111. Power Industry People: Finding Top Talent in the Military

Many power companies have been facing challenges when trying to attract high-quality recruits in the increasingly competitive labor market for engineers and other workers with technical backgrounds This podcast touches on one place qualified candidates can be found to fill some of those high-tech positions—the military. This episode includes input from William Newell, a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force. Will recently transitioned from the military to a job in the power sector. Will’s story is unique and provides details about what worked for him. It offers an inside look at the job search process and shows how military experience prepares people to step right in and take charge of projects in the civilian world. Amy West, recruiting team leader with Orion Talent, the nation’s largest military recruitment firm, said, “The biggest skillset that we’re asked to find is technical talent. The military offers the best technical training program, in my opinion, in the world. Nothing prepares you like the military does to work on technical systems.” West would know, having herself been a gas turbine electrician in the U.S. Navy. Yet, even with his significant training and formal education, as well as the hands-on experience he had, Newell felt the anxiety many people experience when leaving the military. “I was extremely nervous,” Newell recalled. He had “a great support system of friends and family,” all of whom were assuring him that there were jobs available and he was “desired by the industry,” but that didn’t instantly calm his fears. What helped, however, was speaking with his brother-in-law, who had transitioned from the U.S. Army to the civilian world. In the process of his employment search, Newell’s brother-in-law had attended a job fair where he connected with Orion. Although he felt somewhat out of place initially, because all the other candidates in the room were officers in the military while he was enlisted, Orion’s staff made Newell’s brother-in-law feel welcome and “treated him really well.” In the end, Orion helped get him a job that he really liked, and he has since been promoted. His brother-in-law’s experience convinced Newell to seek Orion’s help too. One thing Newell wasn’t sure of, though, was how his experience would translate to a job outside of the military. He knew he could work on airplanes, of course, but he was ready for a change, so the question was, what else could he do. “In my head, I had never made the correlation to the job that I’m currently working,” he said. “I didn’t know that data centers, power plants, and everyone had these large battery backup systems that require constant maintenance and such heavy support that there is a need for a technician like myself to come service them all the time.” That’s where Orion really provided value. “We usually start when a new candidate comes into our system with an initial screening call,” West explained. “We get to know the candidate. We learn about what they did in the military—how they’re looking to leverage those skills in the private sector. And then from there, we try to make suggestions and present opportunities based on a combination of skillset and interest, and we use a lot of different techniques to narrow it down.”