Garland Williams

Location: i live in chandler, az, and work in phoenix.

About me

I retired from the Army on Halloween 2009 after having served 28 years on active duty and reaching the rank of Colonel. I was a combat engineer and commanded units up through and including brigade level. My family and I spent 11 of those 28 years overseas in various locations including Germany, Italy, and Japan. Currently I am the Associate Regional VP for Military at the University of Phoenix and have been in this position for just over 3 1/2 years.

Originally from Atlanta, I attended Auburn University for my undergraduate degree in Pre-Law/Journalism and was fortunate to attend graduate school on an Army Fellowship completing my Masters and Doctorate in Political Science at Duke University. I have published three book length manuscripts including Defense Reorganization and Change (my dissertation), Engineering Peace (published by the US Institute of Peace), and Perspectives on Leadership.

Finally, my wife and I have two grown daughters who have both earned their bachelor's degrees and one overgrown cat (who really acts like a dog).

Interests

sports, running, sailing, reading (novels and non-fiction)

Skills

writing for publication, public speaking, leadership and management

Activity

Garland Williams

Discussion Comment

Making a Match

How do we "train" our veterans to fit into the corporate culture? We trained our service members how to fit into the military culture, but do we do a good job of reversing that training and helping them to assimilate into the corporate world? As I have stated before, if the veteran got the interview, then his qualifications are sound. Now is the time to let his or her personality shine through to demonstrate that they can successfully make the transition from military life to corporate life.

Garland Williams

Blog Comment

Veteran skills

@raesin17 :I believe we are turning the corner in veteran hiring. According to the BLS data, veteran unemployment overall is down, but still remains high for the 18-24 year old age group. However, I believe HR managers are starting to "get it" and are starting to make an attempt to understand what veterans bring to the civilian work force. With a million active duty service members soon to become veterans, the civilian work force will be exposed to the dedicated talent commonly found in the military to an extent that American hasn't felt since the end of WWII.

Garland Williams

Discussion Comment

Expectations Are in Sight

Christina, You outline it in a very logical sequence that can be used as part of a veteran's "mission" brief. The mission is to get hired in a job of the veteran's choice and the operation order is the sequence that you lay out in your response. What veterans also must remember is that your resume passed the test if you were called for an interview. In the interview is where the personality of the veteran must shine through. The interview confirms that the veteran has the necessary skills for the job. The interview confirms that the veteran has the… >>>

Garland Williams

Discussion Comment

Identifying Transferable Skills

Christina, What can we do to help this issue along? There is little need for an infantryman in corporate America, but there is a huge need for the leadership traits that he learned while in the military, for organization skills that were perfected, and for the counseling expertise. We need to help veterans concentrate more on the competencies that they learned while a service member and less on the specific job titles. Even if the veteran was a commander, translating "Commander" to "CEO" on a resume doesn't quite demonstrate the level of competency that the veteran acquired while being in… >>>

Garland Williams

Discussion Comment

Turning Wrongs Around

Christina, You hit on a good point. Some are ready to put their military past behind them. But we need to help them to understand that despite the horrible experiences that many may have endured, they learned valuable skills in leadership, budget management, and logistics that will translate very well to the civilian sector. Helping the veterans to demonstrate that within the words of their resume is a challenge that we who work with veterans need to meet everyday. Garland Williams, Ph.D.

Garland Williams

Discussion Comment

Making a Match

Here is a key point that veterans must understand during their job search - if the candidate is invited for an interview, they have already met the minimum qualifications for the advertised job. The purpose of the interview is to determine if the candidate will fit in well with the company/corporate culture. The interview is where the candidate must let his personality shine through in a positive manner. Veterans must become less formal, erase the use of military acronyms, and demonstrate the value that they can bring to the company. Hiring managers are looking for the best candidate that will… >>>

Garland Williams

Discussion Comment

Online Scams and Veterans

Online scams do not discriminate - they affect civilians as well as veterans and require the online user to be vigilant in their online protections. Some simple rules remain true. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Nobody from a reputable company will ask PII through the internet or email. And the less personal information that a user can put on their LInked In or Facebook accounts will help to better protect the Veteran from scammers.

Garland Williams

Discussion Comment

S.T.A.R. in Motion

Nice, succinct response. You have expressed the attributes of STAR very well.

Garland Williams

Discussion Comment

Overcoming Networking Apprehensions

Sandra, You hit on a valuable point - veterans not only must figure out how to come across in a positive manner face-to-face, but must also do the same in the online environment. Too many times I have read veteran posts that indicate a cynical and jaded response that sometimes turns off and many times anger other in the room. This only perpetuates the idea that all veterans are damanged and broken in some manner and that the community as a whole is not to be trusted. A littel coaching on how to create an appropriate online presence will go… >>>

Garland Williams

Discussion Comment

Companies Supporting Military Personnel

Sandra, I appreciate that you have recognized these valuable traits. What do you think we, as a community, can do better to help others recognize the value that veterans bring to corporate America? In my view, these traits are great untapped resource that if valued on a wide scale would go a long way toward helping America progress. But we need to figure out some way, on a broad scale, that civilians without a military background can fully understand this golden resource.

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