TRANSITION GUIDE 2017
own, and frankly, a lot of jobs aren’t … being publicized online, especially [those with] small- to medium-size fi rms,” says Scott Kiefer, a partner at Oliver Group, a management consult- ing fi rm in Louisville, Ky. When Kiefer separated from the
Army as a captain, he and his wife wanted to stay near Louisville. He was an ROTC instructor at his last duty station, at Western Kentucky Univer- sity, while his wife lived and worked in Louisville. On weekends, he would visit her and work to make quality ca- reer connections in the area. “If you play golf with just three new people each weekend, you could learn about hundreds of opportuni- ties at companies. If you pay attention to the parents in your kids’ classes, church members, your neighbors, those are easy introductions. If you’re going to choose a city without connec- tions, it’s much harder than network- ing in the city you’re in,” he says. “I … ask myself, ‘Where are the vet-
erans? Where do they work, and who do they know to make the connection for me?’ ” Kiefer says. “Have them make the introductions for you.” Landreth suggests transitioning servicemembers join groups like the chamber of commerce and other pro- fessional networking organizations. “Charleston has great civic organi- zations for networking. I was able to leverage several great organizations that I had affi liated with during gradu- ate school, such as the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, to my benefi t,” he says. When networking with local
groups, follow simple etiquette to make meaningful connections, Love says. For example, at a breakfast, show interest in your tablemates. Good questions to ask include: “How long have you been coming to these events?” “How long have you lived
70 MILITARY OFFICER MAY 2017 Filling the Need M
any transitioning mili- tary officers find their communities are miss-
ing something. Maybe you’re hankering for a Philly chees- esteak in central Idaho or a plate of North Carolina barbecue in Minnesota. Or perhaps you have a unique idea for a transporta- tion service to day care centers, a traveling pet grooming van, or a physical fitness program for Baby Boomers. Whatever it is, you might be
destined for entrepreneurship, says Skip Freeman. Here are his tips on how to translate an
unmet need into a business: Q Consider local and regional banks for small business loans. Also, crowdfunding is a power- ful capital source. Check out
www.endlesscrowds.com, cre- ated specifically for active duty servicemembers, veterans, first responders, and their families.
here?” “How has being a member of this organization benefi ted you?” Handwritten notes are a way
to move the relationship forward. “The old school, barely legible note actually carries more weight [than an email],” he says.
Step 3: Leverage your community Originally from South Shore, Mass., Navy Reserve Lt. Cmdr. Gregory Lozeau’s last duty station as an ROTC instructor was in Austin, Texas, and the city grew on him. “Austin is a great small city. There
are a lot of outdoor activities to do around town, as well as great food,
Q Consider franchising. Fran- chises have worked out the strat- egy and business models. “As veterans, we can take the recipe for success, [and then] implement and accomplish our goals much more
quickly,” Freeman says. Q Community involvement is key. The chamber of commerce can help you brainstorm ideas. What are the age demographics of your town? How many similar businesses are in the area? What
is the talent pool like? Q Cash flow is king. You need a cash flow buffer of five to six
months. Plan ahead. Q Don’t hire too fast. The biggest cash drain is employees who don’t perform. Create performance met- rics. If a person doesn’t work hard, let them go.
music, and of course, [University of Texas] sports. I like the close-knit community in a city,” he says. Not only is Lozeau living in Aus- tin, but he also has his dream job there — as a senior project manager at Apple Inc. To achieve this, he made connections with acquain- tances who could lead him to his fi rst job. He was getting his Master of Business Administration (MBA) at the University of Texas at Austin and approached fellow students for leads. “I spoke with numerous classmates who worked at Apple,” he says. “Our MBA program was a group of about 70 students who had been in class together for three years while
IMAGES: ABOVE, JOHN HARMAN; PREVIOUS SPREAD: SHUTTERSTOCK (FROM TOP, SEAN PAVONE; F11PHOTO; SOLEI; THOMAS KELLEY; HEIN NOUWENS; RASHAD ASHUROV); COLLAGE: RACHEL BARTH
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