Project Manager

West
US Navy, O-3

I finished as a Nuclear Surface Warfare Officer in the Navy at the rank of Lieutenant (O-3) and separated officially June 30. I started working with recruiters on a preparatory basis almost a year ago. However, I didn't get serious about my search (i.e. actual interviews) until the Orion International hiring conference in Seattle in early May. My older brother, Adrian, was job searching at the same time, and he recommended I come to the conference. Bill Fitzgerald helped get me in somewhat last minute. I really enjoyed working with Bill. The Orion whole team was great, especially JP Sniffen. Bill and I have similar military backgrounds, so I was very comfortable working with them.

I attempted to work with another well-known recruiter and felt like I was constantly being pressured into jobs I was not interested in, particularly sales. I felt like they had no interest in finding me the job that I wanted. My experience with Orion was quite the opposite. I felt no pressure. Everyone was as excited about finding me the perfect job as I was.

At the hiring conference I attended, I really enjoyed my interview with PSF Mechanical. The next day, Bill let me know that they were very interested in me, and we set up a second interview for later in the week. My second interview went well, and a week after that I accepted a very generous offer as a project manager. This job is pretty much exactly what I was hoping for when I started looking.

In the meantime, I had another second interview and offer to consider. Throughout the process, I had almost daily conversations with the team on the status of various companies' interest in me as a future employee, what to expect in second interviews, how to negotiate salaries, and help weighing the pros and cons of each potential employer. I found it to be a dynamic process and felt supported every step of the way.

I recommend Orion to my peers all the time. Thanks, Orion, for taking the stress out of my transition. What could have been an incredibly nerve-wracking experience turned out to be exciting and fun. I am now sitting pretty with a month of freedom, relaxing with the confidence of having a good job waiting for me in August. I feel like the company I will be working for is as excited about me as I am about them. I really couldn't be happier.