Good morning, I will keep this introduction brief. My name is Carlton, and I am a retired Coast Guard veteran pursuing a project management degree. This career field closely mirrors my active-duty experience, and I embraced management challenges early in my career. The military places you in a sink-or-swim moment, forcing you to decide whether to excel in the face of adversity or step aside for someone else to lead.
I have always strived to succeed and provide the ultimate customer service, which has allowed me to establish a reputation for finding ways to meet every task or goal throughout my twenty-year career. As part of my VA program acceptance, I am reaching out to professionals in the field of project management to understand what it takes to be successful in the civilian world. If you have time to read this post, I would greatly appreciate it if you could share the challenges you faced during your education, your experiences competing for positions, and the day-to-day life of a project manager.
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Carlton, welcome to the PMI community, and congratulations on your transition into project management! Your background in the Coast Guard provides a strong foundation in leadership under pressure, risk management, team coordination, and mission focus which are core soft skills that are highly valuable in project management.
The most important thing right now is to stay committed to the learning process. Many veterans find that they’ve already practiced many project management principles, such as leadership, resource management, risk assessment, and team coordination. The real challenge often lies in adapting to civilian-specific terminology, frameworks (like Agile or Waterfall), and structured methodologies. Once you bridge that gap, you’ll quickly see how well your military experience aligns with project management practices.
Good luck!
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1 reply by carlton marshall
Apr 28, 2025 2:06 PM
carlton marshall
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Dear Mr. Kaibni,
Thank you for your feedback. I recognize that transitioning from working with veterans to civilian counterparts is a challenge I'm ready to face. While it will push me out of my comfort zone, I'm confident this experience will enhance my skills. I appreciate your insights.
Carlton, welcome to the PMI community, and congratulations on your transition into project management! Your background in the Coast Guard provides a strong foundation in leadership under pressure, risk management, team coordination, and mission focus which are core soft skills that are highly valuable in project management.
The most important thing right now is to stay committed to the learning process. Many veterans find that they’ve already practiced many project management principles, such as leadership, resource management, risk assessment, and team coordination. The real challenge often lies in adapting to civilian-specific terminology, frameworks (like Agile or Waterfall), and structured methodologies. Once you bridge that gap, you’ll quickly see how well your military experience aligns with project management practices.
Good luck!
Dear Mr. Kaibni,
Thank you for your feedback. I recognize that transitioning from working with veterans to civilian counterparts is a challenge I'm ready to face. While it will push me out of my comfort zone, I'm confident this experience will enhance my skills. I appreciate your insights.
Carlton Marshall
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1 reply by Rami Kaibni
Apr 28, 2025 2:10 PM
Rami Kaibni
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You got this, Carlton. Wish you all the best in your new journey!
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Apr 28, 2025 2:06 PM
Replying to carlton marshall
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Dear Mr. Kaibni,
Thank you for your feedback. I recognize that transitioning from working with veterans to civilian counterparts is a challenge I'm ready to face. While it will push me out of my comfort zone, I'm confident this experience will enhance my skills. I appreciate your insights.
Carlton Marshall
You got this, Carlton. Wish you all the best in your new journey! Saving Changes...
Carlton,
I had a similar discussion with my neighbor who is 2 years away from retirement in the CG and currently working in logistics. You will probably transition into private sector PM jobs easily. A lot of classic PM theory and practice came out of the DoD back in the 60's due to massive cost overruns.
You might benefit from getting credentials like a PMP, not because you're going to learn a lot from the classroom side, but rather to show you understand the industry standards in addition to how your former employer of 20 years did things. I work in aerospace with lots of current and former military personnel, and they don't seem to think it is drastically different.
One big difference is that in the private sector, if you don't spend all your budget then that's a good thing. If you don't spend your whole budget in the military, they reduce your budget next year.
Keith
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1 reply by carlton marshall
Apr 29, 2025 6:40 PM
carlton marshall
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I remember those late nights at the end of the quarter, scrambling to spend money on things we didn’t really need. If we didn’t use the funds, we would lose them, just as you mentioned. I don’t miss dealing with the military and budgets.
I was looking into my PMP certification before deciding to return to school. After reading your response, I realize that having that certification would be very beneficial in the long run.
Please tell your neighbor that I wish them the best of luck. The grass is greener on the other side! Also, remind them not to forget to apply for their VA benefits before they leave. Thank you again, Keith. Best, Carlton
Carlton,
I had a similar discussion with my neighbor who is 2 years away from retirement in the CG and currently working in logistics. You will probably transition into private sector PM jobs easily. A lot of classic PM theory and practice came out of the DoD back in the 60's due to massive cost overruns.
You might benefit from getting credentials like a PMP, not because you're going to learn a lot from the classroom side, but rather to show you understand the industry standards in addition to how your former employer of 20 years did things. I work in aerospace with lots of current and former military personnel, and they don't seem to think it is drastically different.
One big difference is that in the private sector, if you don't spend all your budget then that's a good thing. If you don't spend your whole budget in the military, they reduce your budget next year.
Keith
I remember those late nights at the end of the quarter, scrambling to spend money on things we didn’t really need. If we didn’t use the funds, we would lose them, just as you mentioned. I don’t miss dealing with the military and budgets.
I was looking into my PMP certification before deciding to return to school. After reading your response, I realize that having that certification would be very beneficial in the long run.
Please tell your neighbor that I wish them the best of luck. The grass is greener on the other side! Also, remind them not to forget to apply for their VA benefits before they leave. Thank you again, Keith. Best, Carlton
Short update,
I was accepted into Charleston Southern University for the fall semester. I did not declare a major as their Project Management degree is only offered online. However, their business management degree is very similar to the PM degree, and it allows me to finally get that college experience I never had.
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
May 07, 2025 8:00 AM
Replying to carlton marshall
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Short update,
I was accepted into Charleston Southern University for the fall semester. I did not declare a major as their Project Management degree is only offered online. However, their business management degree is very similar to the PM degree, and it allows me to finally get that college experience I never had.
Congratulations, Carlton - All the Best! Saving Changes...
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