The newsletter provides information about networking opportunities and resources for Marines and their families through the Marine For Life Network. It includes an article about how a Marine veteran was able to get a job at Intel through the help of his local Marine For Life Representative. The newsletter lists upcoming networking events by region, introduces the Regional Network Coordinators, provides career resources from Amazon and Team Rubicon, discusses tips for networking, and recommends a book on applying Marine Corps management principles to business.

1. NEWSLETTER
Feb 2018
CONNECTING MARINES WITH OPPORTUNITES
Address: 3280 Russell Rd.,
Quantico, VA 22134
Tel: 866.645.8760
Email: M4Lops@usmc.milwww.marineforlife.org

3. TABLE of contents
Address: 3280 Russell Rd., Quantico, VA 22134
Tel: 866.645.8760
Email: M4Lops@usmc.mil
Website: www.marineforlife.org
Company Information
5 Good News Story
7
Upcoming Network Events
11 Resources of the Quarter
9 Get to Know Your Regional Network Coordinator
14 Reading Recommendation
15 Connect with Marine for Life
10 RNC Corner
6 Marine For Life Regional Map

4. 4
Ashneil
Sharma
Marine Veteran

5. GOOD
News Story
Here’s a story from Marine Corps veteran Ashneil Sharma, who explains how
the Marine For Life Network helped him to achieve his professional goals!
5
Hello,
Hello,
My name is Ashneil Sharma, a Marine
Veteran. I’d like to share my experience upon
exiting the Marine Corps, and how I ended up
working for one of the largest manufacturing
companies in the world, thanks to the
guidance and support of my local Marine For
Life Representative and the M4L Network.
I was 18 years old when I joined the Marine
Corps Reserves. After a year of training, I
was sent home to continue my Reserve
obligations. Like most people, I was trying to
find work I felt I would be good at.
I eventually found employment working as a
security guard for Lloyd Center Mall.
One weekend during drill, I met MSgt Todd
Gottfried who was, at the time, the Marine
For Life Representative for Portland, Oregon.
He explained to me how he helps Marines,
Veterans, and their family members who are
searching for job opportunities. He explained
to me how his local network consist of
Veteran-friendly employers who are
motivated to hire qualified Veterans out of
the military. Upon listening to what Todd had
to say, I remember thinking to myself, ‘This
is something I can probably figure out on my
own.’
Perhaps it was my age, or even my ego, but
something inside prevented me from taking
Todd up on his offer for help. When Todd
invited me out to one of his monthly
networking events, where local Veterans and
potential employers meet one another face-
to-face, I still decided to pass. However, in
2015, I unfortunately lost my job in the
security industry and was back on the job
search. Since I had no way of providing for
myself, I had no choice but to move back in
with my parents, and I desperately needed
work.
It was at this point that I finally decided to
give Todd Gottfried a call. He was still the
Portland M4L Representative, and he told me
could help, all I needed to do was ask. Todd
worked with me, and helped me successfully
network and market myself. After meeting
with Todd a few times, I found myself
employed at my very first manufacturing job.
Coming from the security industry, I was a
bit skeptical, but after the proper training, I
learned basic mechanical and electrical skills,
which would ultimately launch me into the
career I’m working in today. I currently work
for Intel, generating more income than I
could have ever imagined. Not only did my
Marine For Life Represenative help me find a
job, he continued to work with me, even after
I was employed, until I found a gainful career
I felt proud of.
Looking back, I wouldn’t have realized how
many ways this guy was helping me out.
Despite having a few disagreements at times,
Todd continued mentoring me, and now, as a
Maintenance Technician at Intel, I have the
potential of becoming an Operations
Manager. I went from making $11 dollars an
hour as security, to now making $30 an hour,
all because of the guidance that was given to
me by MSgt Todd Gottfried, and the help of
the Marine For Life Network. A lot of people
aren’t this lucky and won’t realize the help
they’re getting until they have hit their lowest
point.
I am proud to say that I now drive a sports
car, have my own home, a beautiful family,
and finances are no longer an issue. One of
the main things I’ve learned working with
Todd is that you need to be persistent. I’ve
also learned that you never know who you
may encounter during the course of your day,
so always be networking and be careful not
to burn bridges.
Thank you,
Ashneil Sharma

