About the author
Joshua Hudson completed a noteworthy twenty-year career as a military photojournalist, public affairs specialist and videographer. His work promoting positive military awareness and supporting military and veterans issues has had a significant impact on the community.
During his career, Joshua served forward deployed as a photojournalist during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, reported on the war in Bosnia, documented the aftermath of 9/11 and the first detainees to arrive at Camp X-Ray GITMO, Cuba; and chronicled the forward deployed forces in the Middle East during Operation Enduring Freedom. He received commendations for his exclusive report, and subsequent international interest in the 1995 rescue of U.S. Air Force Captain Scott O’Grady from Bosnia. The documentation was used as the basis for the movie “Behind Enemy Lines.”
His commands include the USS America (CV-66), Naval Air Station Oceana, Navy Broadcasting Detachment Sigonella (Sicily), Navy/Marine Corps News TV, Defense Intelligence Agency, Fleet Combat Camera Atlantic and Navy Recruiting District Pittsburgh. Among his awards he has received two Navy Commendation Medals, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Navy Achievement Medal (six times), and the Chief of Navy Information Merit award for journalism three times.
Joshua lives in Butler, Pennsylvania, where he teaches continuing education at Butler County Community College, runs a successful photography business and has been a contributing photographer for the Valley News Dispatch and Pittsburgh Tribune. He also volunteers with various veterans organizations and events.
He was also the Managing Editor of G.I. Jobs magazine, and assistant editor for Military Spouse and Vetrepreneur magazines. He writes on veterans employment and education issues as well as celebrity profiles.
Currently, Joshua is a patient advocate for the Department of Veteran Affairs and a graduate student at the University of Pittsburgh in Social Work.
The posts on this blog podcast are Joshua’s and do not reflect the opinions of G.I. Jobs magazine or any of his other employers. Content published by G.I. Jobs is the property of Victory Media Inc. and is linked here with their permission.
1.
Duna Hodge | June 26, 2008 at 9:28 am
LOVE IT! Love the work at GI Jobs you’ve been doing to, and have meant to jot out a line or two for you in praise.
Be safe/take care/don’t work too hard. Shout out when you get a chance.
V/R, duna sends…
2.
Michelle McC-Spencer | July 1, 2008 at 8:14 pm
As a 13-year USN veteran who got out of the service as a AGC (Chief Petty Officer), I am just amazed at how stupid corporate america is when it comes to promoting miltary veterans. They (corporate america) love veterans as we have a very strong work ethic, learn very quickly, and will do the “right thing.” But that can only take you so far, once you reach a certain level in the corporate food chain, the honesty and directness that comes with a successful military career hurts your advancement potential. Corporate america managment loves politics and game-playing more than accomplishment. Don’t rock the boat. Tolerate incompetance and just go along with the games. Since corporate america is just business and usually not live and death, going along to get along is the standard operating procedure. I thought it was just my company and my personality but even in the world of government contractors, where a lot of the employees have previous military background, my spouse is encountering the same career path ceiling. The jump into middle management from a senior technical specialist, equivalent from E-6 to E-7 in the USN, is almost impossible in the corporate world. I have the degree and experience and so does my spouse, but that “glass” ceiling is still there for military veterans, particularly for ones that served more than one tour of duty. So good luck to all the enlisted veterans who get your degrees and go to work for corporate america. They will work you as much as they can but I don’t believe that they truly value your background, other than lip service. So if you really want to move up the corporate career ladder, leave most of those quailities, honestly and belief in hard work, and just focus on the game playing from the beginning. You will go far!!
3.
dragonflydm | July 1, 2008 at 9:52 pm
Michelle,
Thank you for addressing your concerns. I am a twenty-year Navy veteran, and I receive concerns about the transition into corporate America almost daily from E-1 through O-5.
Dealing with corporate hiring managers, and speaking with C-level executives with military experience, I honestly believe that a “military glass ceiling” doesn’t exist.
