Jason Marchant won’t tell you to not get a degree, but he will tell you don’t let not having one prevent you from applying for a job.

That’s how he did it. And in a couple years, he went from a veteran in transition, and wondering what he’d do with his life, to having a career in sales and business card with the title of “president” of a franchise.

Today he leads a sales team for a company called Fine Tune. When he hires, he doesn’t require a college degree. Instead, he looks for people willing to put in the effort, and he’ll train them on the skills needed.

Jason is a former Marine that later served in the Army Reserve and deployed to Afganistan (there’s a lot of former Marines in the Army Guard and Reserve). On this episode, he shares how he wound up with a career in sales.

Show links:

• Connect with Jason on LinkedIn
• Jason’s employer Fine Tune
• Sales books Jason recommends for professional development:

1) Fanatical Prospecting by Jeb Blount

2) The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes

3) The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson _

After leaving the Army Starr Corbin took a job for which she felt she was overqualified. But she took it anyway and excelled. In few years, she was running the shop that eventually led opportunities with companies like CapGemini, iHeartRadio, and eventually her own consulting company.

Today she leads the software team for a robotics startup in Austin, TX. On this episode she describes how she made a career out of tech – and how she still relies the principles of project management and “servant leadership” she learned in the Army.
Links from the show:

• Starr Corbin on LinkedIn
• Starr’s employer
• Starr’s consulting business

After Chuck Kluball transitioned out of the Army, he spent months applying for jobs and sending out resumes. In fact, he says he submitted about 400 applications and received no responses.

Zero.

Home Depot was at the top of his most wanted list and he sent some 40 applications to positions there and had the same result: No call backs. No interviews. And no job offers.

Still, he preserved, and he obviously is working for Home Depot today. On this podcast he explains what the experience taught him, how he finally landed a job, and shares advice he has for veterans seeking jobs in business.

Links discussed on the show:

Chuck Kluball on LinkedIn
Home Depot Military careers
Vetlanta and Vetlanta on LinkedIn
DoD Skillbridge
LinkedIn Group: DoD Skillbridge Community of Practice