6. 6
Marine For Life Regional Map

7. 7
UPCOMING
Networking Events
Below are dates of professional networking events taking place throughout the country (listed by region), in
which you can attend free of charge. Be sure to check out our April Newsletter for additional events
scheduled for later this year:
Southeast Region
Jan 26, 2018: Career / Education Fair, MCAS Cherry Point, NC
Feb 9, 2018: Career / Education Fair, MCAS Cherry Point, NC
Mar 7, 2018: Aviation Career Fair, MCAS New River, NC
Mar 16, 2018: Career / Education Fair, MCAS Cherry Point, NC
Mar 22, 2018: Career / Education Fair, MCRD Parris Island, SC
Feb 5-6, 2018: Military Spouse Career Fair, Virginia Beach VA
Feb 8, 2018: Recruit Military/Veteran Job Fair, Baltimore MD
Feb 15, 2018: Ft Belvoir/Springfield Career Fair, Springfield, VA
Feb 14, 2018: Corporate Gray /Military Friendly, Virginia Beach, Virginia Beach Conv Ctr
Feb 27, 2018: HOH Hiring Expo, Washington DC
Mar 8, 2018: Recruit Military/Veteran Job Fair, New York City
Mar 10, 2018: Military Hiring Event, Detroit MI
Mar 14, 2018: Military Spouse Hiring Event, Dover AFB DE
Mar 23, 2018: Corporate Gray /Military Friendly, Army/Navy Country Club, Arlington VA
Mar 26, 2018: Military Spouse Networking Event, McLean VA
Mar 27, 2018: HOH Hiring Expo, Washington DC
Mar 29, 2018: Recruit Military/Veteran Job Fair, Columbus OH
Mar 29, 2018: Military Event @UMW-Dahlgren Campus King, George VA
Mar 29, 2018: Recruit Military/Veteran Job Fair, Pittsburgh PA
Northeast Region

8. 8
UPCOMING
Networking Events
Below are dates of professional networking events taking place throughout the country (listed by region), in
which you can attend free of charge. Be sure to check out our April Newsletter for additional events
scheduled for later this year:
Feb 6, 2018: Capital One Career Open House and Networking Event, Lincoln, NE
Feb 7, 2018: Oklahoma City Job Fair ad Career Fair, Oklahoma City, OK
Feb 9, 2018: Hiring Our Heroes Expo, Houston, TX
Feb 20, 2018: Successfully Navigating the Military Spouse Employment Landscape, San Antonio, TX
Feb 21, 2018: Hiring Our Heroes Transition Summit, Joint Base San Antonio - Fort Sam Houston, TX
Feb 22, 2018: Hiring Our Heroes Transition Summit, Joint Base San Antonio - Randolph, TX
Feb 23, 2018: Hiring Our Heroes Transition Summit, Joint Base San Antonio - Lackland, TX
Feb 27, 2018: Hiring Our Heroes Expo, Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
Mar 8, 2018: Kansas Annual State-Wide Job Fair, 12 locations across Kansas
Mar 21, 2018: Lone Star Veterans Association, Veterans in Energy Networking, Houston, TX
Mar 21-22, 2018: Hiring Our Heroes Transition Summit, Ft. Bliss, TX
Central Region
Jan 31-Feb 2018: 1 Hiring Our Heroes Military Spouse Hiring Event, Camp Pendleton, CA
Feb 12, 2018: Business Career Transition Seminar, Pacific Views Cent, Camp Pendleton, CA
Feb 21-22, 2018: HOH Military Spouse Hiring Event, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA
Feb 23, 2018: Military Transition Conference, University of San Diego
Mar 7, 2018: Boots to Business Veterans Entrepreneurship Workshop, MCAS Miramar, CA
Mar 9, 2018: Military Mojo (Military Officer Job Opportunities), San Diego Sheraton
Mar 29-30, 2018: HOH Military Spouse Career Intensive (AMPLIFY), Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA
West Region

