The Hunter for Military Officers - September 2018

U.S. Army Captain Joseph “JT” Thomas recently attended Orion’s March 2018 Chicago Distinguished Candidate Conference and shared his experience with us. JT found Orion through Onward to Opportunity, in Partnership with the Veterans Career Transition Program (O2O-VCTP), Onward to Opportunity is a free career training program that provides professional certification and job placement support to transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses.

JT had never attended an event like an Orion DCC before and was very pleased with the event. “When the event started, the candidates met the entire Orion staff, which I thought was great. It really showcased the talent pool that Orion currently has, with team members ranging from Navy Nuclear Submariners to Army Infantry Officers to Marine Corps Transportation Officers. I really got the feeling that Orion understands my transition, and, furthermore, they were invested in my performance at this event,” recalls JT.

He also found the small group interviewing preparation to be excellent in that it helped calm any nerves he had about a face-to-face interview and allowed for a smoother transition into the next day’s interviews. After lunch, he had the opportunity to meet with all the companies in attendance.

“This was great, because, if you had not been linked with a company, Orion allowed you to attend those companies’ briefs. I sat in on the presentations by companies outside of my South Central area, and I am very glad I did,” explains JT. “It really opened my eyes to interesting opportunities I would not have been interested in had I not participated in this event.”

JT’s favorite part of the event was the Networking Reception. Not only did he meet with all the people he would interview with the next day, but he also felt like the event “humanized” both candidates and interviewers before meeting on Monday.

“I felt as if I was able to create an emotional connection with the interviewer in a near relaxed environment. We didn’t necessarily talk business the entire time, either. I talked to Tiffany about her dogs; and JJ about the upcoming baseball season; and I felt we really hit it off on a personal level prior to the interviews,” says JT, “Interviewing with JJ and Tiffany was great, because I felt less pressure, and, during the interview, it was as if we picked up our conversation where we left off the night prior.”

Having a location preference for the South Central US meant there were not a ton of opportunities at the Midwest DCC, which JT understood. However, thanks to the networking reception and the company briefings, he was able to interview with two additional companies outside of the South Central region. The interviews went well, and he received follow-up interviews with all of the companies with which he had interviewed.

JT appreciated the time and effort invested by Orion in bringing the applicant to the interviewer and highly recommends the event. “It is certainly an experience you will not forget, and, without a doubt, one of the most beneficial things I was able to do in my transition. I have recommended Orion to all of my buddies getting out to the Army, and the DCC is the major reason why.”

We wish the best of luck to JT as he completes his job search. To learn more about Orion's DCCs, please visit us online.

Orion Alum Featured in Diversity in Action Magazine

Orion is proud to partner with Diversity in Action, a digital and print magazine dedicated to supporting and promoting diversity in science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math. Recently, Diversity in Action profiled one of our alumni, Antwan Richardson, a Navy Veteran, who shared his experiences starting as an enlisted Electronic Warfare Technician, his acceptance into the U.S. Naval Academy, and his current career at Eversource Energy.

After Richardson enlisted in the Navy and completed boot camp, he went to A School, where he trained as an Electronic Warfare Technician. From there, Richardson worked on the USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) in Japan, working with radars and studying how to defend against other countries’ anti-ship missiles.

While still working aboard the USS Chancellorsville, Richardson was selected to attend the U.S. Naval Academy Preparatory School (NAPS) in Newport, RI, an intense ten-month program focused on academics and military components such as formations, uniform inspections, and training. For Richardson, this change of pace was challenging. “I had been out of high school for three years at that point, not worrying about calculus or algebra or physics or chemistry or anything like that,” Richardson said.

After successfully completing NAPS, Richardson entered the U.S. Naval Academy as a midshipman, majoring in History. Even as a humanities major, he was still required to take a number of science and mathematics classes, which served him well in the rest of his military career, first as a main propulsion officer on the USS Laboon (DDG 58), managing the engineering department aboard the USS Mustin (DDG 89), and finally managing shipboard maintenance and modernization projects at a naval ship repair facility in Yokosuka, Japan.

When transitioning from the Navy in 2014, Richardson reached out to Orion for help in finding a career and accepted an offer with an energy company, where he worked for about a year and a half. When he was ready to find a new career, he again enlisted the help of Orion. He attended one of Orion’s Distinguished Candidate Hiring Conferences, where he interviewed with Eversource Energy. Shortly thereafter, he accepted a position with the company.

Today, Richardson works as a Substation Operations Supervisor. He is responsible for supervising staff and work crews in the execution of processes to operate, maintain, restore, and construct the Eversource transmission and distribution systems. Richardson’s experiences and studies during his Navy service have greatly helped him in his career with Eversource Energy.

Read the full profile here, and visit Diversity in Action to learn more.

WEBINAR: Boost Your Personal Brand and Grow Your Business on LinkedIn

With more than 560 million users worldwide, LinkedIn is an essential tool for students, job seekers, recruiters and business professionals. Whether you’re searching for your next career opportunity or looking to create connections with thought-leaders or people in your industry, It’s important that your profile shows your passion for what you’re currently doing and where you want to go.

