Assistant Director of Operations

West
US Navy, O-5

After serving in the U.S. Navy for 22 years, I retired as a Commander in 1999. I started job searching three months before retirement. For the six years following my retirement, I worked in engineering or manufacturing for a few companies. I began my most recent career search two years into my last job because of the poor compensation growth and over 80% travel.

I had been looking for a position for well over two years when I involved Orion International. I knew of Orion through my pre-retirement Transition Assistant Program (TAP). I had search agents with six different internet sites, had worked with recruiters from more than a dozen large and small firms, and had also worked with "career management" firms. None of those outfits gave me the service or satisfaction that I got in only two months with Orion.

I had three of Orion’s fine recruiters and account executives working with me on two different positions that they identified as a good fit for me within a few weeks of each other. Orion has three aggressive, talented, perceptive, and caring employees in JP Sniffen, Matt Doty, and Brian Smith. Their communication with me, with the companies involved, and among themselves was superb as we navigated the final stages of securing simultaneous offers.

Through the efforts of JP and Matt, I was very well-prepared for the rigorous "top level" interviewing process required by a Fortune 500, "Top 100 Companies to Work For" real estate management company. Orion’s coordination with the company's recruiter and hiring decision makers and their wise advice to me ensured that the interviews went off without a hitch. Their post-interview follow-up secured my position as the preferred candidate and paved the way for the follow-on interviews with the higher-level facility and regional managers. They were instrumental in my getting the verbal job offer a week after the last interviews.

Almost at the same time, through the hands-on efforts of Brian, I was very well-prepared for my interviews with the upper management and executive leadership of a small, publicly traded, medical device manufacturer not 20 miles from my home in Los Angeles. Brian's communication with both me and the company's VP of Operations was nothing short of exceptional - beyond my highest expectations. In fact, during the end-game compensation negotiations, he secured an additional $15K in salary for me after he discovered a mistake in the company's initial offer letter that I had already decided to accept as it was! Talk about going the extra mile!

So, after my hiring process, which included initial interviews with each of Orion's recruiters, completion of the Orion application, and then working together through frequent contact during the position identification, interviews, and offers, I opted for the Assistant Director of Operations position at North American Scientific. It is exactly the type of job I was looking for - a talented and enthusiastic leadership team, great benefits, close to home, and enormous potential for both company and personal growth. I couldn't have asked for better.