“Sometimes the world has to let things unfold for you. You’ve got to give things time and patience.”
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Why Listen:
In previous episodes, several of our guests have talked about Tuck’s Next Step program - which is an accelerated way for military veterans (and elite athletes) to go deep on learning business skills without having to spend two years getting an MBA. While we do talk about the Next Step program in this interview, we spend the bulk of our time talking about takeaways relevant to any military veteran, such as: why it’s just as valuable to DISPROVE a potential career path as it is to find the right career path. We also talk about why Next Step pairs elite athletes with veterans during the program and how much these two groups have in common - I honestly had never put this together, and when Margaux explained it it made incredible sense. We talk about the skills that will make Veterans successful in the civilian workforce, we talk about patience and flexibility, and all sorts of other tips that you’ll be able to put to use right away.
If you like this episode, be sure to check out: BTU #180 - Career Advice from Andy Chan - BTU #222 - Career Transition Advice from 16 Years of Recruiting (George Randle) - BTU #239 - Career Advice #2 with George Randle -
About Margaux:
Margaux is the Associate Director for Transition to Business Programs at Tuck Executive Education at Dartmouth. She holds a B.A. from Colgate University and an M.S. in Sports Management at Columbia University.
Partners:
Have you ever wondered how you could become a more effective and balanced leader? Or how to find a team with a high degree of trust that performs at a level you’re accustomed to? Check out The Leadership Podcast where they study what makes the best leaders tick - including many who have moved "beyond the uniform" to reach new levels of success and fulfillment.
Our Sponsor:
StoryBox- People trust each other more than advertising. StoryBox provides the tools and supports businesses need to take the best things customers say about them, and use them to drive more sales and referrals. StoryBox offers a 10% discount to companies employing veterans of the US Armed Forces.
Audible is offering one FREE audio book to Beyond the Uniform listeners. You can claim this offer here, and see a list of books recommended by my guests at BeyondTheUniform.io/books
Selected Resources:
Special offer
Course title: Building Relationships that Matter
Coupon code to use when you check out: veteran
Normally $797, this coupon code will make it $99 for Veterans
Next Step Resources
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Transcript & Time Stamps:
4:30
Joining me today from Hanover, NH is Margaux Lohry. How do you describe what you do for a living?
I wake up every morning absolutely thrilled to go to work at the Tuck School of Business. I direct the Next Step program which is a business certificate program for veterans transitioning out of the military.
5:20
Can you talk more about the Next Step program?
Next Step is part of Tuck’s executive management portfolio. It’s a certificate program that is delivered over the course of three months. We provide essential business knowledge for veterans as they transition out of the military.
It’s similar to the first six months of an MBA program. It’s very condensed information that underpins all aspects of business.
7:20
What are common misconceptions veterans have when they leave the military?
Ruling a career path out can be just as important as knowing exactly what you want to do. Many of our program participants come into the program thinking that they will eventually need to get an MBA. But during the course of the program, they realize that they have an interest in a completely different area.
There are so many online resources available that allows people to test the waters in small ways before they make a huge commitment to a particular career path or degree program.
10:00
What do people do after they leave the program?
A lot of people are interested in financial services, consulting, or tech. But it’s hard to generalize overall because our program cohorts are extremely diverse. So they end up going down all different kinds of pathways.
We also encourage the program participants to learn from each other. Oftentimes, participants learn just as much from the others in the program with them as they do from the instructors and professors.
12:00
What type of topics do you cover in the program?
The curriculum is built around three components - business acumen (marketing, accounting, strategy), career development, and professional exposure. Our career services staff works with participants on resume writing and networking strategies. We also have a Career Day where program participants are able to network with business executives.
16:40
Elite athletes are also participants in this program alongside the veterans. Can you talk more about that?
The great thing about having athletes and veterans in the program is that it makes the program GI Bill eligible. Additionally, a lot of the skills and traits that make athletes successful is similar to the skills that make veterans successful during their time in the military. Both veterans and athletes in the program are facing a similar transition. At the conclusion of the program, veterans always site having the athletes in the program along with them is one of the most valuable parts of the experience.
One thing that makes both elite athletes and veterans great future employees is how they are able to quickly break a problem down and drive toward a solution.
21:30
Do you have any other tips for veterans about how to find their way during the transition out of the military?
You can set yourself up for success by doing a lot of research beforehand and breaking down your strategy into discrete steps. Your transition might not turn out the way you think it will and that’s completely fine.
Think about what an ideal post-military situation would be for you but then also have the flexibility to stay open to different opportunities that may come about. If you’re too focused on one outcome, you may be missing out on serendipitous moments that are being put in your way.
27:10
What is the tuition for the program?
We have a sliding scale depending on a participant’s income. If a participant has an adjusted gross income of $70,000 or more, they pay $5,000 for the program. If a participant has an adjusted gross income of less than $70,000, their program fee is $2500.
In 2020, our program is full. The application for our 2021 program will begin in the fall of 2020. On our website, you can sign up to be alerted when the new application becomes available.
28:20
Can you talk a little bit more about the cohorts?
Each cohort has between 60 and 70 participants. It’s always a really fun group.
29:30
Do you have any resources you would recommend?
I recommend an online course by Andrew Sobel. His course is called Building Relationships That Matter. Networking is important to your career but I think a lot of people can get the wrong idea about the best way to approach networking. Andrew guides participants through really concrete steps to take in order to build a valuable network.
There’s also a discount code available to your listeners for this course.
34:50
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
I would love to share a quote from one of our military veteran program participants, “I’ve never been to a course or training where I was so emotional, raw, and open. Your formula with military veterans and athletes is what does it. Each group thinks the other is the most amazing. Either group alone would not be as powerful. Combining the two is a game changer.”
For veterans in transition, I believe that finding someone outside the military can provide you with some key insights. I think that’s what makes Next Steps so powerful - that both veterans and athletes are able to build connections with people outside their world.