Timothy’s story

Timothy’s transition

Timothy came into the Marine Corps in 2004 and made it all the way to Sergeant Major, the top of the enlisted ranks. Along the way he was an infantry squad leader, a drill instructor, and the senior enlisted leader running operations and workforce planning for large training organizations.

Then he started the retirement process, and the wall went up.

He applied to 52 positions over five months. Fifty of those went out the old way, and most came back as an immediate no. In his words, they led him nowhere quick. He had already found Best Military Resume by then. He signed up, looked around, and went back to doing it all by hand.

So he gave up a whole weekend to rebuild the entire thing in BMR and get it to a place he felt was his best, then tailored it to the postings he actually wanted. One he knew he could handle. One was a reach.

He applied to two.

Last week he sat back to back final interviews and walked out of both with offers.

When he started planning the transition, he had told himself $120,000 was the number. The offer he accepted pays $225,000 in total compensation.

Fifty applications said no. The next two both said yes. Same Marine, same record, different resume.

What he tells other Marines now, in his own words. Get out of the thought process that you will announce retirement and someone is coming to kick your door down with an offer. Have a number in your head before you start, one you would be happy with, because anything above it is extra. And take offers of help with a grain of salt, not because people are lying, but because their timeline and yours rarely line up.