Issue link: http://gijobsdigimag.epubxp.com/i/860443
36 G.I. JOBS | SEPTEMBER 2017 | GIJOBS.COM Age: 45 Military Service: Captain (O-3), Air Force (2002-2010) AFSC: Logistics Readiness (21R4) Education: • Bachelor's degree, public policy analysis, Saint Louis University, 1994 • Master of Business Administration (MBA), Washington University, St. Louis, 2014 • Master's degree, supply chain management, Penn State University, 2017 CAPTAIN What do you do? I manage Monsanto's office productivity and collaboration product lines. My job is to ensure that all Monsanto employees have the latest tools and devices so they can be the most effective and efficient at not only performing their jobs, but also collaborating with each other globally. Did you use social media in your job search? I used LinkedIn and Indeed.com. Once I got the feel for LinkedIn, I used it heavily. What was the hardest interview quesঞon you faced? "Tell me about a time when you failed." Failure is certainly frowned upon in the military. There is always a way to be successful. I did not understand the real context of the question until later – it is OK to fail as long as you learn from the failures and improve moving forward. Any funny incidents during your first days on the job as a civilian? In the military if you are on time you are late. I showed up for my first meeting 15 minutes early. Apparently, meetings do not necessarily start on time, so I sat for 30 minutes nervously thinking that I was completely in the wrong place. JOHN THOMAS Product Manager, Monsanto * , St. Louis SUCCESS Best advice for transitioning service members? Keep an open mind! Learn new environments and embrace change. There are valuable skill sets that veterans bring to any organization. It is important for transitioning service members to see how those skills will best fit into a specific environment and then sell those strengths to a future employer. AGRICULTURE TRANSITION DATE OF HIRE May 2014 *Company is a paid advertiser in this issue.