Many veterans find that there are two stages to the challenges in the civilian market.
The first challenge is learning how to translate the valuable skills veterans have learned in the military into something marketable in the civilian sector.
The second challenge is learning how to integrate military training into corporate culture after they have gotten the job.
There are certainly jobs out there with less than scrupulous employers. There are certainly jobs out there that say they support the troops and don’t. However, there is an endless supply of companies that are ethical, support a good work/home balance, respect military service, etc.
The first question you have to ask yourself is “are the issues that you have with your company really problems in how they do business or problems because they don’t do business the way you do it?”
When I worked in advertising (far away from the military), I know that I had a real challenge shifting my mindset from “the military way” to the “civilian way.” I certainly felt that they didn’t value my two decades of experience. The reality is that my military experience was valued, but they wanted their civilian experience valued as well.
I really suggest you read some of my articles in G.I. Jobs magazine about transitioning from military to corporate culture.
4.
Michelle McC-Spencer | July 3, 2008 at 12:44 am
I have been with this company for over 12 years since I got out and have done well with them and by them from a pay perspective. This company does a good job of supporting the Guard and Reservists from a leave and pay perspective, so I would say that again, up to a certain level, they do a great job of supporting the military. This includes the original company I went to work for in 1995 as well as the company that bought my original company in 2001.
So while I see that they do a decent job of valuing military service members and veterans from a work ethic perspective, I still see most of the veterans in this company in the lower levels of the white-collar workforce. I even see veterans and reservists who were/are senior officers (05) who not promoted to middle management. And I would even say that those individuals who I see as more polished and political than myself not being promoted when other less-qualified (same diversity class) that do not rock the boat or tell the honest truth are promoted.
And I guess to be honest, I think that the military way has a lot to contribute to the civilian way without having to lose those qualities, like accountability, honesty and loyalty to the workers, that made us great middle “leads” in the military. So while I appreciate your wanting military members to learn to play the civilian game and read your magazine, I just wanted the younger vets making the transition to corporate America to know the challenges they will face down the road as they start to move up in corporate America.
So while I have had a decent career with this Fortune 500 company and will continue to work for them until I am eligible to retire with a pension from them if they don’t lay us off in the meantime, I will always believe that corporate America with most of middle managers without significant military experience who are the ones doing the promoting, will not truly value the strengths of experienced veterans.
So I would say to any younger, hard-charging, veterans as you make the physical transition to civilian life, please consider your long-term goals before you get to your 40s, and don’t depend on corporate America to promote you like the military did for doing the right thing for the right reasons. Think about starting your own company or trying to find a company that has experienced veterans in their middle management ranks. And remember, the only way to get a decent pay raise or be promoted to middle management is to “jump ship” to another company while you are young enough to not worry about retirement, college for your children, etc. My mistake was to stay here long enough to now feel trapped waiting for that pension. Good luck to you.
5.
dragonflydm | July 3, 2008 at 1:16 am
My only response to this is that corporate America is definitely different from the military. While they value your military training, you have to learn the “civilian” game just as we all had to learn how to get promoted in the military.
Promotions in the military may be romanced in your memory a little bit, but there were plenty of great enlisted people who never got promoted because they “didn’t play the game.”
I am working on the podcasts, and when I do, I will go over the P.I.E. system (you can read about it in G.I. Jobs magazine). There always needs to be a balance between productivity, image, and exposure.
As far as officers not getting promoted, it is another example of how everyone needs to learn how to succeed in every new environment.
6. Military Officers Retirement Pay | July 21, 2008 at 3:58 am
Military Officers Retirement Pay…
I enjoyed reading your blog. It is so interesting reading other peoples personal take on a subject….
7.
steve | July 31, 2009 at 8:22 am
Hey Josh great blog, My name is Steve I’m a Veteran also and the Founder of Transitioning Veteran.com. just wanted to compliment you on your site here and was wondering if your on any social networks such as Facebook?