Kevin Jackson, Army veteran and an executive coach in Westport, is bridging the gap between the armed forces and the work force.
“We are still a country at war so we still have people who are serving and getting out and having to deal with a transition, whether it”™s a good economy or a bad economy,” said Jackson. “There”™s still a lot of anxiety in that transition. If you can establish a baseline group of people who can help you or know someone who can help you, you”™re going to benefit.”
Jackson said he hopes through his networking events to encourage the service men and women of the region to realize their time spent in the military has value in the workplace and can further their career aspirations.
Originally from Missouri, Jackson, a graduate of West Point, was originally commissioned as a second lieutenant in the engineer core.
He spent time in Kuwait, helping to plan the current war in Iraq, and after the invasion he worked on construction projects in Baghdad.
“I came back to the states and got married,” said Jackson. “My wife was from Newtown, that”™s how I ended up in Connecticut.”
Jackson did one more tour of Baghdad and upon returning began working for Carrier Corp. with United Technologies in Farmington. He also began consulting on the side.
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Jackson followed his consulting aptitude and, 16 months ago, became part of the executive coaching company ActionCoach in Westport.
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Jackson, who is also the president of the West Point Society of Connecticut, began to see a correlation between the networking events he attended for work and the needs of academy graduates and war veterans reentering the workplace.
“I had this large pool of 600-plus just from West Point,” said Jackson. “I was sure there were more from the Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, the Coast Guard Academy and the Merchant Marine Academy. I wanted to see what I could do to rally some professionals within those organizations that are cut from the same cloth, that could know how better assist veterans coming back from Iraq or Afghanistan and reentering the work force.”
Jackson said upon his return from serving overseas he got his job at Carrier through networking within military groups.
“More than ever in today”™s economic times, we need to rely on those individuals who may have an opportunity to bring people in who are proven, dedicated, loyal workers and may have been in similar situations,” said Jackson.
In May of this year Jackson had his first test event of what is now Connecticut Academy Networkers.
“We had about 25 people show up at the first event and every academy was represented except the Merchant Marines,” said Jackson.
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John Tan is the former senior vice president of global operations at Greenfield Online in Wilton, and served in the Navy. He recently resigned from his job at Greenfield.
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“It helps get us together and understand what opportunities are out there, especially with the economy and the job market,” said Tan. “Networking is new for many of these people who haven”™t necessarily had to look for a job before. It”™s a good mix of people. At this last meeting, there was guy that was 60 and a couple that were just getting out of the military after five years of the service. With the bonds that are made in military you see that people are willing to help each other out and willing to help types of folks in a similar position.”
With the help of the Darien VFW, Jackson has begun holding the events with a growing number of attendees each time.
“Each time we have one, there are people there that have never been to an event like this before,” said Jackson. “The word”™s getting out. I recently had my first Merchant Marine Academy graduate who is going to help get the word out through the Merchant Marines. It”™s really started to steamroll to the point where we had an additional one in Hartford.”
Jackson said that in coming out of the structured military world, many attendees are confounded by the job market, a place many have never seen.
“If people are hiring, it”™s within channels where you have to know somebody,” said Jackson. “The referral is important and it”™s not a passive referral, it”™s active.”
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Jackson said in addition to simple networking, his events have encompassed social media uses as well as different networking approaches and tools. Jackson said there has always been a challenge between military experience and translating it to a business environment.
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“On the other side, trying to express to managers who have never been in the military and who are looking at vets”™ resumes and trying to translate these skills can also be difficult,” said Jackson.
Jackson said he has talked to his event attendees about being able to quantify their service in monetary terms.
“They may be using different key performance indicators to judge success, but you have to try to find the similarities in the industry your trying to apply your experience to,” said Jackson. “A lot of guys realize they might be able to find some momentum in things they like to do.”
