Our Alumni Continually Succeed in their Civilian Endeavors
Not only does Orion recognize the excellence that our alumni bring to the civilian workplace, but so does the press! Our alumni continually succeed in their civilian endeavors and serve as examples of how their leadership qualities, technical experience, and intangibles, such as loyalty, work ethic, and integrity, benefit their chosen field. Check out the list below to read about a few of our alumni in action.
By Jaime Kammerzell, Rigzone Contributor - April 26, 2012
Seth Robert is a former avionics, electronics, weapons technician for U/AH-1 helicopters in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served from June 2000 to May 2005. Upon leaving the military, Robert struggled to find a civilian job that matched his education and skills. Orion International helped Robert find the perfect job in under a week. Today, Robert is the southern region operations manager for Canrig Drilling Technology.
Robert first interviewed for Canrig over six years ago. As a…
Andrew Roberts Resources to Help Veterans Land a Civilian Job
By Emily Glazer, The Wall Street Journal - December 4, 2011
…Another option is a recruiter. Before Andrew Roberts of Manhattan returned from Iraq in 2004 he worked with Orion International, a military recruiting firm that doesn't charge veterans for its services, which includes coaching and résumé development and job placement at more than 7,500 companies.
He says Orion helped him land an interview for an assistant superintendent job for a construction firm. During the…
Military experience: U.S. Naval Academy, Class of 2005. U.S. Navy, 2005-2011; surface warfare officer, served as first lieutenant on a cruiser and as navigator on a frigate, both out of Mayport Naval Station; deployed to the Horn of Africa, Persian Gulf and the western coast of South America.
Civilian role: Member of the sales and marketing development program at Siemens Energy Inc., Jackson, Miss.
After 10 years in the Navy, Jimmy Lamz was ready for a change. With a wife and two young children, he didn't want to deploy…
photo by: Harry Fisher / The Morning Call / October 31, 2011
Stephanie Afalla For parts of Valley, power may be out until Thursday
By Daniel Patrick Sheehan and Spencer Soper, Of The Morning Call, Lehigh Valley News - November 1, 2011
Distribution center operator Jessica Bartholomew (left) and system operator Stephanie Afalla (rear center) work in the systems operation room inside PPL's operations center on Hausman Road in South Whitehall Township, as the utility works to restore electricity.
In the basement of a nondescript block building in South Whitehall Township, managers with PPL Electric Utilities make judgment calls that determine whose lights go back on soon and who remains stuck in the dark for days…
Brian Schulz is a former Navy lieutenant and flight officer who found a new career selling medical devices with Medtronic Spinal and Biologics. We caught up with Lt. Schulz to ask him about medical industry prospects for veterans, and to get a few tips about searching for a job.
Tell us about your military experience and background.
I graduated from the Naval Academy in 1999 and became a Naval flight officer so I was down in Pensacola for two…
Kelly King Discovering similarities between the military and freight rail
By Association of American Railroads - November 2011
As a 2005 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, West Point who later served in Iraq and South Korea, former army Captain Kelly King feels at home when working at Kansas City Southern (KCS) headquarters in Kansas City, MO. “I didn't know anything about the industry, but found it had a similar working environment to the military,” says King, now director of network planning for KCS. “The work is 24/7 and it's a close knit community. Everyone is responsible, everyone is important and everybody counts.”
King came to KCS through Orion International, a military…
Kelly King is a former Adjutant General Captain who is now Director of International Rail Operations Support for the Kansas City Southern Railway Company. Military.com interviewed Kelly to get some insights on her industry and her transition experiences
Tell us about your military background.
I graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 2005, and my…
By Adam Stone / www.militarytimesedge.com - May 3, 2011
When you hear that lonesome whistle blow … it may be calling for you.
Major rail and trucking companies such as Union Pacific, Kansas City Southern and Con-way Freight spend significant chunks of their recruiting budgets on military veterans and exchange handshakes, résumés and tchotchkes at dozens of military career fairs every year.
