that you can use in our process to maximize opportunity at the Cameron-Brooks Conference. Read! I know you have probably heard it many times, but leaders are readers. For those officers who have committed to moving from the military to corporate America, I sometimes see them look at a professional business reading list as a "nice to have" as opposed to a "need to have." I think that is the wrong move, at least for the companies and roles that we represent at the Cameron-Brooks Career Conference. At the Conference, officers interview with A-tier companies for open positions that are commensurate with a JMO's leadership experience. The hiring managers and decision-makers that you will meet with typically interview and hire people with industry experience. A professional reading program with necessary books like Good to Great, The Goal and What is Lean Six Sigma will help a military officer quickly bridge the gap between their military experience and the position for which they are interviewing in the business world. Build Rapport - In an interview, the hiring manager or decision-maker isn't just trying to determine if the JMO is qualified. As a matter of fact, oftentimes they go into the interview knowing the person is qualified. In that case, the interview boils down to if the hiring manager can see you fitting in with the team. In other words, they are measuring your attitude (are you a glass have full type?), your enthusiasm, your interest. Successful interviewing isn't just crafting great interview answers - it is also demonstrating interest in the company and position and building rapport. For more on the topic, check out How To Wow by Francis Cole Jones or listen to Joel interview her in Episode 102 of the Cameron-Brooks podcast. Join a Study Group (Practice interviewing!) - one of the most common themes we hear in the post-Conference webcast the just how valuable being a part of a study group is to officers. I often liken a study group to being a part of an athletic team. You don't just show up to the game on Friday night. It starts with the fundamentals, then you run plays, then you introduce a scout team or practice squad to play against. The study group is the same way. The first few meetings are just going through the fundamentals of saying your interview answers out loud. Then, you move to try to answer questions and connect to a specific type of role. Finally, you do some role play or scenario-based "mock interviews" without stopping. While it is difficult to perfectly replicate or predict everything that will happen in an interview (just like you can't predict exactly what your opponent will do on Friday night)...