Our Blog

BY Joel Junker

4 Reasons Why I Partner with Millennial JMOs

So much has already been written about Millennials in the workforce.  Why write another blog post about a topic that has already been covered in depth?  Because Millennial JMOs break the stereotypical mold of the Millennial generation, and I want to share 4 reasons why I like partnering with them.  As with any strength, there is typically a potential weakness or pitfall related to it, and I will address that as well.

1. Strong desire for meaningful work.  I interview about 40 JMOs a week.  When I ask them about their goals, the most common goal I hear is related to finding a career that makes a difference.  I love it!  Our lives are short, and we have one shot at it.  No do-overs.  My advice to a Millennial JMO is to keep that as the true north on your compass, though I caution you on your definition of meaningful work.  Too often I hear meaningful work as defined by a career in innovative technology or alternative energy.  While those are interesting industries, by themselves, they do not necessarily equate to meaningful work.  Rather, meaningful work is a choice you will make each day in your career.  It will be how you treat people, criteria you use to make decisions, and the time you take to serve others.
2. Engaging with technology.  This topic is discussed often, but from my perspective, I’ll reiterate it here. Cameron-Brooks has had to adapt and develop new technology to meet the needs of our candidates, and it has really pushed us to rethink how we work.  We used to only give our overview presentation in person at the military location, and now we have live and recorded webcasts you can watch from any time, from any place.  We have also developed a Candidate Learning Library and Portal, which is full of free information to learn about the transition.  Additionally, we launched a podcast on iTunes called the Cameron-Brooks Podcast:  Above & Beyond.  Millennial JMOs have pushed us faster and further into tech solutions, and it has been fun.  My word of caution though, you can never beat meeting someone face-to-face to develop a relationship.  This is why our team of recruiters travel around the country and to Germany to meet JMOs in-person.  Nothing can duplicate human interaction.
3. Desire to stay connected with family.  Millennial JMOs want a career and meaningful work, but not at the expense of relationships with family.  I have four children, and both my parents and in-laws are actively involved in their lives.  I completely understand and support connection with family.  I think this is why many leave the military.  Occasionally, some JMOs equate this with narrowing on location for their career search to be close to family.  With my 19 years of experience, I strongly believe you can maintain close relationships with family AND conduct a career search to find meaningful and challenging work.  You will quickly learn that you will have more control over your career to travel when you want compared to your time in the military. From my experience, unless you live within a couple of blocks of your family, you probably won’t seem them any more whether you are 30 miles away or 300.  It will still take an effort to see them.
4. Millennial JMOs like feedback.  I think this trait comes from the recurring, instant feedback from technology such as the “Like” button, texting and more.  This desire for feedback also manifests itself in that you want to hear from experts about how you are doing and what you can do better.  My word of caution here is do not just get feedback delivered via text, email or Instagram.  Look to get feedback verbally either in-person, video chat or over the phone.  We do this at Cameron-Brooks through our Personal Marketability Assessment and consultation sessions for those accepted in our program.  Feedback is not just about knowing people “like” you and what you have done, it is also to help you reach your goals and potential.

Thank you Millennial JMOs for your desire for meaningful work.  I am sure this is why many of you serve our country.  Thank you for reminding us of the importance of family, feedback and pushing us beyond our comfort zone with technology.

Joel