Gulf War veteran Vaughn Sullenberger went from serving as a U.S. Navy Corpsman to being a mortgage loan manager for Navy Federal Credit Union.
And, he’s passionate about using his role to help his fellow veterans make a successful transition from military service to a meaningful civilian career.
Sullenberger enlisted in the Navy immediately following high school graduation.
“My whole goal was to get college money,” he said. “I used my GI Bill to get my associate’s degree.”
Sullenberger earned his bachelor’s degree while working full-time in the financial industry. An employer of his at the time sent him to the Graduate School of Bank Management.
“It was a three-year program that they paid for and I had to go to the school several months out of the year and do projects,” he said.
Sullenberger joined NFCU in 2017. In his current role, he leads hiring efforts in the real estate lending department in connection with SkillBridge, a Defense Department program that connects transitioning service members with civilian career job training opportunities.
“I love helping people who served or their families,” he said. “I walked in their shoes … I think just helping the military community is what drew me to Navy Federal.”
Sullenberger urged those transitioning from the military to review their role in the service and evaluate how that experience translates to the civilian world.
They should also answer two questions: What do you want to do following your service and where do you want to live?
“Have a plan, know where you want to live, do the education certifications and update your resume,” he added. “One of the things people don’t think about is do you have the proper clothing and how you present yourself. Practice your interview skills. Practice, practice, practice.”
Sullenberger added that veterans have a lot to offer corporate America, including competitive skillsets, a commitment to service and teamwork, and a sense of pride in a job well done.
“When you have this military experience of we have this mission to meet, then it's not an option to fail,” he said. “You’ve got to meet that mission. You take that mentality into the business world.”
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.