The Make Your Move podcast enters a new season with special guest Carl Cramb, US Navy Captain (Ret.). In episode 50, Carl shares his just over 29 years of US Navy active duty service, his transition to civilian life, and finding the right fit for both employees and companies.
Carl also shares why making time for yourself and finding the right fit are essential to success in post-military life.
Summary
Carl Cramb served just over 29 years of active duty Navy service, attaining the rank of Captain. His duties included commanding a ship in Pearl Harbor, Chief of Staff at – US Second Fleet, and five tours at the Pentagon, working on various program budgets.
Carl began to explore the opportunities for transitioning out of the Navy at the 28.5-year mark by seeking advice from several of his mentors. He learned that one should start planning their post-military career early rather than waiting until transitioning out of service. After 29 years of service, Carl retired from the US Navy and entered the program management field, later realizing it wasn’t the right fit for him. A move into business development at a US defense company proved to be the right fit. Carl subsequently started his own consulting firm assisting companies serving the defense industry with long-term strategies and business development.
Post-military life has provided Carl with the freedom to spend more time with his family and give back to his community. He is now currently the President of the Sarasota- Manatee Council of the US Navy League.
Episode Highlights
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02:25–06:06 Carl shares his 29.5-year US Navy career and duties.
06:07 – 09:18 The decision to transition out of military service.
09:19 –15:14 Take some time for yourself and have a good perspective on what it is you truly want to do after serving.
15:15 – 21:59 The upsides to post-military life and career and finding the right fit.
22:00 – 23:54 Finding work/life balance.
Your Move
This book is intended to give back to the military community in which I served. Therefore, I hope to convey lessons by opening up a bit and sharing some not-so-public details of my career. I hope that these lessons can save you years of frustration and accelerate your path forward. Another form of the give-back is my plan to provide 100 percent of the profits of this book to a great organization, Freedom Fighter Outdoors. I talk more about it in the book, but I want you to see upfront that this book really isn’t about me; it’s about you and others who will walk this path after us.
In summary, if you have already left the service and are navigating your next career steps, this book is a great place to start. When service members transition from the military, they need to understand how to correctly leverage their experience into industry. It’s common for former military personnel to struggle to fully adapt in the early years of their new civilian careers. They often need help to navigate the culture change they will be experiencing. Notably, they are used to a certain orderliness and to training and becoming an expert at a particular job. In both entrepreneurship and corporate life, the path forward is not always linear or clearly defined.
Order your copy of Make Your Move here.
100% of the proceeds of Make Your Move go to Freedom Fighter Outdoors.
Freedom Fighter Outdoors started from an awareness of the physical, mental, and emotional suffering of many of the men and women who served our country in the military.
Connect with Carl Cramb here.
Learn about the US Navy League – Sarasota- Manatee Council here.
Connect with Gene on LinkedIn for more useful tips and proven strategies to maximize your post-military career success.
Learn more about Gene here.
Order your copy of Million Dollar Influence: How to Drive Powerful Decisions through Language, Leverage, and Leadership at milliondollarinfluence.net
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