By Eric Gardiner 

Last Monday, the Chicago chapter of Veterans for American Ideals (VFAI) proudly partnered with Upwardly Global and FourBlock to put on a night of career preparation training for refugees and immigrants in the local community. Volunteer coaches ran aspiring job applicants through rounds of speed networking and mock job interviews and helped them edit and improve their resumes. The event brought together two very different populations with much to teach each other.

On face, you wouldn’t think that veterans and refugees had much in common, but the similarities are surprising. Veterans and refugees all have very diverse life experiences; they’ve transitioned to a new context and place in life; they’re resilient; and most importantly, they have a fundamental appreciation for the value of human connection.

Every veteran that exits the service has had to take stock of their past, repurpose it for their civilian career, and explain how their experiences and skills bring unique value to businesses, organizations, or groups. So, it seemed only natural that we should pass that experience on to our brothers and sisters in the Chicago community that find themselves in a similar position. After all, the networking and mock interview activities capitalized on best practices that anyone from the military can appreciate – rehearsal; contingency planning; and the importance of candid feedback.

For both the volunteers and the job candidates, I think the event touched on two very important themes. First, as William Bridges says, “It is when we are in transition that we are most completely alive.” There’s a difference between change and transition. Change happens externally, but transition happens internally. Successful transitions feel good whether you go through them yourself or help someone else through them.

Second, and most importantly, you can’t undergo a transition in your life without a community. At the event, I had the opportunity to talk about networking, which often has a negative transactional connotation. But the wonderful thing about veterans is that we all know it’s not really about networks, it’s about communities – whether you’re helping to mentor local security forces in uniform or trying to find support as you enter a new job or phase in your life. VFAI sees networking as connecting with people in order to see what you can do for them. There’s power when you make the world not about yourself, when you link arms with those around you, when you help build your community.

The job applicants at the event had incredible backgrounds, with skills and experiences spanning multiple industries and continents. There are about 2 million immigrants and refugees currently in the U.S. who have college degrees from their home countries but are unemployed or working far below their skill level. That’s a group that VFAI hopes to continue to serve going forward. The veterans that volunteered last week hope to help weave them into our new local fabric. Because when they thrive, they’ll make our lives better too.

Especially around Memorial Day, a time for reflection and appreciation about the cost and meaning of sacrifice, one of the best things that we can do to honor those that have gone before us is to continue to serve. As General John Wainright said to recently separated veterans in 1946: “Opportunity for leadership is yours. The responsibility is yours….Start being a leader as soon as you put on your civilian clothes.” At VFAI, we take that responsibility seriously and we try to live up to the standards and ideals that informed our military experience by continuing to serve our local communities as civilians.

Eric Gardiner is a former Navy SEAL officer and a combat veteran of Afghanistan, whose advocacy helped bring his Afghan interpreter to the United States on a Special Immigrant Visa. He is currently a  Finance and Integration Analyst at General Electric Transportation in Chicago, where he co-leads the local VFAI chapter.