Moving from Military Service to Executive Leadership

Jennifer proudly served for ten years as a U.S. Air Force foreign language analyst before transitioning to 15 years of service with the Department of Defense. After taking early retirement, she felt a strong urge to take her career in a new direction, serving at the community level. But the transition wasn’t easy. Despite her strong experience, Jennifer’s network was confined to the intelligence community. As a result, her applications failed to rise above those of other job seekers.

Jennifer discovered Easterseals’ Veteran Staffing Network (VSN) while searching for employment support tailored to veterans. Her career coach quickly recognized her strong leadership abilities and customized their sessions to provide targeted feedback on competitive roles and career levels where she could thrive. Her coach emphasized the growing value employers and recruiters place on AI literacy. He worked with Jennifer to help her clearly articulate both the skills she already possessed and those she aspired to apply in future roles.

Through VSN, Jennifer gained a deeper understanding of her strengths in executive leadership and program management. With this newfound clarity, she was ultimately able to secure a job as Chief of Staff to a CEO. 

“I’m so grateful for the support from my career coach at the VSN,” she says. “His insight helped me align my leadership skills with the right roles and introduced me to a tool that [helped me define] my career goals.”