9. 9
Get to Know
Your Regional Network Coordinator (RNC)
Regional Network Coordinators work to support transitioning Marines/Sailors and assist with
connecting you to opportunities throughout the Marine For Life Network. In some cases, the
RNC may be able to put you in touch with a Marine For Life Representative, local to your area!
Feel free to contact an RNC nearest to you for more information:
Southeast RNC:
Mr. Mark D. Munger
mark.munger@usmc.mil
Northeast RNC:
Mr. Ricky “Rick” Butler
ricky.butler@usmc.mil
Central RNC:
Mr. Timothy “Skip” Crawley
timothy.crawley@usmc.mil
West RNC:
Mr. Jamal A. Brown
jamal.brown@usmc.mil

10. 10
RNC Corner
Five Tips to Becoming a Networking Guru
Here are five of my key suggestions & tips for helping you become better at networking.
Whether you’re a pro or novice networker, I’m sure you’ll find the advice below to be helpful.
You may also find this article online at
http://www.usmc-mccs.org/articles/five-tips-to-becoming-a-networking-guru/
By Jamal A. Brown, West Regional Network Coordinator
1 Listen:
Listening skills are important,
especially when it comes to
networking. By nature, Marines
love talking about themselves and
what they do. If you talk and don’t
listen though, you might miss an
opportunity. When I talk to Marines
about networking, I tell them that a
great way to establish rapport is to
ask open-ended questions, a trick I
learned on recruiting duty. Active
listening skills are important, and a
great way to establish rapport when
networking.
2 Networking is Like Chow;
It’s Continuous:
The worst time to look for a job is
when you really need one. I believe
the same is true when it comes to
networking, because it takes time
to establish a network. In my
opinion, networking should be done
as often as possible, and not just
when there’s a need. In sales, they
teach you to “always be closing.”
I’ve learned as a Regional Network
Coordinator to always be
networking, because the struggle is
real!
3 Meet in Person Whenever
Possible:
Some people are more charismatic
over the phone than others, but
I’ve learned that there’s nothing
better than face-to-face interaction.
I would advise anyone to meet with
others in person if the opportunity
presents itself. You’ll likely establish
a better rapport and be less likely
to be forgotten!
4 The More You Network, the Better
You Will Become at it:
Like many people, I’m naturally introverted. Those
with introverted personalities may find it
challenging to start a conversation, making it
rather difficult to be an effective networker.
However, like anything else, the more you do it,
the more comfortable you become. I would advise
our introverted devil dogs to start out by simply
attending networking events, career fairs, and the
like.
Those still on active duty and those with base
access might consider taking advantage of the
career and resource fairs conducted on base. This
is a great tactic for the novice networker because
even if the networker doesn’t say much, it should
help warm them up to the idea of being around a
lot of people, and eventually, the conversations
will begin! Another recommendation I often make
to those uncomfortable with networking is to invite
a buddy to attend the event with them. It may
help the individual feel a bit more comfortable.
5 Sustain Your Network:
Sustaining one’s network resolves around
engagement. Constantly being engaged with your
network is a great way of staying relevant to
others. Managing one’s network is much like
managing your personal brand: do what you can
to stay relevant within your network and
community. This may include making a
commitment to attend a certain amount of
networking events each month, or simply posting
a certain number of networking posts on social
media, much of which we’re accustomed to doing
already.

