Why are you Leaving the Military?

Why are you leaving the military? This single question is typically the most frequently asked question of all junior military officers who choose to leave active duty and pursue a business career. Many JMOs will answer this question dozens of times prior to ever sitting in front of his or her first corporate recruiter in an interview. The question will come from a wide variety of sources: commanders, enlisted members, peers and family. Often, JMOs develop different answers to this question based on different emotions that may include guilt or regret. To a highly-respected senior commander who already faced this point and decided to stay in for 30 years, a JMO develops one answer. There may be a slightly different response to a soldier who reenlisted largely due to the influence of the officer. To a parent who questions why get out in this economy, or a spouse who is concerned about “stability,” there are other responses. All of these answers may be delivered numerous times before the occasion of the first corporate interview when a recruiter asks, “Why are you leaving the military?”

As a JMO recruiter (aka JMO headhunter) for Cameron-Brooks, I have heard hundreds of answers that include frustration with multiple deployments, time away from home, and lack of pay and promotion based on performance. I understand these frustrations, but are they really reason to leave the military? I am sure JMOs recognize these will be part of their military career before they come on active duty. These same frustrations were true when I was an Infantry officer many years ago, and will be true for many years to come. To a JMO reading this I ask, did you leave college because you were tired of pulling all-nighters to get papers turned in on time, and challenging professors who gave exams unrelated to their lectures? Or, was it simply because you graduated and ended that phase of your life?
I encourage candidates applying for leadership positions in Corporate America to take time to consider the underlying question-behind-the-question: “Given your obvious success in the military, why have you decided to apply your leadership in Corporate America?” I doubt it will ever be phrased this way, though I expect this is what the recruiter really wants to know. While there is no “right way” or “approved solution” to answering this question, I do want to offer an approach.

“I have set many goals in my life. I wanted to graduate from high school with a strong enough track record to get into the college of my choice. After graduating college I wanted to serve my country on active duty in the military.  It was an important phase in my life. Now that I have completed my service, I want to find a career where I can use as many of the skills I have developed as possible. I have set my goal to come to Corporate America after weighing different career choices. I want a career in business because…”

An answer using this approach is focused on the future versus the past. It is filled with hopes and goals and dreams; not regrets and guilt. Before interviewing with a company recruiter, develop a well thought out answer to why you are leaving the military that is true to you and reflects your goals for the future. As Roger Cameron says in his guide book to JMOs, PCS to Corporate America, “Use my thoughts not my words” in finding your own unique answer.

Steve Sosland

Corporate Applications – Be Thorough and Accurate

Prior to interviewing junior military officers wanting to transition to corporate America, I review their application to partner with my firm, Cameron-Brooks, for their potential transtion. I review the entire application, including background information (military, education and personal) and goals. I study the application and use 100% of the information to develop the best advice in forming my strategy to help the ex-military officer reach long-range career goals. Approximately 10-15% of the time, I can accept the officer into our Development and Preparation Program©. I accept them when I know their goals are aligned with our companies and they have the proven track record of success our companies desire. The bar is very high. I am excited when I see a thorough application and disappointed when I see an incomplete or inaccurate application. Here are some tips on filling out an application.

1. Put forth the effort. I strongly encourage a JMO filling out any application to remember the effort placed in applying to their college or service academy where they were accepted. This was a four-year goal. Place as much effort into corporate applications. Your application is a reflection of your attitude and you as a person.

2. Put yourself into the role. When filling out an application, you are connecting your background with the company or position for which you are applying. You need to imagine yourself in the role when answering the questions. For example, the Cameron-Brooks application asks for hobbies. When filling out this portion, you would be wise to put those hobbies first that connect best to being a future business leader. Hobbies that I have seen recently that connect are reading, repairing cars (hands on and mechanical aptitude), investing, running marathons (competitive nature), volunteer leader for United Way Big Brothers (leadership and well-rounded). I think it’s good to list all of your hobbies, but list the most relevant first.

3. Provide as much information as possible – fill out the spaces in full. Every question on an application has a purpose even if you do not understand the reason for the question. Therefore, answer the question and fill out as much as possible. For example, our application asks for high school and college activities, and we provide a large block for that answer. Quite frequently, I see just a few activities listed. Yet, when I ask the person if that’s all they did during that time, they then provide me with more information. The JMO candidate didn’t fill it out all the way because they didn’t think I would have use for it. In reality, Cameron-Brooks client companies use the “whole person” concept to evaluate their future leaders so these answers are very valuable to us and our clients.

4. Ensure the application is accurate and complete – no misleading or false information. Inaccurate and incomplete applications will prevent you from reaching your desired goals. Yesterday, I ruled out a potentially high caliber applicant for an inaccurate application. How can I be confident this person will not deliver an inaccurate report to a company? We need leaders of the highest integrity in business. At Cameron-Brooks, we are doing our part to fix the issues that have caused many of the problems we are facing. Treat your application to a recruiter or headhunter with the same degree of seriousness as any report in the military. It will help you reach your goals.

5. Proofread the application. I often see applications with misspelled and missing words. This indicates one of two things, neither of which you want to indicate on an application. One is lack of detail orientation. This goes back to the previous point. The second is lack of intellect. You don’t want to in any way communicate this. Companies want leaders who are smart.

Remember, applications are your critical first impression. Put forth the effort, put yourself in the role, provide as much information as possible, ensure the application is accurate and complete and proofread the application. To learn more, refer to chapter two “The Crucial First Impression” of PCS to Corporate America, 3rd Edition.

Steve Sosland