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

Blog Comment

Friendly

Absolutely! Instructors can be seen in two ways by students - the first is the one who holds the grade in balance and the person that the student must impress to succeed. The second can be as an intimidating presence who has more knowledge in the subject. A smile, genuine concern, and an openness to conversation can go a long way to breaking down any barriers.

Garland Williams

Blog

Veteran Education 2 Careers

In the revised TAP (Transition Assistance Program) or now called Transition GPS, there is an optional 2 day education module that i encourage all transitioning service members to take. I won't claim that in 2 days you will have a perfect plan on how to use your education benefits to reach your career of choice, but at least it will be two days for you to concentrate solely on you . . . what do you want to do for your next career and what benefits/assets do you have to help you reach your goal.

A new wrinkle in higher… >>>

Garland Williams

Discussion Comment

Companies Supporting Military Personnel

Gil, this sounds like a very comprehensive approach to ferreting out those companies who want to hire veterans. If your institution was approached by a corporation that has a stated objective to hire 1000 veterans, how would you help that corporation link up with your students that would be appropriate candidates to meet their objective? Would this be a networking type of event, or would offer to be a direct intermediary by linking up appropriate resumes with specific job announcements? Or do you have another approach in mind?

Garland Williams

Discussion Comment

Expectations Are in Sight

What tips do you give your students on how to anticipate a hiring manager's expectations? Do you find the HR expectations vary by industry? And what do you tell your students to do if they just can't figure out the expectations regardless of their research? Is there a generic approach that you coach your students to take?

Garland Williams

Discussion Comment

Overcoming Networking Apprehensions

Nice approach. Are there veterans who are part of your contacts who can provide networking advice from the veteran viewpoint? What advice do you give your students about the use of business cards during networking? As students, the veterans may not see the importance of a "calling card" since they technically aren't working, but a "leave behind" opens the door for a followup at a later date. Do you agree, or is there a better approach?

Garland Williams

Discussion Comment

Value of Soft Skills

Stephanie, you have a good appreciation of the soft skills needed. To get more specific, I have found that active duty service members (me included) tend to be very direct using email while in service. But I find that approach does not work in corporate America. I have found that I have had to soften my e-mail approach. What specific direction or guidance do you provide to your students so that their emails take on a less harsh tone? If you do provide this kind of coaching, how has it been received by veterans?

Garland Williams

Discussion Comment

Foundation of Trust

Gil, it seems as if you put an incredible amount of effort into your teaching. When I was a professor, I too encouraged my students to call me at home, although I did put a 2200 hours limit since I had small children at home at the time. "Get out of jail free" card is also a great option as long as you have plenty of assignments throughout the class that one assignment drop doesn't affect the final learning outcomes that you want the student to ultimately take from the class. When you come across a student who just doesn't… >>>

Garland Williams

Discussion Comment

Military-to-Civilian Viewpoint

Gil, you make a great point about first impressions. If you could write an article that would give 5 tips on what veterans should do to make a good first impression, what would they be? As you know, veterans are used to using check lists. During the service they used a checklist to perform maintenance, they used a checklist to ensure safe convoy operations, and they used a checklist to make sure all equipment is uploaded and accounted for. What is the PMCS checklist that a veteran can use to ensure that he is ready to walk into an interview?

Garland Williams

Discussion Comment

Military-to-Civilian Viewpoint

Adam, I agree with your assessment. What advice do you give your veterans on how to properly research a company so that resumes and cover letters are correctly tailored? In your role at your institution, do you have the opportunity to link up your students face-to-face with hiring managers who can offer this type of advice? Or can your HR department provide that kind of coaching to your students so they will properly alter their resumes/cover letters for their list of prospective employers?

Garland Williams

Discussion Comment

Returning Behind the Trend

Gil, it looks like your campuses do a great job at helping the veteran understand the IT industry. Has your campus partnered with specific corporations who are willing to interview and hire your graduates? I believe a key piece of putting our veterans to work is the creation of hiring pipelines that link specific degrees with corporations who understands the graduate who has that specific degree and knows what they can bring to corporate America. Does your school take your placement to that level? Do you think there is something additional that could be done to help the veteran get… >>>

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