11. 11
RESOURCES
Of the Quarter
Employment
Amazon is currently hiring transitioning military members, veterans,
reservist, National Guard members, military spouses, and military
dependents 18 years and older. No matter your military rank or
specialty, Amazon believes there’s a place for you to learn, grow,
and help the company continue to make history. In May 2016,
Amazon pledged to hire 25,000 additional veterans and military
spouses by 2021, and to train 10,000 more in cloud computing
skills.
The military community currently within Amazon: The “Amazon
Warriors” affinity group is made up of Amazonians who have served
in their respected country’s military forces, those who are still
serving, and Amazon employees who support them. The group’s
mission is to provide it’s members a professional network and a
means to organize community outreach programs, to aid veterans
during their transition into the Amazon workforce, and to be a
resource for recruiting top military talent.
To find out more about the various career opportunities for military
veterans at Amazon, visit amazon.com/military
“We actively seek leaders
who can invent, think big,
have a bias for action and
deliver on behalf of our
customers. These
principles look very
familiar to the men and
women who have served
our country in the armed
forces, and we find their
experience leading people
is invaluable in our fast-
paced work
environment.”
– Jeff Bezos
No Federal or Marine Corps Endorsement Applied

12. 12
Community
Team Rubicon is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit that utilizes the skills and
experience of military veterans with first responders to rapidly
deploy emergency response teams. Founded in 2010, Team Rubicon
has deployed across the United States and around the world to
provide immediate relief to those impacted by disasters and
humanitarian crises. Team Rubicon exists to provide the greatest
service and impact to survivors and communities in need, no matter
where. Military veterans and civilians can join and deploy with Team
Rubicon on domestic and international disaster operations. If you’re
committed to serving those in need, there may be a place for you on
their Team. To learn more about Team Rubicon or the many ways
you can get involved, visit their website at teamrubiconusa.org
No Federal or Marine Corps Endorsement Applied

13. 13
Education
With the New Year upon us, several Marines and Sailors
have made it their New Year’s resolution to go back to
school. For years the GI Bill has helped Veterans pay for
college and other continued education. This is why we
believe the GI Bill Comparison Tool will serve as an
excellent educational resource. The GI Bill Comparison
Tool helps you to find you a military friendly school, and
also helps to determine your GI Bill education benefit
while attending school.
To learn more about the GI Bill Comparison tool, visit:
https://www.vets.gov/gi-bill-comparison-tool

14. 14
Reading Recommendations
Corps Business: The 30 Management Principles of the U.S. Marines
Check out why our Southeast RNC, Mr. Mark Munger, recommends "Corps Business: The 30
Management Principles of the U.S. Marines" as a great read!
Corps Business The 30
Management Principles of the
U.S. Marines
-by David Freedman
This is a fast paced book that speaks to
30 management principles of the USMC
and how they can be utilized in the
civilian sector. Freedman never served,
but finds a high value to the principles
involved with making decisions for an
operating force and then how it can relate
potentially to making business decisions.
Freedman notes in his
acknowledgements, "Finally, I'd like to
point out that I recognize that Marines
haven't given their lives so that
businesses can become more
competitive. I hope that in trying to
provide a frame of reference linking
Marine Corps' practices with the needs of
corporations I haven't given the
impression that I've lost sight of the fact
that the Marines operate for far higher
stakes and for a deeper purpose. It's for
this reason, more than any other, that I
am indebted to them."
Functional topics are discussed that relate
to all facets of the civilian workforce,
educating managers, developing
managers, motivating people are just a
few of the management principles that
are covered. I enjoyed how Freedman
used an exercise performed by the 11th
MEU as a basis for many of his
discussions relating to the management
principles.
Overall, I highly recommend this book as
a way to transition the thought process
from accomplishing an operational
mission to potentially meeting a sales
goal.
Sold on Amazon
Hardcover: $25.00
Paperback: $13.18
Kindle: $12.24
No Federal or Marine Corps Endorsement Applied

15. 15
Connect
With Marine For Life!
Follow M4L on social media to keep up-to-date with the latest military-friendly
employment, education, and other veteran and community resources:
MarineForLifeNetwork
Company/
marine-for-life-network
M4L_Network
Marineforlife.org866.645.8762

16. Address: 3280 Russell Rd.
Quantico, VA 22134
Tel: 866.645.8760
Email: M4Lops@usmc.mil
www.marineforlife.org