Maintenance Advisor (Management)
West
US Navy, E-7
I retired from the Navy on October 31, 2007, but began doing some career research around July 2006. My last deployment was aboard the USS Boxer, from which I returned in March 2007. After that, I really began to get my plans together for retirement/new career options. I knew of Orion International through a RETAP course, but I came to use them when I was reminded of their services by a friend and decided to check them out.
At Orion, Katrina Ross and JP Sniffen gave me sound advice on reformatting my resume, as well as with hints/tips for the interview process. Any questions or concerns I had seemed to be priority to Katrina and JP. They responded quickly and were extremely helpful.
My career search process through Orion consisted of signing up online for an Orion hiring conference. I noticed there was a hiring conference in three days, so I had to act quickly. Katrina assisted me the entire time. I attended the San Diego conference and participated in several interviews that Orion had suggested for me. I also interviewed with a few companies that I chose from the overview of those attending. It was an outstanding forum at which I met various Fortune 500 companies in one location.
After the conference, I received several calls for a second interview, as well as for onsite visits. These led to several offers. I will begin my new career in December as a Maintenance Advisor (Management) with QTG. It's a great position and is such a great opportunity that I may just stay until retirement.
When I was sending my resume out on my own, I really wasn't getting much feedback from HR representatives. However, Orion's services allowed me to quickly interact with some terrific companies. What impressed me the most about Orion is the professionalism of their services and personnel. I particularly like the fact that the companies working with Orion are supporters of the military. These companies are looking for leadership, professionalism, and the same ethics that we had while serving in the military.
I would definitely recommend Orion's services. What do you have to lose? They are there to help you and make your transition smooth. Plus, it's free. The entire process made my transition from the military to the civilian world a little less stressful. The entire staff at Orion is behind you and supports you along the way. I would definitely recommend Orion and would use their services again. I want to thank everyone at Orion!