Sharing Advice for Transitioning Service Members

For members of the military—courageous men and women who’ve served the nation for years and faced high-stress and often perilous situations—one event can be especially daunting: the transition to civilian life.

“It’s nerve-wracking when you're transitioning out of a career you've had your entire adult life to something completely new,” says Joel Dillon, U.S. Army veteran and Booz Allen senior vice president.

Today, Joel is shaping the future of the digital battlespace as a leader in Booz Allen’s global defense business and helping other service members thrive in new career paths as executive sponsor of the firm’s Armed Services Community (ASC).

Joel talks about how the Hiring Our Heroes program, a Booz Allen partner for more than a decade, led him to his current position. He also discusses career opportunities in Booz Allen’s AI and digital battlespace work and the firm’s approach to cultivating and supporting military talent, including ASC’s events for May’s Military Appreciation Month. 

Joel’s military career is filled with achievements and milestones. He deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. He spearheaded the development, testing, and fielding of specialized body armor for female soldiers. He led award-winning R&D projects in deep future warfighting analytics. And after more than 20 years of service, he found himself at a crossroads.

“When you retire, you go through a series of classes and other workshops about getting ready to depart the military and move into civilian life,” he says. A presentation by one organization stood out. “’If you're staying in the local area and you're retiring on the following timeline and you’re interested in a fellowship, we're called Hiring Our Heroes,’” he remembers a speaker telling the group. “The program really did a great job,” he recalls.

Joel’s first post-service job was with Amazon Web Services (AWS), serving as a technical project manager on a defense-related initiative. “Then Booz Allen found me,” he says. “When they started explaining the role and the firm’s work, I gravitated towards it.”

“Being able to be on the ground and work day to day with our military folks in our global defense business is a great opportunity for any military retiree or someone transitioning out looking for a role,” says Joel. “It's going to keep them close to the mission and allow them to continue to grow.”

Booz Allen has supported military clients since before World War II, and today—more than 80 years later—is a particularly exciting time to be at the firm and working in defense technology.

“We're doing very cutting-edge work for our clients across the Department of Defense and beyond,” he says. One key area is artificial intelligence. “Not only do you need to be able to gather and effectively move the data required to train algorithms for AI, but you also need to able to protect that data to make sure it remains accurate, so it can be processed to create those algorithms.”

Right now, Joel’s team is working on ways to use AI algorithms in unmanned robotic systems to support warfighters—just one of many emerging areas where Booz Allen, the number one provider of AI services to the federal government, offers hands-on experience shaping the future.

“You can learn about it here because we already have tools in place,” says Joel. “As you learn it, you can start moving into actual real-world missions where you’re helping to build those systems. We’re building operationally relevant systems that are going to be put into use out there for testing, training, and deployment today and tomorrow.” 

“If you want to learn about AI, working with some of the best AI practitioners in the world is a great way to start,” he says.  

AI is just one area that Booz Allen employees can explore for learning and career development as they chart their own course.

“It's not uncommon for someone to be working on projects with the Air Force, Special Operations Command, and the Army—all at the same time,” Joel says. “We have a promotion path for employees with the ability to upskill and go after different roles.”

Booz Allen takes care of employees, making sure people continue to grow, develop their skills, and excel, such as encouraging employees to earn new certifications. They can work across boundaries and gain experience in different areas that interest them.

“It never gets dull,” Joel declares. “Booz Allen allows you to really move around and do neat stuff. But it’s not gig work. We hire for the long term.”

Nearly one-third of Booz Allen’s 34,000 employees are military-affiliated. With their growth and development in mind, Joel and his ASC team are hosting a series of events in May for Military Appreciation Month. Under the theme of “Together Is Better,” these events will educate and inform the firm’s military talent about the opportunities for professional growth and development.

The firm’s commitment to people goes well beyond a single month and event series. Joel recalls his own arrival at Booz Allen and his first projects. “Honestly, it was kind of scary moving into a brand-new position with people I didn't really know and being expected to deliver,” he remembers. “But I had great mentors to help me learn how the firm operates and how we deliver to clients.”

Now as ASC’s executive sponsor and in his business leadership role, Joel tries to pay it forward. “I routinely meet with transitioning military service members,” says Joel. “I'm not necessarily trying to recruit them to Booz Allen. I'm just trying to help as many people as I can understand what I went through.”

Joel is continuously impressed with the caliber of his colleagues. “You work with some of the best people in the world at Booz Allen,” he says. “We take care of our people, and if you join the team, you're surrounded by those people every day.”