Sales Account Manager

West
US Navy, O-3

I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in May 1996 with a BA in political science. A couple of months later I started Navy OCS in Pensacola, Florida. After earning my commission, I started flight school and earned my wings approximately a year and a half later. I spent 11 years in the Navy, all as a naval aviator, and got out of the service as a senior O-3. I was offered voluntary separation pay but didn't decide to take it until the last minute. Thus, my departure from the Navy was somewhat sudden, as well as being in the middle of a deployment. As a result, I didn't even begin searching for a new job until I was a civilian.

I'd heard of Orion, as well as many of its competitors, from friends who had separated from the service, and was interested in seeing what they were all about. I went to a grand total of one job fair, and luckily for me Orion had a table at the event. I dropped off a resume after talking to them for a while and went on my way. I don't remember who the initial POC was, but I was soon contacted by JP Sniffen from the San Diego office and scheduled for the upcoming hiring conference in La Jolla.

I also went to a hiring conference with one of Orion's competitors, and the differences were huge! They were poorly organized, not nearly as professional, and offered only two interviews, one of which was literally a last minute add-on. After their event, there was only a single three-minute follow-up phone call. I was told that one of the two companies was interested, and I never heard from them again. Through it all, I got the impression that they were a 'used car salesman' type outfit, and they did not impress me at all.

Orion's team prepared me well for the interview day and hooked me up with six interviews. Thanks in large part to their preparation; I did extremely well in the interviews. Four of the six companies I talked to expressed interest in following up. I flew to the Bay Area to do two follow-ups, and both companies made offers soon thereafter. The whole process from initial contact with Orion to the offers took approximately two months.

Throughout the process, the San Diego Orion team was courteous, professional, and attentive to my concerns. I really had no idea what I wanted to do with my life after spending so long in the Navy, but I was excited about the options presented to me. I ended up going with Hilti because of the quality of the people I met during the hiring process and research I conducted. They are also very open to my participation in the SELRES, or Navy Selected Reserves, where I plan to continue serving our country on a part-time basis. Thanks, Orion!