By Angela Swinson Lee
Special To The Washington Informer
U.S. Navy veteran, Kassandra Harriott is the youngest of six children in a military family. Her father is a retired U.S. Marine, and all of her siblings are still serving.
“The only thing outside of the military we know is that you retire, so for me deciding to leave the military there was no precedent for what that looked like,” Harriott said.
Transitioning from military to civilian life is a significant journey and can sometimes pose challenges and uncertain opportunities. For veterans, this shift represents not only a change in career but can also mean a shift in identity, routine, and support systems. JPMorgan Chase’s Military Pathways Development Program has helped Harriott navigate that transition. The program connects top veteran talent to essential roles at JPMorgan Chase and provides candidates the training, support and exposure they need to grow into future leaders across our most demanding businesses.
Journeying into the corporate world
“The Pathways program helped me transition into corporate life to align my transferable skills and my military experience with some of the roles offered at JPMorgan Chase. Given how the program is set up, there are two rotations for one-year roles, so in that time, you’re able to apply training, network with colleagues and senior level management and get exposure within the firm.”
Mark Elliott, global head of Military & Veterans Affairs at JPMorgan Chase, said service members and their families have sacrificed so much during their military service that the program provides an opportunity to give back and demonstrate an appreciation for that service.
“Our anchor initiative is to help veterans find meaningful careers when they transition out of the military, and that takes on so many different kinds of manifestations. One, it’s about giving them an opportunity in our firm to discover what they’re good at outside of their military career,” Elliott said. “Some of our veterans know exactly what they want to do when they come out of the military, and they may not need to go through that kind of discovery phase, and so they’re placed in a job that affords them to take advantage of the skills that they know they have and that they know are necessary or desired in that particular team or line of business.”
Recognizing challenges and uncertainty ahead
Through his time working with the program, Elliott has found that one of the biggest challenges veterans often face is uncertainty.
“It’s uncertainty about where do I fit in. Some may have left high school and went into the military, or they finished up a college degree and then they went into the military and that’s all they’ve ever known,” said Elliott, who served nearly three decades in the U.S. Army. “When you step away from that, I liken it to leaving a family, and that family was everything to you. They embraced you. They hugged you. When things were tough, they cheered you on, and now you step into the corporate world or nonmilitary, and you don’t know what to expect.”
Harriott is convinced that the program has provided her with stability and the support of a community that sees the potential that military veterans have and allows them to explore their talents and different roles within the firm. “It’s been really validating to experience a company that really recognizes that and allows you the space to grow,” she said. “You can explore different types of roles and see what best aligns with you instead of choosing something that’s the first pick up.”
Honoring our fallen heroes
As Memorial Day approaches, Harriott said, it’s a moment to reflect upon those who’ve served and those who are currently serving and remembering that someone is on deployment 24 hours a day. “It’s about just being thankful, showing gratitude toward them, and taking a moment to think about what their sacrifices mean for you and for this country.”
For more than a decade, JPMorgan Chase has partnered with the nonprofit organization Carry The Load for its Memorial May campaign and National Relay, a 20,000-mile journey across America to honor and remember the nation’s heroes.
“It is an honor to partner with Carry The Load to engage individuals across the nation on the true meaning of Memorial Day and help deliver the message that we must remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedoms,” said Elliott.