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BY petevanepps

December 5, 2023

Three Keys to Success: Nov 2023 Career Conference (E186)

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), you can practice multiple scenarios in order to prepare for the big event. This is perhaps one of the most important of the three keys to success.

If you listen to this podcast and feel like you need a guide to help you reach your career goals, 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) 874-1519 or email me at pete@cameron-brooks.com – we can have a conversation about your you plans and goals and if Cameron-Brooks is the right guide to help you get there.

Pete