Garland Williams

Location: i live in chandler, az, and work in phoenix.

About me

I retired from the Army on Halloween 2009 after having served 28 years on active duty and reaching the rank of Colonel. I was a combat engineer and commanded units up through and including brigade level. My family and I spent 11 of those 28 years overseas in various locations including Germany, Italy, and Japan. Currently I am the Associate Regional VP for Military at the University of Phoenix and have been in this position for just over 3 1/2 years.

Originally from Atlanta, I attended Auburn University for my undergraduate degree in Pre-Law/Journalism and was fortunate to attend graduate school on an Army Fellowship completing my Masters and Doctorate in Political Science at Duke University. I have published three book length manuscripts including Defense Reorganization and Change (my dissertation), Engineering Peace (published by the US Institute of Peace), and Perspectives on Leadership.

Finally, my wife and I have two grown daughters who have both earned their bachelor's degrees and one overgrown cat (who really acts like a dog).

Interests

sports, running, sailing, reading (novels and non-fiction)

Skills

writing for publication, public speaking, leadership and management

Activity

Garland Williams

Discussion Comment

Companies Supporting Military Personnel

Sharon, When I work with veterans during the hiring process, I encourage them to diligently translate their military experience into language that civilian HR Managers can understand. There isn't much of a call for an infantryman in retail, but there is a call for the leadership that he demonstrated while working/leading his squad. I believe that if a potential employee can translate his military experience into the 3M's . . . Men, Material, and Money . . . how many Men/Women did the service member supervise, how much material or equipment did the service member manage, and how much Money… >>>

Garland Williams

Discussion Comment

Foundation of Trust

Sharon, Your post indicates that you are properly poised and prepared to help our veterans transition. As you know, many veterans face what they believe are insurmountable hurdles to enter the civilian work force. Can you give me an example of how you helped a veteran overcome their obstacles and make it successfully through their transition into civilian life? Also, I have found that I learn more from those I help than what they learn from me. What have you learned from the veterans that you have helped?

Garland Williams

Discussion Comment

Making a Match

I can't stress enough the importance of tailoring a resume or a cover letter for the specific job that is being sought. Hiring managers have a very specific type of candidate that they are looking for to fill open positions. The better a veteran can overtly demonstrate that they are the right fit for the opening the quicker the veteran will receive the desired job offer. Again, translating "military speak" into civilian terms is not only a "nice to have" in a resume but is imperative to break into the civilian ranks.

Garland Williams

Discussion Comment

Overcoming Networking Apprehensions

Linked-in is a great tool, although I have seen many recommendations not to buy the premium package as it doesn't really add much to a job search. Facebook is a double edged sword. Employers absolutely do look at facebook pages and will gain an impression from what they find on a candidates. If you were to look at my page, you will find around 200 pictures that have been posted . . . none of which I posted. I often go through my profile to make sure that I approve of what is there. So far I haven't had to… >>>

Garland Williams

Discussion Comment

Identifying Transferable Skills

Great points. The only thing I would add is to coach the veterans to have researched and practiced competency stories that demonstrate these transferable skills. Most interviews are behavior based and stories that are succinct and to the point tend to make the point. Plus, put these stories into civilian terms and eliminate the acronyms.

Garland Williams

Discussion Comment

Turning Wrongs Around

Gustavo, You are so right. The challenge we run into is that many veterans need coaching on the best way to demonstrate those competencies. I advocate that Corporate HR and the veteran need to meet half way. As veterans we can't expect for the rest of the world to bend to us, but we can try to educate HR on the skills that veterans bring to the job. If you were the coach, what would be the three things that you would tell a veteran to do in an interview to put their best foot forward?

Garland Williams

Blog Comment

Online Reputation Management Tips for Career Colleges

I appreciate your insights. But why would traditional universities not employ the same methods? To be viable in the higher education space, all higher institutions need to be viewed as a "go to" resource for information and knowledge. Why wouldn't traditional universities not use social media and internet connections to bolster their reputations as well?

Garland Williams

Blog Comment

Retention

Retention is the key. It is one thing to get students to commit to starting their education, but if they don't complete the course and graduate, the enrollment is meaningless.

Garland Williams

Blog Comment

Training

Are you finding that most training relies way too much on presentation crutches such as PowerPoint and YouTube? I find that if an instructional point is not listed on the slide, the instructor becomes lost and the depth of knowledge is lacking. How do we fix this?

Garland Williams

Blog Comment

Alumni Services

I believe that predominantly online schools and career college alumni resources can serve as a great way to connect college alumni in communities and would serve as a connector when these alumni may not have had any other reason to know each other. Alumni homecoming events in local towns also serve as a great networking tool and as a great college promotion.

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