In fact, transportation is one of the five hottest industries…
By Allison Thomas & Colleen Whiteside, Orion International - May 2011
With 15% growth in 2010 alone, there are few industries experiencing the rapid growth of the wind power industry. In fact, this industry was responsible for 26% of all new electric generating capacity in the United States, according to a recent American Wind Energy Association report. Rapid expansion of this degree requires talented labor that can be hard to find, and many wind energy companies have found veterans to be one solution to this talent shortage.
"Regardless of the position they held in the military, veterans…
Former Navy servicemember Nicholas Espe was honored at the White House as part of the launch of the Joining Forces program.
Nicholas Espe Joining Forces: Career Opportunities for Vets and Spouses
By Allison Thomas / Military.com Veteran Careers - Apr 2010
On Tuesday, April 12, President and Mrs. Obama, along with Vice President and Dr. Biden, announced the launch of Joining Forces, a national initiative that follows the Presidential Study Directive to increase programs and opportunities for military families.
According to the White House website, "Joining Forces is a comprehensive national initiative to mobilize all sectors of society to give our service members and their families the opportunities and support they have earned." Key priority areas include Employment, Education, and Wellness. In the area of Employment, Joining Forces aims to highlight the workforce…
Andrea Hovey Naval nuke engineer finds quality job,
quality life in unexpected industry
By: Jon R. Anderson / Military Times Edge - Jul 27, 2010
Sometimes it’s the dream job that becomes a nightmare, while a profession you couldn’t imagine yourself doing becomes everything you’d hoped for in a career.
Just ask Andrea Hovey.
Always an energetic dynamo, Hovey seemed like a perfect fit for a high-powered career in the Navy’s nuclear power plants. Endless work hours and uninspired leadership, however,…
Matt Wheeler Logistics officer’s career takes a powerful turn
By: Amanda Miller / Military Times Edge - Nov 10, 2009
When Matt Wheeler returned from an Illinois Army National Guard deployment to Iraq in the summer of 2008, the former bank manager wanted to get out of finance and move his family closer to his native Kansas.
Looking for a new start, he signed up with a civilian hiring firm to help him find a job.
Thanks to that decision, Wheeler is now happily working as a site manager for Suzlon Wind Energy Corp., tending a…
Shannon Dowdell How to track down good leads and make yourself stand out in a crowd
By: Adam Stone / Military Times Edge - Mar 17, 2010
Walking into a MilitaryStars job fair, it’s hard not to feel good about yourself. As the doors to the hotel ballroom fly open and a few hundred job seekers surge forward, recruiters from two dozen employers rise to their feet and break into applause, celebrating your military service.
Soon they’re handing out pens and lanyards emblazoned with corporate logos — it’s just not a job fair until someone gives you a squishy ball shaped like a hand grenade. Then…
Ashley Arney Commanding 100 Soldiers in Iraq puts helicopter pilot on path to civilian store management
By: Warren Duffie / G.I. Jobs
While stationed in Taji, Iraq, Ashley Arney wore a lot of hats.
Chief among these was flying powerful CH-47 Chinook helicopters on supply runs throughout the county. But equally important was her position as company commander of 100 Soldiers. She was responsible for inspiring her troops to perform well; ensuring they had the supplies they needed; taking disciplinary action, if necessary; and, most important, serving as a mentor…
Robin DeHaven Witness becomes rescuer in Austin plane incident
Source: CNN U.S. - Feb 18, 2010
Robin Dehaven usually replaces windows. On Thursday morning, after a small plane crashed into an Austin, Texas, office building, he was breaking them, having rushed into the burning structure to help people escape.
Dehaven, an Army veteran who works for a glass company, was driving to a job when he witnessed the plane crash. With the building in flames and emergency personnel still minutes away, Dehaven drove his truck to the parking lot.
People in the building were trapped, screaming for help.…
