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BY Joel Junker

Perspective from Cameron-Brooks Alumnus

My name is Dave and I’m an IBMer. 

My name used to be Captain David Bradt USMC and with the guidance and proven methods of Cameron Brooks I was able to transition 6.5 years of service to my country into a very rewarding, challenging career with IBM with tremendous amounts of opportunity and leadership options.

I should also mention at this point that my only aim with this note is to pay it forward. I gain nothing financially should you decide to work with Cameron-Brooks.  The only personal advantage I gain is the knowledge that I’m lucky enough to help my fellow service members transition their tremendously valuable military experience into an equally rewarding and lucrative civilian career.  Know this…you are infinitely more capable than you may currently believe and your value to the business world cannot be overstated.

I started my experience with Cameron-Brooks about a year before my career conference, which took place in November 2010.  I would highly recommend starting the DPP as early as possible as we all have full time jobs and the program can be time-consuming if you’re investing what you should be into it.  The actual reading list portion of the DPP is tremendously helpful to increase your background education about business and to get you thinking in the “private-sector/for-profit” mindset.  On that note, making that transition can be difficult.  It is completely normal to experience a period of time of real uneasiness when going through this program.  We might not see it while we’re in the military but we take the security of our world for granted.  Voluntarily throwing off that blanket and seeking to join the business world is a big step but a great one that will allow you excellent opportunities for growth and tremendous career potential.  One of the clearest advantages that Cameron-Brooks brings to the table is a preparation to make that step with your best foot forward.  I can’t stress that enough, the opportunity for future business leaders is tremendous right now and you realize this opportunity through the interview process.  It is my belief that no one prepares you to sit in front of the interviewers better than Cameron-Brooks.  In fact one of my interviewers with IBM told me verbatim that when he originally looked at my resume and began the interview he didn’t think I had the skill set or experience to make it onto his team.  He finished the interview with saying he was going to immediately recommend me for employment and that he would remove a member of his current team in order to bring me on.  He said the reason was my ability to interview and communicate my strengths effectively and candidly.  Cameron-Brooks calls this communicating my ability, interest, and rapport and it works.  The reason I was as prepared as I was is a direct result of the DPP and my work with the Cameron-Brooks team.

The Cameron-Brooks Team is filled with some of the best people you’d ever want to meet.  They take your success as their personal responsibility and are some of the hardest working people you’ll ever work with.  My personal process from start to finish took a great deal longer than average and the team never stopped working to get me where I wanted to go.  I owe them a lot and consider them real friends now.  They mean it when they say they are committed to your success and being one of the Cameron-Brooks Alumni is something I’m proud of.

Lastly, I’d just like to say that a career in the military is a tremendously noble thing and I would be the first to congratulate anyone who has served 20 years or more.  I would never tell anyone to get out if it’s what they truly want to do.  If you are considering transitioning, which if you’re reading this you most likely are, there is no better way to do it than with Cameron-Brooks.  You’ll have the opportunity to interview with tremendously high quality companies who are actively searching for individuals with your skill sets and take the strengths you’ve gained through military service seriously.  They are hiring you because you are a military leader, not in spite of it, and they fully expect you to be a leader within their organizations. 

You are among the elite of your generation; continue that success both now and forever.

 Best of luck to you and Semper Fi, 

Dave Bradt

IBM Global Business Services

Former USMC Captain and proud Cameron-Brooks Alumnus