Tony Zamora is a Director of Human Resources for Ipsos, a global market research & consulting firm. After serving a little more than 4 years in the U.S. Navy, Tony found his passion helping people, understanding business challenges, and connecting the two thru his work as an HR business partner. Tony is the host of the “Unraveling HR- How Success Happens” podcast; listen in & follow the blog at www.tony-zamora.com and follow Tony on Twitter (@tonydzamora) and on LinkedIn.
I can’t believe it’s been just over 2 weeks since the annual SHRM National conference was here in my hometown of Chicago! I’m naturally a very introverted person, so when I attend conferences or big sessions like this I get pretty wiped out; and after reading this post you’ll see why! I even needed to take a few days off to completely unplug and go camping, just to let the mind recharge.
If there’s two topics HR professionals handle on a near daily basis, and ones that I consider necessities of the role; it’s having good communications skills, and successfully managing a performance review program.
As a U.S. Navy Veteran, I’m extremely proud of the time I served on Active Duty and am thankful for the opportunities which came from it. Serving in the military helped me find my true passion of helping people, which is how I transitioned into a career in Human Resources.
I can’t believe we are just about a month away from welcoming 20 thousand + of our HR friends & colleagues friends here in my home city of Chicago!
With so much to do; and a lot of action happening with a short few days, I wanted to give a little local perspective with some tips on how best to take advantage of your time at #SHRM18.
I’m excited and honored to have been selected to be part of the 2018 SHRM Blogging Squad, and the opportunity to attend the Annual SHRM Conference & Expo in June which happens to be here in my sweet home town of Chicago!
While I did attend last year’s SHRM Talent Conference, this will be my first time attending the Annual conference.
I typically write articles here specific to veterans who are transitioning into the civilian sector. However, this one not only is very applicable to the veteran community, but can help anyone who is looking for their next job!
As I sit here in subzero windy temperatures in Chicago; I am thinking back on my Thanksgiving vacation where we went on a Caribbean cruise in which I paid close attention to the crew working on board. It reminded me of my time in the Navy, and while admittingly I didn’t spend as much time on a ship as others, living and working on a ship can teach you much about teamwork that we might not experience in the corporate world.
Trust and getting along is everything
Let’s take a trip down elementary geography lane for a second. The triangle is considered the most stable shape which is why it’s so commonly used around us – from bridges, camera tri-pods and bicycles – triangles provide the stability and support in many things around us.
If I can sum up the top three things learned in the military, it would be: attention to detail is essential, recon and preparedness is everything, and chow hall food builds character.
Questionable food aside, the first two are important and life lasting skills which will help you find and excel at your next job.
If there is one ingredient in the recipe for a successful transition to civilian life that I could recommend, it would be to find and work with a mentor.
The simple definition of a mentor is “an experienced, trusted advisor”. Such a small definition, to what amounts to be a life changing and important tool in succeeding in your transition into the civilian world and the next chapter of your career.
How do you get 20 years of military experience down to two pages?
If there is one question that comes up more than any other from my military friends and networks, it is “How exactly do you condense 20 years of military experience into a resume that doesn’t resemble an encyclopedia?”
Veterans have a lot of training, experience & qualifications that need to be condensed into a short two-page resume that is typical of today’s standards.
If there’s one thing I learned in my time in the Navy and during my last 10 plus years in the Human Resources field, is that the one ingredient you can never go wrong with in a recipe for success is: Grit.
