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20 G.I. JOBS | JUNE 2017 | GIJOBS.COM SUCCESS STORIES OFFICER STUCK IN A RUT. Kat Dransfield's biggest challenge in transitioning from the Navy was slowing down. "I think the most difficult part was that the pace of life slowed down during this period, which after many years of 'hard-charging' made me feel like I was stuck in a rut," she says. DISRUPTIVE TECHNOL- OGY. A native of Bridgewa- ter, N.J., Dransfield helped develop the Department of the Navy's information strat- egy. She also helped vet, seed and communicate disruptive, data-centric technologies like artificial intelligence, autono- mous systems, and AR/VR. MILITARY ID. Dransfield, 26, wasn't sure how her military "self " would translate to civil- ian life. "I think I was con- cerned that the identity I had formed over eight years in the military wouldn't be relevant or valued in the civilian world," she says. WORKING THE NET. She needn't have worried. After taking a six-month break to work on a book chapter and to professionally recalibrate, she leaned on her professional network for introductions to companies she was interested in. APPLYING HER TALENT. One of them was Applied Ma- terials, the leader in materials engineering solutions used to produce virtually every new chip and advanced display in the world. She heard about a job through colleagues in the Department of the Navy's innovation cell. Today she helps develop and implement com- munication strategies to help shepherd disruptive, early-stage projects. AUTONOMY RULES. Dransfield loves the flexibil- ity her position affords. "I like the ability to calibrate my job around the challenges and topics that interest me," she says. "I really appreciate the autonomy I have in setting my own objectives and building my own teams." HER BEST ADVICE FOR YOU. "Give yourself a break. As military people, we tend to be very achievement-driven. But the reality is that when you're job searching, there are tons of factors outside of your con- trol. It will take time to find a company where you are a good match, but it will happen." Kat Dransfield Open Innovation and Marketing Applied Materials Age: 26 Military Service: Lieutenant Junior Grade (O-2), Navy 2012-2015 Education: • Bachelor's degree, English, U.S. Naval Academy, 2012 • Master's degree, Social Science of the Internet, Oxford University, 2013 WE HAD TO ASK! Favorite athlete? Lou Gehrig Hobbies? Trail running, biking, art Top thing on bucket list? I'd like to run a 100-mile race What about you would surprise most people? How much I can eat Celebrity crush? Mila Kunis Deathly afraid of? Geese Best concert ever? James Taylor Most memorable fashion mistake? I wore a bright orange ski hat for most of high school. Enough said. What's in your refrigerator? A lot of tofu Ex-Navy officer gave herself one, and it helped her transition smoothly to an amazing civilian career in the semiconductor industry. GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK