“That's the cool thing about NPower, right. They help you get a job on top of giving you this free certification. They teach you how to write a resume, they teach you how to dress for a resume, they give you your interview skills, they give you your headshots, they give you so many other things, right, so many soft skills that you need to be successful out here.”
Malcolm Smith, former weapons specialist in the Navy, now Vice President Sr. Business Analyst at Citi, wants other veterans to know, that they too can obtain a great career after retiring from the service.
In a recent interview with KP of The Morning Formation Podcast, Smith shares that after more than 10 years in the service, he decided to retire and join the civilian workforce. Smith tells of the wonderful opportunity that came his way in 2018, that lead him to now being an executive employee of Citi.
Malcolm Smith has a Bachelor’s in IT, has multiple certifications, and has worked at Citi since 2018 as a business analyst, where he has now earned the title of Vice President Sr. Business Analyst.
In the interview, Malcolm explains that in 2018 he was contacted by a recruiter from the nonprofit organization, NPower. NPower offers training and certifications to military veterans in order to help them obtain a career in the tech field. Smith went through the NPower program, received a free certification, and was assisted in finding a job.
“So we did a couple of rounds of interviews, and I got picked up for an internship with Citi. Which is amazing, right…I did this internship for, I did it for like 11 months. And it wasn't a free internship, it was a paid internship. So that's also a great thing, you get a salary as you're doing this internship…They're teaching you things you need to know for a specific job…And after that, you do a good job...I got put on full-time as Assistant Vice President, straight from an internship.”
Malcolm wants vets to know that they have very valuable skills, that translate over into many civilian careers. Veterans may just need help figuring out what those skills are and how to relate it to job postings in the civilian world. Malcolm says that when looking for work, vets should not let the long job requirements and fancy words scare them away. Most job postings are meant to sound complicated but many times, the position is not as complicated as it is described.
There are many wonderful opportunities for those who are looking to transition out of the military and for those who have already retired. NPower is a great organization that can help retired service members get on the right track.
If you are interested in learning more about how Malcolm Smith obtained a high-level position as an executive, listen to the whole interview. You will enjoy it and be inspired!
Click here for the whole interview.
Blog post written by: Lina Gomez
