Sergeant First Class Joe Carmody, Pipefitter at Performance Contractors Inc.

Date of Hire: April 2018
Age: 34
Military Service: Sergeant First Class (E-7),Army (2002-2018)
MOS: Joint Fire Support Specialist (13F)
Education: Working on a National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER) Pipefitting certification (fully funded by Performance Contractors)

What helped most in your job hunt and what didn’t?

I give so much credit to the folks running the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) at Fort Polk, La. They really cared, and the advice they offered was extremely practical, sensible and realistic. What did not help was assuming I should only search for jobs that met my background but that I was not really interested in, like personal security jobs, law enforcement and government contracting.

During your search, what attributes of a potential job were of most value to you?

One of my biggest concerns in transitioning was that I wouldn’t find the same sense of service, duty and honor I had while in the Army. So finding a new career that was enjoyable, satisfying and worthwhile was a priority.

Best advice for transitioning service members?

THERE IS LIFE OUTSIDE OF THE MILITARY! I was scared; I didn’t know what else I was going to do. Now, I feel absolutely blessed. There is a huge, thriving private sector marketplace out there, and the skills you’ve gained while in the service will put you light years above your peers.