Sales Engineer

Northeast
US Army, O-3

Although I began building my resume and speaking to recruiters in December 2011/January 2012, it wasn’t until April 2012 that I really began to search for jobs. I spoke with a fellow officer who had such a good experience with Orion that I sought to partner with them.

Chris Hurst provided an outstanding level of service and commitment to me during my job prep, placement, and even in the aftermath. He separated himself from other recruiters I have dealt with by 1) letting my objectives, preferences, and goals guide him 2) consistently following up on every bit of detail, and 3) returning any question I had with sound advice whether it was directly related to a job search or not. Other recruiters claimed to have my interests at heart, but Chris truly listened to what was important to me and did not give up because I was not an easy placement nor did he try to ‘sell’ me on opportunities I wouldn’t be interested in.

I left the service as an Army Engineer Officer (Captain) serving as my Battalion Engineer Plans Officer. Some of the most transferable skills that not only apply in my current industry, but probably any industry, are the instilled behaviors of discipline, self-motivation, integrity, character, and of course, leadership.

During my 60-day review with my current employer, I was told that the technical details of the job were not really a concern, because those would come with time. It was the positive behaviors that I exhibited that impressed my manager, because, to him, they were a clear indicator of success and performance and traits that could not be taught.

I am currently employed as a Sales Engineer with Nalco in the water treatment and services industry. My experience in managing a portfolio of construction projects is parallel to my current responsibility of managing my client accounts. In both worlds, I am responsible for managing equipment, people, time, and money along a delicate line of expectations, objectives, conflicts, and results.

Orion met all my expectations of a professional military placement firm. They hit on the three aspects that were important to me 1) guide me during the transition phase and show me what is ‘out there’ 2) help me prepare for a civilian job and interview preparation, and 3) put me in front of reputable companies eager to work with young military officers in which I could shine

Orion, mostly though the auspices of Chris, was extremely professional in all matters, dedicated to placing me regardless of my preferences, and maintained communication when others did not. Chris really made a difference by making frequent calls to check in and see how things were going. He also did not put me on the ‘hard to place list’ when the competition did after it was known that I had an extremely limited geographical preference and travel restrictions. Orion’s hiring conferences were much more organized, professional, and brought forth a better quality of employers.