Atlanta MBA Association’s panel on veteran transition to civilian life
Members of our armed services are truly heroes in this country, people willing to go out and put their lives on the line to protect civilians’ freedoms. Sadly, a large number of Veterans will leave the military without the tools to transition into civilian life. On Thursday, November 7th, the Atlanta chapter of the “National Black MBA Association” will hold a panel discussing ways our brothers and sisters in arms could transition back into civilian life and give the expirations on a multitude of subjects like resumé building, networking to how to handle an interview.
Nikki Glanton moderated the panel. Ms. Glanton is an army veteran who was deployed after the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers. Ms. Glanton was able to lead a dialogue between her and three amazing panelists: Erica J. Bolden, the head of diversity, equity, inclusion, and people at Mercedes Benz; Chris Gilbert, a veteran and president of Veteran Technology Solutions; and Neil Williams, the general manager of Talent Acquisition at Delta.
At the beginning of the panel, Neil Williams would discuss what veterans should expect when interviewing with a recruiter. Mr. Williams would explain the best way to ask for a particular salary and how your resumé should be written. Mr. Gilbert would chime in and explain the background behind his business, “Veteran technology solutions,” and what they look for in an employee, allowing veterans transitioning to civilian life to get an inside look into the brains of those in the corporate world. He would also explain how skills gained in the military can carry over to corporate. Ms. Bolden would speak on her experience as the head of diversity, equity, and inclusion, the importance of having veterans in the corporate world, and their unique perspectives.
After the panel ended, attendees had the chance to attend breakout sessions, where they could discuss the panel and how they could apply its advice to their lives. Attendees would leave this panel with a better understanding of how their military skills could be used as an advantage in the corporate world. By supporting events like these, we don’t just honor our veterans for service but for the strength they can bring to the community.
This story is part of the Digital Equity Local Voices Fellowship Lab. The Lab initiative is made possible with support from Comcast NBCUniversal.
