Veterans In Technology
The ISM Way
By Joseph Laudon
Hi! My name is Joseph Laudon…
I am a technical consultant and member of the marketing team here at ISM and proudly served our country in the US Navy. When I first transitioned out of the military one of the biggest struggles I faced was finding an organization that not only understood the value that veterans/mil-spouses bring to an organization but also stood by their commitment to hire, support, and retain them as well. When I heard from a fellow Navy veteran and close friend who is also a fellow ISMer Mike Anderson about ISM and their incredible amount of military influence I knew I had found what I had been looking for.
I have spent the last 3 years advocating and assisting in veteran, military spouse, and transitioning service member employment training and hiring efforts, and in my opinion, being veteran/mil-spouse friendly is not enough. Having veterans/mil-spouses in leadership positions that drive decision making proves an organization’s commitment to hiring and most importantly retaining veterans and mil-spouses. The ISM family includes 70+ veterans and 20+ employees with close military relationships and I have the absolute honor of sharing my interview with a few of them in the dialogue below.
1.)In what branch did you serve?
U.S. Army Reserves
2.) In terms of culture, what do you think the military can teach commercial and federal companies?
- “Teamwork”
- “Focus on the mission (goal)”
- “Discipline (Process)”
- “Chain of command”
- “Pride in your unit (Team)”
3.) In terms of leadership, what do you think the military can teach commercial and federal companies?
- “Focus on Mission,”
- “Goals, objectives, and the program (not just projects) to achieve them.”
- “Must have a well defined and communicated strategy that is properly resourced and funded and “stay the course”.”
- “There are no “easy buttons” – everything takes planning and hard work.”
4.) What advice do you have for an active duty service member who is approaching their transition out of the military in terms of how to have a career success post-military?
“As quickly as possible, look at the commercial or federal opportunity through that business type of lenses, and not the military lenses. The person must take their experiences, expertise, and lessons learned while in the military and apply them to the new opportunity, using commercial or federal terminology and organizational governance, as best they can. Many people in hiring positions never served so they do not appreciate how military experience translates to commercial/federal requirements.”
5.) What advice do you have for veterans/mil spouses who are pursuing a career in the tech industry?
“Depending upon their background, they may pick up IT processes quicker than technical skills. Potentially, they could start in an Analyst (BPC) role and then get ServiceNow skills to be a strong contributor to the team.”
6.) Why ISM? In your opinion what makes ISM special?
“What makes ISM special? Our history of transforming ourselves over the last 30 years, gaining unique experiences and expertise to be able to address any challenge or objective our clients might have. Also, our culture, of focusing on our people as our #1 asset, who in turn work as a solid, passionate team to deliver the highest quality services with impeccable integrity.”
1.)In what branch did you serve?
Army
2.) In terms of culture, what do you think the military can teach commercial and federal companies?
“Culture starts from up down and down up.”
3.) In terms of leadership, what do you think the military can teach commercial and federal companies?
“Take care of your people and they will stay.”
4.) What advice do you have for an active duty service member who is approaching their transition out of the military in terms of how to have a career success post-military?
- “Don’t worry about trying to map it all out”
- “Give it all you got”
- “Ask lots of questions”
- “Be willing to grow”
- “Be confident in your skills”
5.) Why ISM? In your opinion what makes ISM special?
“We do whatever it takes and that applies to our clients as well as ensuring that our people are successful. ISM as a whole embodies the mindset that if you take care of your team and your clients they will do the same.”
1.)In what branch did you serve?
“Air Force”
2.) In terms of culture, what do you think the military can teach commercial and federal companies?
- “Loyalty”
- “Trust”
- “Support”
- “Integrity”
3.) In terms of leadership, what do you think the military can teach commercial and federal companies?
“I think a big thing is that no matter where you are, no matter your title, you can lead.”
4.) What advice do you have for an active duty service member who is approaching their transition out of the military in terms of how to have a career success post-military?
- “Reach out to mentors and your network and let them know that you are transitioning and ask them for advice and insight.”
- “Don’t forget the impact of your transition on your family.”
5.) What advice do you have for veterans/mil spouses who are pursuing a career in the tech industry?
- “Research the hot markets that align with your interests”.
- “Remember that you are valuable”.
- “Learn how to translate your value”.
- “Take advantage of your transition resources”.
6.) Why ISM? In your opinion what makes ISM special?
“It’s simple… The people and the culture won me over and I turned down several other offers because of it.”
