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28 G.I. JOBS | OCTOBER 2016 | GIJOBS.COM SUCCESS STORIES JUNIOR ENLISTED FOR MORE SUCCESS STORIES, VISIT GIJOBS.COM. Financial tech follows her training to a civilian accounting career. But it was no slam dunk. BY THE NUMBERS Civilian Job: Accountant II, AECOM, Washington, D.C. Age: 31 Alice Grace CHECKING THE BOXES. Landing an interview was the hardest part of transition for Alice Grace. She checked all the boxes when she was getting out of the Marine Corps: She started preparing one year out, attended separation classes, took targeted résumé-writing classes and par- ticipated in financial workshops. Six months before her EAS, she began applying for jobs. EASY CHOICE. The financial technician had no trouble choos- ing her civilian career path. "My MOS actually made the choice in my civilian career and degree path," she says. "I found I liked working with the numbers and watching for the end goal." ROOKIE MISTAKES. Looking back, Grace realizes she made a few mistakes. At first she targeted only government jobs. She also didn't grow her civilian network. She found it challenging to trans- late her MOS into language that ci- vilians could understand. At times it was hard to remain positive. Childhood hero? My dad Hobbies? Reading, rock climbing, running Top thing on bucket list? Go to Italy What about you would surprise most people? How much I really hear. Favorite movie? "Labyrinth" Quirkiest inherited trait: My sense of humor Favorite sandwich, plus fixings: BLT and avocado Childhood dream job? Pilot Exercise you hate most? Crunches Celebrity crush? Dwayne Johnson The world would be better without: Ignorance Best concert ever? Rammstein Dream car? 1970s Mustang Childhood nickname: Wonderland First job? Dish washer Worst job? Dish washer Most memorable fashion mistake? Any time I let my friend pick it out What's in your refrigerator? Soda, tea, sandwich fixings Yes, Sir! "When I first met my boss and the project manager, they said not to call them 'Sir.' I still do." THE PAYOFF. Grace did find a job working in the warranty department of a company that makes freezers, walk-in coolers and refrigerated warehouses. Her career really got going, though, when she went to work for AECOM, a global engineering firm with 92,000 employees. Just over a year after her EAS, she's doing pretty well. TRANSFERABLE INTAN- GIBLES. At AECOM, Grace em- ploys the soft skills she learned in the Marine Corps like time management, the military work ethic and prioritization. She loves the variety of projects she works on at AECOM, and she's earning a bachelor's degree in accounting. PAYING IT FORWARD. Her best advice to transitioning service members is something her Marine Corps supervisor told her. "The most important advice I received was to take every interview regardless of how it went and use it to make the next one better, and to never give up." WE HAD TO ASK! Military Service: Sergeant (E-5), Marine Corps (2004-2015) MOS: Financial Management Resource Analyst (3451) Education: In progress, bachelor's, accounting, DeVry University, 2017