Call it a personal rebrand story, or call it a life-altering change. One thing is clear: Moving from military life to the civilian workforce presents numerous changes and challenges for veterans, reservists, active duty personnel and their spouses.
It’s one reason Viasat is hosting its fifth Veterans Transition Workshop from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST on December 7, 2017. The goal of the workshop: provide veterans and their spouses with the skills, insights and tools necessary to find a successful career in the corporate world.
The event features a full-day of interactive sessions — from discussing compensation and benefits, and how to update your online profile — to building your resume, honing your interview skills and completing a StrengthFinder assessment to understand your interests and skill levels.
One area Rota likes to educate veterans on is compensation and benefits. He encourages veterans to look beyond salary, and evaluate the total compensation package. That includes salary, benefits, the opportunity to work with professional colleagues, alignment of company/personal values, understanding whether the company offers a path to success and growth — among other initiatives. In addition, Rota stresses that veterans seek a work environment where employees are encouraged to be creative thinkers and where they can use and develop innovative approaches to daily work routines.
“In the military, you’re encouraged to follow your chain of command instead of thinking creatively and critically,” Rota said. “In this workshop, we encourage veterans to think outside the box, and push their limits – as those are often desired skillsets in civilian organizations.”
Haskamp spent 20 years with the USMC, and the past two years at Viasat. He participates in the Veteran Transition Workshop, as it gives him an opportunity to give back to the veteran community, offer guidance to transitioning veterans and share success stories. “The transition was challenging, but rewarding,” he said, adding that he used networking and online resources, such as LinkedIn, to jumpstart the process for him to find the right civilian career.
Four facts about Viasat’s Veterans Transition Workshop
- Viasat employs more than 500 veterans
- Over 100 veterans and their spouses have participated in the Veteran Transition Workshops
- Event assists attendees searching for a career in any field
- Each participant is paired with a Viasat veteran
At the Viasat workshop, Haskamp is proud to share his story, and offer lessons learned and best practices from his own experiences. He tells how he “broke out of his comfort zone” to connect with multiple employees at Viasat, as well as other local San Diego companies – all with the drive and goal to secure a position. After researching opportunities, interviewing and finding like-minded individuals, he accepted a position with Viasat.
Haskamp, along with Rota and others, continue to promote Viasat’s work with the military inside and outside of the company.