Lost (and Found) in Transition: A Student Veteran Perspective
This article was originally published in the Colorado Business Review, Volume 86 Issue 4 on October 22, 2020. Read the full issue here.
When it comes time for us veterans to transition into the civilian world, or even just to start to engage with it through social media such as LinkedIn, it can be very challenging to translate the whole of our careers into plain civilian “speak.” And after five years as a Personnel Officer in the United States Air Force, I’ve seen and done more than I could have ever imagined.
The challenges and joys of service
There have been great highs and challenging lows — like celebrating Christmas morning with my family via FaceTime or adding the “D” word (depression) to my vocabulary for the first time after a one-year tour of duty in South Korea (shoutout to my counselor, Pat). There have also been triumphs, like when my team that ran the entire base’s deployment readiness was recognized as best in the USAF that year. There have even been big laughs, like when I called a few thousand Airmen to their feet on accident (this call is reserved for the moment when the commanding officer walks in the room). Or the time my ukulele-led Christmas Carols brought tears to the eyes of a group of generals’ wives judging our unit’s holiday spirit. Even amidst the fun and not-so-fun, I’ve always had more responsibility than what I thought I could handle. Some things were core to my field, like the whirlwind of an experience it was to lead a 34-person human resources (HR) team that supported 5,000 troops. And some were not so “core,” like spearheading multiple large-scale base projects or the time I escorted staffers from the House Armed Services Committee all around South Korea. Or when I was the main liaison between a U.S. joint headquarters and the South Korean Ministry of Defense in order to break down cultural barriers and strengthen the strategic alliance between the two. I have learned and grown so much over the years, but I still struggle to believe that these experiences are valuable or that they successfully translate to the civilian world.
Insert [University fo Colorado — Boulder]
It was the Fall of 2019 when I arrived in Boulder to start an MBA at the Leeds School of Business. I was both excited and nervous to meet the rest of my cohort. “What experience did I really bring?” my inner voice whispered to me. The imposter syndrome was real. As I continued to give my “pitch” and meet new colleagues, I became increasingly frustrated at the military-to-civilian translation challenge. So much so that despite all of the amazing experiences I’ve had, I found myself describing the whole of my career in a rather lackluster way, some sort of professional white flag: “I’m Zach. I… work in HR… for the Air Force.” At that point, my own self-doubts may have won the battle, but not the war.
After one year here at Leeds, my original orientation anxiety ended up being outweighed by the vibrant support system and community that has surrounded me. Even more so, there are supportive veterans scattered throughout the faculty, student body, and the overall Colorado business ecosystem. Originally, I came back to school to build out my analytical toolkit, increase business literacy, and learn to think more strategically about complex problems. And don’t get me wrong, those things are happening. But as it turns out, the most impactful growth has been finding a place where I could debunk the self-imposed myth that my military experiences were somehow sub-par. I recall a powerful moment when one of my professors, a veteran himself who has had various successful careers in law and beyond, boldly told a fellow classmate of mine, a veteran and former U.S. Army Ranger, that “… there is absolutely no room for you here to discount your military experience. Not in my classroom. And not anywhere.” And to that end, I’ve realized that so much of what I call “resume shavings” are exactly what bring so much value and perspective to my teams. And thanks to the inclusive culture here at CU, I’ve been able to proceed with confidence as I engage daily with the world beyond the uniform.
Onward!
To my fellow veterans thinking about, or in the process of, entering the civilian world: It’s nerve-racking, I know. School is a great place to start. It’s a place where you can really unpack the total grab-bag of experiences that have made the greatest impact on you and the world around you. It’s a place to find what exactly you are passionate about. What has it been for me? I’ve learned that my passion for people receives a warm welcome in the world of business. I’ve never been so excited about my professional future. To quote the late father of “disruptive innovation” and Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen, who describes Management in a way that we veterans know well, Management is “the most noble of professions if it’s practiced well… No other occupation offers as many ways to help others learn and grow, take responsibility and be recognized for achievement, and contribute to the success of a team.”
My name is Zach, and I work in HR for the Air Force. :)
