I’m excited to have Kimberlynn Hunter on the SYCK Podcast today! With leadership skills developed and tested during her 20+ years’ experience in the U.S. Army, she recently pivoted into the corporate world and is working at Cognizant, one of the top consulting firms in the world. We talk about the challenges she faced in her job search after retiring from the army and she addresses some of the common misconceptions that veterans face when re-entering the civilian workforce. Kim shares helpful advice for fellow veterans on how to use storytelling to leverage their military skills and experience and she addresses the importance of networking and building civilian relationships.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- [03:34] Kimberlynn’s army career experience, pivoting to a non-leadership role and common roadblocks that veterans face
- [24:00] Navigating the job search after the military and MBA program
- [34:30] How to leverage relationships and the military as an alumni group
- [39:57] What does networking mean and how to build relationships
- [41:29] How to build influence and transition from military to corporate world
- [45:01] How to accelerate your career
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Corporate networking is opposite from networking in the military. Veterans should try to get acquainted with corporate and civilian professionals before retiring by attending professional events or growing their LinkedIn network.
- Storytelling is really important for veterans. Not only just for interviews, but it makes you more relatable and while skills are important, stories are what endear you to people.
- Believe in yourself and what it is you think you wanna do. Don't limit yourself because you never know what opportunities might come about or who you might meet that could help you find your next dream opportunity.
RESOURCE LINKS
Syckpodcast.com
BIO:
Kimberlynn Hunter lives in the Dallas, Texas Metroplex and is a 2021 graduate of the Cox School of Business’ Executive MBA program at Southern Methodist University. Currently, she’s an Organizational Change Management Senior Consultant, at Cognizant where she specializes in Strategic Communications and Salesforce transformations. Professionally, she considers herself a strategist, an Organizational Development practitioner, one who sees the big picture and translates key details at every level of the organization. With leadership skills developed and tested during her more than 20 years’ army experience, she’s pivoted into the corporate world to share her insights and gain new perspectives. She’s constantly seeking ways to be an organizational multiplier by creating opportunities for everyone around her to expand, grow, and add their unique value. A background in logistics with specialization as a Transportation Strategic Planner, Procurement Program Manager, and Director of more than 500 individuals provided a solid leadership and operations foundation. One of her passions is mentoring and developing those in the early career demographic. She’s been able to give back through programs at SMU as well as in the DFW community. She’s also a board member of GloComX and Lotus Village United. In her spare time, she loves to travel, meet new people, collect art, and spend time with friends and family.
Kimberlynn Hunter on LinkedIn
