Have you applied for a MENTOR with American Corporate Partners (ACP)?

Posted on May 16, 2018 Written by Nancy Leave a Comment

Attention all transitioning U.S. Veterans! If you haven’t yet applied for a Fortune 500 mentor with American Corporate Partners (ACP), do it NOW — before it’s too LATE!

After speaking with ACP staff members Bernard Agrest, Robert Rahni, and Timothy Cochrane, I’m even MORE confident this opportunity is too good to miss!!

Here’s what they do in a nutshell:

* ACP is a non-profit organization that pairs post-9/11 veterans with mentors from EVERY industry in the civilian world to work one-on-one for a FULL YEAR of career & professional development mentoring.

* They work with you to identify your career GOALS and INTERESTS, then assign you a mentor from a FORTUNE 500 company (or small business via the ACP Citizens Program) to work on developing the SKILLS you need to be successful in corporate America.

* Mentorships are custom-tailored to YOUR goals, and are as FLEXIBLE as needed.

* Along the way, ACP staff will stay in touch, suggesting additional DISCUSSION TOPICS, and making SURE you’re headed for success.

This is an AMAZING opportunity for any post-9/11 transitioning vet — it’s absolutely FREE — and you’ll get a FORTUNE 500 mentor for a whole YEAR!

Don’t wait! Apply now on ACP’s website, OR directly at https://lnkd.in/eqFparA!

Scott DeThomas, Former Commander of MacDill AFB, Spoke to Transitioning Troops at our October LinkedIN Workshop!

Posted on November 2, 2014 Written by Nancy Leave a Comment

It was an honor and a privilege to introduce retired Colonel Scott DeThomas, former Senior Wing Commander and CEO of MacDill Air Force Base, as our Special Guest Speaker at our Oct. 31st LinkedIN Job Search Workshop for transitioning troops and their families on MacDill.

After retiring only two months ago from his 32 year career in the U.S. Air Force (23 of those years as a pilot), Scott DeThomas graciously shared some very personal stories of his own transition experience while the troops and community guests in attendance listened attentively.

Many of the active duty personnel will be following in his footsteps within months, and some within a few short weeks.

Scott freely admitted to his audience that when he retired he was not at all clear about what he “wanted to do when (he) grew up”, and had found it quite helpful to hire a career coach and complete a career aptitude test. When “Banking” turned up on the Top 3 List of suggested careers, he was actually a bit surprised until he remembered that he had always been quite interested in financial investing.

Scott credits his natural ability to network, his Masters Certificate in Lean Six Sigma, and a bit of sheer “luck”, as significant aides on his path to success in the civilian world. Just two short months after leaving the service, he became the Sr. VP of Products & Member Sales for GTE Financial, one of Florida’s largest credit unions.

ABOUT PROJECT TRANSITION USA:

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Project Transition USA has been teaching free LinkedIN Job Search Workshops on MacDill Air Force Base (Tampa, FL) and other locations since Nov. 2012 at the request of retired senior military officers who were in dire need of support. They are the first and ONLY 501(c)(3) organization focused on teaching LinkedIN on military bases.

In addition to their workshops, they also provide personal introductions to corporate military hiring managers and military-friendly civilians through their popular “Project Transition USA” group on LinkedIN: www.linkedin.com/groups/Project-Transition-USA-4842096/about

Many workshop attendees and group participants have already been offered top-level positions throughout the U.S., and all of this has been accomplished with little to no operating budget.

Project Transition USA’s goal is to expand these workshops to every U.S. military base nationwide as soon as possible. The need is urgent and the timing is critical. Visit their website to learn what transitioning military troops and community leaders are saying about this project: www.projecttransitionusa.com/testimonials/

Tampa Bay Business Journal (TBBJ) Hosts Roundtable Discussion in Support of Veterans

Posted on October 21, 2014 Written by Nancy 1 Comment

A very special thanks to the Tampa Bay Business Journal (TBBJ) for recently hosting a luncheon and roundtable discussion for a select group of Tampa Bay area veterans & military-friendly community leaders!

Our fellow Project Transition USA group member, Alexis Muellner, is the Editor of TBBJ, and he led our discussion, assisted by Deputy Editor Chris Wilkerson, and Publisher Bridgette Bello.

The main purpose of the event as I saw it was to gather information that might be helpful in coming to the aid of transitioning active duty military, as well as unemployed veterans in our area and beyond.

I had the great honor of participating along with our Project Transition USA group members Paul Huszar (President, VetCor Water Mitigation Services) and Edward Spenceley (Sr. VP, Bank of America).

And very happily, as a result of this meeting, we now have the pleasure of welcoming two new veterans to our LinkedIN group – Jerry Custin (President/CEO, Upper Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce) and Lonnie Ledford (Project Manager, Avatel Technologies).

A few of the other participants included Tom Mackiewicz (Dir. of Site Management, USAA), Mark Swanson (Vice President, Bright House Networks), Connie Lindsay (Founder, Liberty Manor for Veterans), and Larry Braue (Dir. of Veterans Services, USF).

Lonnie Ledford has published a wonderful account of this event in his blog, and I want to share it with you here (click this link).

James Howard Sponsors LinkedIN Job Search Workshop on MacDill Air Force Base

Posted on September 10, 2014 Written by Nancy Leave a Comment

Why teach LinkedIN to transitioning troops on U.S. military bases? Because LinkedIN.com is the #1 hiring tool for recruiters & business owners in the civilian world – and it is virtually unknown to military personnel and veterans!

Tampa, FL — Project Transition USA, the only 501(c)(3) nonprofit that specializes in teaching transitioning U.S. military veterans and their families how to fully utilize the powerful business networking site LinkedIN, is pleased to announce their new LinkedIN Job Search Workshop Sponsor.

James Howard, Publisher of Creative Loafing Tampa, chose to personally sponsor their August 2014 LinkedIN Job Search Workshop on MacDill Air Force Base, home of U.S. Central Command.

James has served on the staff of Creative Loafing Tampa, Tampa Bay’s weekly arts and entertainment publication, for close to 20 years and assumed the role of Publisher in 2010.

Creative Loafing is the third largest newspaper in the Tampa Bay area, and in addition to a comprehensive listing of local happenings (from gallery openings to sporting events), they offer the most respected and authoritative critics on the subjects of food, film, theater and music.

When asked his reasons for becoming a LinkedIN Job Search Workshop Sponsor, James replied, “Linkedin has become the #1 platform for employers and career candidates to connect online today – it makes perfect sense to teach our transitioning military and their families how to use it!”

Continuing with a smile, James added, “I have a success story of my own to share. I recently hired three great new employees, and I found them ALL on Linkedin!”

Reflecting on the experience of sponsoring the workshop taught by facilitator Nancy Laine, an Army Chaplain’s daughter and the co-founder of Project Transition USA, James remarked, “I’m thrilled to have had the opportunity to help our troops on MacDill Air Force Base by sponsoring such a worthy cause, and I greatly appreciate the new connections I’ve made in the process!”

The next LinkedIN Job Search Workshop on MacDill AFB is scheduled for Friday, October 31st and is open exclusively to transitioning military personnel & dependents who are enrolled in MacDill’s TAP program. To learn about future sponsorship opportunities with Project Transition USA LinkedIN Job Search Workshops on MacDill AFB and beyond, contact Nancy Laine at 727-415-3878.