The Jack Welch Management Institute (JWMI) recently hosted a webinar “How to Boost Your Personal Brand on LinkedIn,” presented by Daniel D’Andrea, Senior Account Executive of Marketing Solutions at LinkedIn. In this webinar, D’Andrea provides actionable advice on how to network and grow your business on LinkedIn. Key takeaways include:

Keep it Professional
In many cases, your online presence serves as a “first impression.” It’s important to portray yourself as a professional by steering clear of anything that is too personal, political or religious. Every comment, like or share you make on LinkedIn can be seen by future employers or people you’d like to network with so be mindful of the message you are sending.

Build a Great Profile
First and foremost, a professional profile picture is a necessity. Profiles with photos get 11 times more views than those without. If you don’t have a headshot, have a friend take a photo of you in professional attire. Leave the selfies and group photos for another social network. Second, write an attention grabbing headline. Your headline is populated with your current job title and company name by default, but a thoughtfully crafted one can help you stand out from the crowd. Lastly, make sure your profile includes a compelling summary. While many LinkedIn users neglect this feature, profiles with a summary get 10 times more views than those without. Don’t use this space to rehash the bullet points on your resume. Instead, focus on career accomplishments and aspirations, using keywords that highlight your top skills.

Master the Art of Networking
Whether you are trying to find a job, grow your reach, explore and share content, or recruit talent, LinkedIn is a one-stop shop for all business networking. Sharing content and participating in conversation can position you as a thought leader and connect you with other like-minded professionals. When connecting with others on LinkedIn, craft a personal message and be concise in your ask. Tell them who you are, how you came across their profile and how they can help you. People will appreciate that more than the standard "Join my network on LinkedIn" message.

Check out the webinar here, and learn more about leveraging LinkedIn to maximize your personal brand and expand your business. Visit us online to learn more about earning your online MBA through the Jack Welch Management Institute.

Candidate Code of Conduct

At Orion Talent, we are grateful to have found careers for 44,000 Veterans since 1991 and are proud to represent the highest caliber of military candidates. Professional behavior, trust, ethics and effective communication are the foundation on which a successful job search, interviews, and subsequent employment contracts are built. We pledge to treat you with integrity, professionalism, and to communicate with you in a forthright manner, and ask the same from you in return, so that we can best assist you with your career search.

There has been an alarming increase in candidates not acting professionally or ethically - not returning phone calls, showing up late or not showing up at all for scheduled interviews, not being forthright about their professional background and experience, not acting professionally in an interview, or accepting an offer and then withdrawing or not showing up for the first day of work. This behavior is creating an unstable recruiting environment that not only affects hiring companies, but also current and future opportunities for our candidates - you, and fellow Veterans.

In an effort to best assist you with your career search we respectfully ask that you commit yourself to the following Code of Conduct:

Return phone calls, emails or texts in a timely and professional manner
Arrive at all scheduled interviews on time and dressed professionally
Set aside time for interview preparation and arrive to interviews as prepared as possible
Respond to offers of interviews or offers of employment in a timely manner
Honor your commitment once you have formally accepted an offer
Show up at your assigned place of duty after accepting an offer

Failure to follow our Code of Conduct may result in the following:

Damage to your reputation, that of other military candidates, and Veteran hiring in general.
Your behavior will be noted in the interviewing company's applicant tracking system as well as Orion's. Your ability to interview with that company will be lost in the future.
Preclude you from further utilizing the services of Orion Talent.

Our ultimate goal is to provide you with the best career search experience possible, but this is a partnership and requires a mutual commitment. By committing to engage with Orion and utilize our services within your job search, you affirm that you have read and agree to abide by the Orion Talent Code of Conduct. Please contact Todd Phillips if you have any questions, and thank you for trusting your career search to Orion Talent!

Exclusive Opportunities Through Orion

Each of these companies are specifically seeking Military Professionals and Veterans for open career opportunities. Click on the logo to learn more about each company and positions for which we are currently hiring.

To learn more about these careers and see even more opportunities, please visit our Featured Jobs page.

According to Your Peers

Career Success with Orion

Check out the careers of some of our newest alumni:

Podcast Series for Job Seekers

Have you tuned in to From the Battlefield to the Boardroom, our podcast series dedicated to supporting military job seekers? We have a variety of episodes covering everything from the civilian transition process to valuable insights and guidance from other Veterans and business leaders.

We've recently added new podcasts, including:

48. Career Opportunities for Veterans in the Oil & Gas Industry

47. Dream Job: Veteran Makes a Positive Impact with PPL

46. Marine Corps Veteran Launches Career in Sales

45. Unilever Provides Careers with Purpose for Veterans

44. Careers in Field Service for Veterans

43. The Military Guide: Financial Independence, Part 2

42. The Military Guide: Financial Independence, Part 1

Visit us online to listen to all the episodes! You can subscribe via your favorite podcast platform or RSS feed, to automatically receive new episodes as they are released.

