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On January 17th, Admiral Michael Mullen, USN (Ret.), 2023 recipient of the Soldier-Citizen Award and Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, joined the Center for Military and Veterans Affairs to discuss how he believes military members, veterans, and their spouses provide value to the financial services industry.

Admiral Mullen expressed his gratitude as the award recipient and how special the 2023 Clambake was: “One of the thrills was to see the number of people there who were in financial services who were either veterans themselves or who were employers bringing veterans into the space. This area is a particularly challenging one because it is not well-known to us in the military.”

Admiral Mullen discussed the challenges the military community faces when transitioning during his experience as the 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. His experience led him and his staff to develop a paper called “A Sea of Goodwill,” which connects the goodwill of the American people to support those who serve as they transition through the pillars of education, employment, and health.

“The key for anyone in transition is you need to have a network. There are many things tied to a good transition, but to me that is key, recognizing how hard it is, going somewhere and connecting with those who have done it, and going somewhere you really want to go,” Mullen stated.

He recommended for those in transition to list what they do and do not want in their next career to help identify a purpose, find a company with leadership who supports hiring military members, veterans, and their spouses, and effectively communicate your myriad of skills.

Mullen stated “one of the hardest things is how do you create the right vocabulary for your skillset that would match the vocabulary in the civilian sector. We in the military, right down to the most junior person, bring skills that are really valued in the private sector.”

He emphasized that for those interested in transitioning into the financial services industry, education is key.

To financial service companies looking to hire military members, veterans, and their spouses, Mullen stated, “it is a really good bet for your company, you will find individuals who are proud and young, they are loyal, they are team-oriented, disciplined, selfless, they lead, they perform really well under pressure and in a crisis, they are responsible and accountable individuals, and they can handle change. If you want to hire someone who wants to make a difference in your outfit, go to our community. I have heard it from leaders who have hired vets, and it is one of the best things they have ever done.”

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