“Being able to work with deadlines and under pressure, attention to detail...these little things add up dramatically to put you in a position to do well [in the Civilian world]." – Alex Chivers

Alex Chivers served as a Non-Commissioned Officer in the US Army, where was part of the elite Army Rangers. During his time in the Army, Alex deployed multiple times to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. After leaving the Army, Alex was accepted to Dartmouth College, routinely ranked as one of the top ten colleges in the country. While at Dartmouth, Alex held internships in the Investment Banking world with both Barclays and Perella Weinberg Partners, as well as an internship at the US House of Representatives. Alex has also worked as an Ambassador for Service to School, helping other veterans get into college.

In this conversation, we cover a lot of topics, including:

• His decision to leave the Army.
• How a conversation on Reddit helped him get into Dartmouth
• His work with Service to School, and advice on applying to college
• Common mistakes he sees veterans make in their transition to civilian life
• An overview of the Investment Banking world
• And much, much more…

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QUESTION OF THE DAY: How can I make these episodes more valuable to active duty military personnel considering transitioning to the civilian world? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Selected Links from the Episode

• Service to School - FREE coaching for any military veterans to get into your ideal undergrad or graduate institution
  • Veritas Prep Complete GMAT Course Set - 12 Books
  • Complete GMAT Strategy Guide Set (Manhattan Prep GMAT Strategy Guides)
• Service to School's Undergraduate Application Guide
• Service to School's MBA Application Guide
• American Corporate Partners: free assistance to pair veterans with someone in a desired career field
• Warrior Scholar Project (WSP): WSP is essentially an academic bootcamp for transitioning enlisted veterans at top schools across the country. It is completely free for those attending, but participants usually have to cover transportation costs. It focuses heavily on academic reading and writing and is taught by professors from whatever school it is located at.

Show Notes

• [2:10] Army Rangers, Darthmouth, and Alex's background
• [3:10] Deciding to leave the Army
• [4:31] How far in advance Alex started to plan
• [6:35] Deciding between college vs. straight to industry
• [7:45] Preparing financially for the transition to civilian life
• [9:55] How Alex get into Dartmouth
• [13:10] How a Reddit forum helped him get into college
• [15:35] Advice for college applications
• [18:36] Common misconceptions Alex sees when people are applying to college and transitioning to civilian life
• [23:15] How the Army put Alex ahead... and where he felt behind his classmates
• [27:20] Additional resources to consider
• [28:31] Interning in the Investment Banking world
• [30:50] Interning at the US House of Representatives
• [32:22] What's next for Alex after Dartmouth
• [35:30] Final advice to those on Active Duty