We'd love to feature your questions in our upcoming episodes. If you have any questions you'd like to hear us answer, click below to email us!

Upcoming Hiring Conferences

If you will be separating from the military and preparing to begin your civilian career within the next 90 days, be sure to attend one of our hiring conferences. After a full day of preparation, you'll interview with hiring managers for only those positions that are a match with your needs and preferences.

Northeast

Philadelphia, PA August 27 - 28 (Distinguished Candidate Conference) - Contact Chris Hurst, 757-998-8524, for more information.

South Central

Dallas, TX September 9 - 10 - Contact Bob Berkholz, 737-209-3362, for more information.

Midwest

Chicago, IL September 9 - 10 - Contact Bob Berkholz, 737-209-3362, for more informaton.

Southeast

Atlanta, GA August 27 - 28 - Contact Samantha McRimmon, 984-208-3969, for more information.

Western

San Diego, CA August 26 - 27 - Contact Jay Koranda, (858) 267-4233, for more information.

Seattle, WA September 13 - 14 - Contact Jay Koranda, (858) 267-4233, for more information.

Virtual

September 19 - 21 - Contact Chris Hurst, 757-998-8524, for more information.

Join the Orion Team

Account Executive Careers with Orion

Orion Talent is currently seeking transitioning or former military officers with a strong record of achievement to join our Sales Team as an Account Executive. We are hiring for our Cincinnati, OH; Cary, NC; San Diego, CA; and Virginia Beach, VA offices.

As an Account Executive, you will be responsible for identifying and working closely with America's leading companies in order for them to hire transitioning military veterans and develop smarter hiring programs. Average total first year income for Account Executives is $80K+, with a goal of $100K+ in your second year and beyond.

To qualify, you should have military experience, a Bachelors degree, and a desire to succeed in sales. You do not need prior sales experience, as we will provide you the training, tools and resources needed to succeed.

Visit our Account Executive Careers with Orion Talent page to learn more about working at Orion, including a video, podcast, and webinar on our Account Executive positions.

Once you are ready to apply, the next step is to complete an online sales assessment.

If you're looking for a quick way to introduce yourself, please send an email that includes your resume to our Senior Vice President of Operations, Brian Henry.

National Distinguished Candidate Conferences: August 27 - 28 in Philadelphia, PA; October 8 - 9 in Atlanta, GA; October 8 - 9 in San Diego, CA

Orion Talent's next National Distinguished Candidate Conferences will be held on August 27 - 28 in Philadelphia, PA; October 8 - 9 in Atlanta, GA; and October 8 - 9 in San Diego, CA. There will be positions available nationwide, with a focus on Engineering, Sales, Leadership Development, and Operations Management. Orion carefully selects candidates for our DCCs that exemplify the best Orion has to offer our client companies. Additionally, candidates should be available to start working within the next four months and be geographically flexible.

Shane Serafin, a former Navy Lieutenant and USNA graduate who found his career through a recent Orion DCC, explains why he feels the event was such a success: "An Orion Distinguished Candidate Conference is something that you don't want to miss. It is a golden opportunity to meet with several prospective employers all at once, all of them very high quality. And Orion prepares you well. I particularly liked the interview prep session during this conference. It helped me to tweak a few of my responses in a manner that paid major dividends during the interviews!"

Orion Talent only holds a few DCCs each year. Click here to be considered for an upcoming Orion DCC hiring conference.

Career Transition Planning and Base Visits

When our Recruiters visit a location near you, it's a chance to get a jump start on your career search, regardless of your ETS date. Our Recruiters will discuss your goals and preferences with you and present a realistic picture of what to expect in your search. You'll get resume advice, interview preparation tips, and much more! Click here or on any of the base visits to receive more information about the base visit you are interested in attending. You can also fill out this base visit form for more info.

Camp Lejeune/New River - August 22
Fort Carson (Virtual) - August 24
MCAS Cherry Point - August 24
Bremerton - August 30
JB Lewis-McChord - August 31
Fort Hood - September 7
Camp Lejeune/New River - September 12
Kings Bay - September 13
MCAS Beaufort - September 14
MCAS Cherry Point - September 14
Fort Campbell - September 19
Camp Lejeune/Cherry Point - September 26
Kings Bay - September 27
Fort Sill/Tinker/Vance (Virtual) - September 28

Earn $100 for Every Referral that Finds their Career through Orion

Did you know that Orion candidates have earned $30,900 in referral bonuses in 2018?

For every job seeker you refer to us who is subsequently hired through Orion, we will give you a $100 gift card to a retailer of your choice!

It's simple - just click here to refer a friend. 30 seconds of your time could be $100 in your pocket!

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Connect with Orion Online

Follow us to keep up-to-date on all things Orion, including hiring events, base visits, webinars, and news pertinent to veterans through our social media listed below.