Signal Mirror: The Tyler Bolken Episode
from Lahr.media
The average veteran bounces from anywhere between three and five jobs following their departure from the military before settling into long-term employment. This job-hopping can be attributed to a wide variety of reasons: a veteran can walk in the door with a certain expectation and walk out the door having been unsatisfied; there could be issues with supervisors or co-workers, work schedules, and office accommodations. Sometimes we just need to sit in multiple office chairs to find the one that fits them just right.
I was fortunate to find a home in my second job, where I am currently a full-time employee, so I stopped just short of the statistic. I loved my first job. I was a news photographer for the NBC affiliate in Phoenix, Arizona — the 12th largest market in the country. The pay was fair, albeit far less than what I made as an E-6; I had an immense amount of appreciation and love for everyone I worked with; and I was honestly doing what I had set out to do with my life. Had I remained at the station, there was a good chance that I was on my way to reporting in front of the camera. But I didn’t stay.
While the job was rewarding, I was working a 2pm-11pm shift — oftentimes that shift ended between midnight and 1am. My days off were Wednesday and Thursday. My wife was a high school teacher and we had two kids in kindergarten, which means I was able to spend roughly 20 hours per week with my family. Much of that time at work was spent driving my news truck an average of 100–200 miles per day to cover the day’s headlines — shooting stories on fatal car crashes, shootings, stabbings, fires, child drownings, and kids left in hot cars. It’s part of the job. I’m a massive advocate for journalism. There are reasons why we cover all of these stories. But the sacrifice I was making — covering these stories while my wife (who would become my pregnant wife) was taking care of our kids — was not necessary. After 14 months in Phoenix, I found a new job in a city that made more sense for us, and we moved. I’ve now been in my current public relations position for more than two years. Wow, time flies!
That’s my job-hop story. It’s a contrast from the experience this week’s guest had. See, there are a lot of veterans who go from job to job to job and on and on because their employers don’t think they’re a good fit. For one reason or another, veterans get fired. Tyler Bolken took a seat in that boat, as he discusses in episode 12 of The Boots Off Podcast. Luckily, we’re just talking about his first gig out of the Marines. Regardless of that point, try to put yourself in his shoes at that moment. In our conversation, I referred to his drive home after being fired. Can you imagine returning to your young family in your brand new home feeling like you made a mistake by separating from the security of your military career? It’s obviously not my intention to put Tyler in a dunce cap and spotlight with this question. This is precisely one of many scenarios we all play over and over in our heads when weighing the decision to reenlist or separate.
For many, a career setback like Tyler’s could have been a fatal blow. Some vets simply may not know where to turn and will place all the blame on themselves. Tyler, instead, realized what he needed to do. In a way, he designed a marketing campaign for himself by rebuilding his resume, learning the ropes of LinkedIn, and leveraging his network. Then he incorporated a way to continue developing with a five-year plan.
Where will you be five years from now? I hope you don’t plan on being where you are today. Put it into military terms — and I don’t mean consider moving to Germany in three years and then to Florida two years later. I mean if you’re serving in the military, you’re not likely to wear the same rank and hold the same responsibilities for the next five years. You should always be moving up — every 3–5 years. Set those goals. Envision what you want to be doing. You’re probably familiar with SMART goals. I’m not going to get into the details on that. Just start with aspirations. Write down where you can actually go from here.
If you don’t like the potential outcome, consider other options and figure out how you’re going to get there. That’s what I had to do. I had my five-year plan when I was in Phoenix. I had to shred most of it and start from a blank page when I packed up and moved to a new path. My five-year plan today is nothing like my five-year plan then. In fact I’ve had several five-year plans just in the past five years!
It was in 2015 when I began plotting my possible separation and really learning specifics about the civilian news industry. I read the books, networked with the right people, and watched what they were doing to achieve and maintain success. I then drew on those contacts in my network to secure the job in Phoenix.
That chapter has since closed, and I’m in a new chapter — which means a new plan. The one thing that remains constant is that I’m always planning. Not obsessing and over-planning, but at least having an idea of where I might be going and what I need to do to get there.
Heck, I didn’t even enlist into the Air Force in the field I wanted to work in. I enlisted as a loadmaster, made the most of my time in the back of a C-130, and when the opportunity came I followed through on my five-year plan and retrained into broadcast journalism. The examples could continue to roll, but the idea is always evolving. Control your destiny but be flexible enough to recognize opportunities.
I’ll have more on this in a couple weeks when I talk to Scott Tucker, the author of Veteran Wealth Secrets. For now, I’ll leave you with a referral to Tyler’s website, tylerbolken.com, which is where you can find My Dead Brother’s Podcast next Monday, October 5.
