5 Lessons Student Veterans Can Use From Three Veteran Hiring Leaders

Three veteran hiring leaders from EY, Penske, and TriWest agreed on five points for student veterans: your skills translate, you are not behind, your network matters now, your first role should set you up to succeed, and a short conversation can open a door. They shared these lessons during a virtual mentorship session with the UT Dallas student veteran chapter.

Who this is for: student veterans who are enrolled or graduating soon and deciding how to approach their first civilian career move.

Key takeaways

• Describe your military work in terms of projects, results, and leadership, not only duties.
• Student veterans are not behind; the mentors said the experience gained in service cannot be replicated.
• Start informational conversations early, before you need a job.
• Choose a first role where you can succeed and grow.
• Programs like DoD SkillBridge can open a path into a new field.

1. How do you translate military experience for employers?

Ron DeSilva, Veterans Recruiting Lead at EY, shared a story about a Navy helicopter pilot whose resume read like an aviation log. Ron asked what projects and programs he had led. The answer was a year-long effort, handed down from senior Navy leadership, to make a costly exercise more efficient, with milestones, deliverables, and a large team.

That is project and change management, and it was missing from the resume. Ron’s advice: think about how goal-oriented you were, the leadership and talent development you did, the deadlines you met, and the communication you handled at a young age. Then write about those things in terms an employer values.

2. Are student veterans behind their civilian peers?

Ron said many student veterans feel they are, and he disagreed. His reasoning was that the skills built in service are ones peers will not have. Jonathan Applewhite, the UT Dallas chapter president, closed the session by thanking the mentors for spending time with the students at UT Dallas and thanking Ron for “letting us know that we’re not behind”.

3. Why build your network before you need a job?

Sean Wilkins, Military Recruiting Manager at Penske, recommended reaching out respectfully to people in roles you are interested in and asking for a little of their time. He described doing this himself when preparing for a career change: he contacted Cory Boatwright, now President and CEO of SVA and then Head of Military and Veteran Programs and Partnerships at LinkedIn, and asked what had worked and what had not.

His reasoning: this is probably your first time making this transition, and you do not know what you do not know. Conversations help you decide with better information.

4. What should you expect from a first civilian role?

Sean encouraged realistic expectations. Many veterans expect to continue at the same level of responsibility they held in service. That can work out, he said, but he encouraged finding an organization where you can succeed right away, build a strong foundation, and grow over the long term. He warned that reaching too far in a first role can put a new hire in a difficult position.

Both Ron and Sean described structured entry paths: EY’s staff-to-partner track and Penske’s management and logistics training programs.

5. Can a program like SkillBridge lead to a career?

Henry Moore, Senior Human Capital Business Partner at TriWest Healthcare Alliance, shared his own route. Before retiring from the Air Force, he joined the DoD SkillBridge program and completed an HR internship at a Social Security Administration office in Ohio. He later moved through contractor work and then to TriWest.

Henry also noted that healthcare employers need more than clinicians. Case managers, clinical reviewers, customer service staff, and provider data specialists were among the roles he named.

What should you do next?

Read the full session recap, then register for the next mentorship session on the SVA events page. Students at the college who attend these events get access to SVA’s free LinkedIn Premium offer.

FAQ

What is DoD SkillBridge? It is a Department of Defense program that lets service members gain civilian work experience through industry training, apprenticeships, or internships during the last 180 days of service. Participation requires written approval from the service member’s command. Confirm current eligibility details on the official DoD SkillBridge site.

How do I ask a mentor for a conversation? Keep the request short and respectful: say who you are, which field interests you, and ask for a little of their time. Mentors in this session invited students to reach out.

Is it too early to start networking while I am still in school? No. The mentors encouraged students to start conversations now, while still enrolled, so they can make better decisions along the way.

Sources

• Session recording, October 15, 2026
• SVA event page: UT Dallas Virtual Student Veteran Mentorship Session
• DoD SkillBridge official page: https://www.skillbridge.mil/

Last updated November 2, 2026.