Military service often provides its members with a variety of skills and experiences that not only work well in the field, but back in civilian life. Plenty of those skills help make veterans good tech industry employees, but it’s that variety — and flexibility — that make them great.
“I worked in different environments and had to learn new things constantly,” said Donuts Senior Channel Operations Manager Sharon Romes, a U.S. Navy veteran. “The skills I learned while enlisted — communication, organization, work ethic and high service standards — are applicable anywhere.”
Many veterans can speak to the same experience in a variety of environments. According to the USO, military families move at least every two or three years. Romes herself has lived in Florida, California, Japan and other Pacific ports. The global connection, in a tech world that regularly requires communication across the oceans, is an underrated but highly applicable trait.
Veterans are excellent in high-pressure situations, hard workers and capable of learning on the fly — all skills that are cultivated through military service. In a conversation with Built In Seattle, Romes spoke more about how the adaptability and breadth of experience she picked up in the Navy made her a valuable asset in the tech industry.
How and where did you serve your country? What is your current role, and what are you working on right now?
I was in the U.S. Navy from 1990 to 1996. I was in boot camp in Orlando, Florida and then had training in Great Lakes, Illinois and San Diego, California. I served as an electronics technician in Alameda, California — specializing in radar systems — and then on the USS Blue Ridge stationed out of Yokosuka, Japan. As part of the 7th Fleet, we visited ports all around the Pacific.
I’m currently working as senior channel operation manager and have been at Donuts for six years. I’m part of a team supporting all aspects of internal operations for the company and our channel partners. I love my job because I am able to work and interact with people across the company and have involvement in a variety of projects. It’s never boring!
What aspects of your military service have helped you build a career in tech, and what are some new skills you’ve developed since you left the service?
In the military, I lived and worked with people from many different backgrounds and was lucky enough to experience many different cultures. I’ve lived in Europe, Japan and all over the U.S. I worked in different environments and had to learn new things constantly, especially on the ship where you always have duties above and beyond your “day job.” Learning to be flexible, to always continue learning with an open mind and to recognize the importance of empathy in service are all things the military taught me.
Maintaining adaptability and being able to apply what I learned in the Navy and college to actual real world situations and jobs that didn’t exactly fit my naval training or college degree path has been key to becoming a valuable employee wherever I’ve worked. What I’m doing now is literally a world away from fixing the radar on a ship in Japan, but the skills I learned while enlisted — communication, organization, work ethic and high service standards — are applicable anywhere.
Learning to be flexible, to always continue learning with an open mind and to recognize the importance of empathy in service are all things the military taught me.”
What advice would you give to fellow veterans who are looking to build a career in the tech sector?
Make sure you’re taking advantage of your Veteran’s Affairs (VA) resources! Everyone I’ve talked to when I’ve called in to the VA has been helpful and knowledgeable. Sometimes you don’t even know what’s available until you ask.
Also, foster connections with other veterans and highlight your military service when looking for a job — it’s definitely a mark in your favor and you never know when you’ll come across another veteran or someone with military connections in your job search.
