Many private sector employers value military skills and training. But service members and veterans are getting an even bigger edge in the recruitment process with training programs that facilitate their transition to careers as civilians.
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Nearly 500 service members have participated in the Leveraging Military Leadership Program (LMLP), a free program offered by Korn Ferry® and Harris Corporation®. LMLP helps service members from all military branches successfully transition to civilian careers. Eligible participants include veterans who left the service in the past 2 years, current service members who will be leaving the military within the next year, and National Guard and Reserve members who have been on an active duty tour in the past 2 years, according to Korn Ferry.
Leadership experts from Korn Ferry and Harris lead the 3-month program, which includes “online, remote, and in-person assessments, coaching, instruction, group exercises, and lectures,” Korn Ferry reported. Topics include “defining a career vision, mapping out a targeted post-military career strategy, and creating an action plan that includes networking, using social media, and refining their engagement and interviewing techniques.”
“Veterans bring highly sought-after competencies to every industry and profession, such as driving results, leveraging diversity of thought for better decision making, and dealing with ambiguity,” said Randy Manner, retired Army major general and Korn Ferry senior partner. “The Leveraging Military Leadership Program helps veterans be happier and more successful in their first post-military career opportunity by increasing their self-awareness and ability to clearly articulate their unique value proposition to potential employers.”
“At Harris, we have seen firsthand how military service can translate to business excellence, and LMLP training elevates those attributes,” said Bob Duffy, Harris senior vice president of Human Resources and Administration at Harris.
The program has received rave reviews from past participants. “The Leveraging Military Leadership Program is unique in that it increased my self-awareness, gave me more confidence and most of all helped me formulate an effective transition strategy,” said Christopher Cizek, a retired Navy commander with 22 years of service. “This resulted in landing the exact job in Federal financial management I was interested in and the perspectives I gained continue to help me succeed in my new career.”
“An extremely insightful, innovative and pragmatic course, LMLP was both professionally challenging and personally enriching. It stretched my perspectives, armed me with invaluable tools, and enabled me to hone my transition focus,” said Kelly McKeague, a retired major general in the Air Force with 34 years of service. “Two tangible outcomes were my ability to better tap into nontraditional networks and to articulate a more resonating ‘story.’”
Meanwhile, Owens Corning® is collaborating with the Concrete Preservation Institute (CPI) on a project to restore the historic Battleship Row mooring quays at Pearl Harbor and, in the process, help U.S. service members prepare to transition to jobs as civilians through CPI’s Career Skills Program. Owens Corning is providing fiberglass composites to CPI and volunteer experts to give guidance for the restoration work, and its foundation is donating $100,000 to the cause.
“Service members from any military branch can participate in the Pearl Harbor program at no cost due to program partnerships, donations, and grants,” Owens Corning explained. “Active-duty service members will participate in CPI’s three yearly, 12-week sessions for the Battleship Row mooring quay restoration project. They will learn hands-on about concrete, construction, and historic preservation while helping preserve one of the country’s most important historical sites.”