Blog

When I exited the Marine Corps in 2011, I never thought that I would end up working in workforce development and helping veterans find civilian jobs. Now that I am, I couldn’t be happier that this is where I’ve ended up!

After serving, I spent three years earning my Bachelor’s Degree, I took advantage of as many internships, work and volunteer opportunities as I could. When I began my job search the semester before I graduated, I thought that with a Bachelor’s Degree, five years of real-world work experience in the Marines, and the additional experience gained from volunteer work and internships in college, that employers would be eager to give me a mid-level job with a competitive salary. That was not the case.

Instead, I found that most employers didn’t understand how my time in the military had prepared me for the corporate world. I didn’t know how to talk about my military experience in a way that accurately represented all of the valuable skills I could bring to an organization. So, a few weeks before graduating – with no other employment options – I accepted an entry level job, making less than I was after two years of service in the Marines.

I spent 15 months working this job before I discovered the position with the Veterans Forward team at National Able Network, and I immediately applied for it! While I was excited about the position and the work being done here at National Able Network, I will admit that I didn’t realize how truly amazing this team and organization was until after I accepted the position.

After being at Able for almost two months, I have seen how truly capable this team is of helping veterans translate their military service into a language that civilian employers speak and helping them make their career search more efficient and effective. This team is committed to helping veterans find stable employment after serving their country, and I am thrilled to be a part of that mission!

Thank you for your service, Kat!

To learn more about Veterans Forward, please click here or call 312-994-4290.