Developmental Store Manager

Midwest
US Army, O-3

I left the Army as a Captain in the U.S. Army Transportation Corps in March 2008. My final position was Company Commander of Echo Company, 71st Transportation BN at Ft. Eustis, Virginia. I began searching for a job in August 2008.

I first heard about Orion International from fellow Captain and USMA graduate. He used Orion when he left active duty but was activated as a reservist and assigned to Ft. Eustis where I met him. My first encounter with Orion came when I was first preparing for my transition out of the Army. Orion provided me with a resume template, which I used to write my resume before I left the Army. After leaving the Army, I decided to take the summer off before searching for a new career.

Once I went forward with my search, Todd Phillips, my Orion recruiter, made everything easy for me from day one. There was an upcoming conference in my area, and he told me what I needed to do to prepare. Todd made sure he understood what I was looking for and matched my needs with companies at the conference.

During this process I was interviewing with many other companies outside of Orion, but my compatibility with the jobs available was hit or miss. Whenever I attended an Orion conference, though, each one of the companies I met was a great fit. I cannot stress enough what a difference that makes; it was a huge relief to find so many fits with so little effort expended on my part while my other interviewing efforts often led nowhere. Todd had my best interests in mind, and I knew it.

My first conference was a short time after I filled out the Orion application. I already had my resume prepared and had a few interviews under my belt. The first day of the conference was about refreshing interview techniques and learning about the companies at the conference. Orion recruiters do a great job letting you know what the companies are looking for, which is absolutely key in order to sell yourself by relating your strengths to what the company needs.

I had interviews with four companies at the first conference and was fortunate enough to be selected for follow-on interviews with three of them. I would have accepted offers from any one of them, but, unfortunately, none of the companies moved forward with an offer. Todd stayed active throughout the entire process, getting feedback after every interview, and gauging my interest. When it became apparent that I would not receive any offers, Todd started setting me up for the next conference and an additional opportunity to interview with Wal-Mart.

I interviewed with three companies at the second conference, resulting in two follow-on opportunities. One of those yielded an offer with a Fortune 300 company. My interview with Wal-Mart required significant preparation. Fortunately, Orion has an account executive that helps candidates prepare specifically for interviews with Wal-Mart, Michele Zambrano. She has a great success rate with helping candidates get hired by Wal-Mart, and I walked away from the interview with an offer. So in a tough economy, I actually had the luxury of choosing between two great offers!

I am now a Developmental Store Co-Manager with Wal-Mart, the #1 Fortune 500 company. Although I had not considered working in retail before hearing about the Wal-Mart opportunity, it definitely meets all the criteria I was looking for in a new career: I am in a strong management role, there is plenty of opportunity for upward mobility, the company is strong and has a great culture, the compensation is great, and I am working in my location of choice in the Chicago suburbs. Orion clearly and absolutely met all of my needs in searching for a new career. I would recommend them to anyone with military experience.

In my estimation, what sets Orion apart from the competition is their willingness to tailor your career search to your needs. My uncompromising desire to live and work in the Chicago area was unacceptable to other military recruiters. The Orion recruiters also understand exactly how your military service relates to the civilian career search, because they are also former military who once made the same transition you are about to.

If I were to give one piece of advice for interviewing, it would be to prepare plenty of anecdotes to relate to every conceivable question. Preparation really does make a difference, and careful reflection of your military career should provide you with plenty of experiences to relate.