Service Manager

West
US Marine Corps, O-4

The last position I held was as a logistics officer in the USMC when I was activated after “9-11”. I achieved a final rank of Major before my activation was concluded in December 1999. I went into the Reserves at that point and resigned my commission in 2003. I began utilizing Orion’s services when I was laid off from my last employer in March 2009.

Words alone cannot describe the level of professionalism that JP Sniffen exhibited throughout this long process. Unlike many candidates that are seeking a new opportunity while either still on active duty or still working somewhere else, I was laid off and absolutely NEEDED to find a job. JP filled the role of a “sounding board,” allowing me to vent, as well as share personal frustrations and fears. He always gave me sound advice and told me what I “needed” to hear rather than what I may have “wanted” to hear.

Initially there was the phone screen with JP, where, through a normal discussion, he was able to gain some understanding about me, my background, experiences, strengths, weaknesses, and goals. He then shared with me information about companies that were looking for people or that would be attending the next local conference. I then did my own independent research on these companies in order to gain some more insight, discussed with JP which opportunities may be mutually beneficial, and attended the conferences.

Upon exiting my initial interview with McNeilus at the Orion hiring conference, I immediately realized that the requirements of this position were a perfect mix of both my military background, as well as my experience in the civilian sector. My first job in the USMC was as a Maintenance Management Officer for an infantry battalion. I was responsible for the maintenance and overall readiness of the battalions assets; whereas the Service Manager position is basically the same. I was extended the offer at McNeilus based “primarily” based on my military experiences. A secondary selling point for them was my sales experience acquired after my departure from the military over the last several years.

I think the most important thing a candidate needs to possess as they begin a job search is flexibility. They need to be flexible as they are presented with opportunities; they need to be prepared to take the blinders off and consider new and different opportunities, possibly in a field that they never imagined themselves going into.

The job market is way too competitive right now with way too much incredible talent for companies to choose from. It’s like that high school all-American who goes off to college and is suddenly surrounded by nothing but a bunch of other all-American athletes. You also need to be extremely patient. When I got laid off, everyone said, “Oh, don’t worry, you’re talented and someone will hire you soon.”

Lastly, be proactive. Outside of working with Orion, I worked with a couple of other recruiters and applied for jobs on no less than five different online job sites, getting up every morning by 7:00-7:30 and spending hours each day combing through the various job sites, scheduling interviews, and sending out follow-up letters.

In summary, here are some figures to remember:

Be patient – it took me 17 weeks before I received and accepted an offer
Be flexible – I interviewed with 13 different companies from various industries
Be proactive – I participated in a total of 27 interviews (combo of face-to-face & telephone)

I have worked with other recruiters in past job searches, and a couple of other ones during this recent search, as well. I can personally say that “hands down” there is no competitor out there that even comes close enough to earn the title of “competition”. Orion’s professionalism, resources, company client base, network of locations, etc., places them well in the lead of any other recruiter that I’ve ever worked with. Bottom-line, when all was said and done, the company that finally extended me an offer was the company that Orion had initially introduced me to and assisted me with throughout the entire process!