The 11-year U.S. Army veteran shares his transition experience.

Jesus R. Rosado

Service: U.S. Army, 11 years
Education:  Temple University, Class of 2018
Major: Political Science
FourBlock Cohort: Philadelphia, Fall 2018
Current Company: Merck & Co. (d.b.a. MSD internationally)
Position: Operations Manager
Hobbies: Spending time with family, going to the gym, meal prepping, Marvel movies

Jesus Rosado is an 11-year veteran of the U.S. Army. He’s also an alumnus of FourBlock’s Career Readiness Program in Philadelphia, an Operations Manager at Merck & Co., and a soon-to-be MBA student at Temple University.

After completing our program in Fall 2018 and being hired by Merck & Co., we caught up with Jesus to discuss the early struggles of his transition, the impact of FourBlock, and his advice to fellow transitioning veterans.

What struggles did you face during your transition from active duty back into civilian life?

One of the biggest struggles I encountered after leaving the military was being able to translate the skills, training, and positions I held to civilian terms, which made it very difficult for me to explain to potential employers my transferable skills. In addition, the lack of a civilian network/connections with any industries of potential interest created a problem for me to get my foot in the door with any industry at all.

What drove you to join FourBlock’s Philadelphia cohort?

What drove me to join FourBlock was a conversation with a close friend and military veteran who was a previous alumnus of the program. I expressed to him the major difficulties I was encountering with finding meaningful employment and building a strong network. He had just finished the previous cohort (Spring 2018) and directed me to speak with [FourBlock Northeast Regional Director] Eric Stetson. Afterwards, I decided to give the program an opportunity since it seemed to provide the much-desired answers to my questions.

How did the program impact your transition?

The FourBlock program impacted my transition into a civilian career in an enormous way. It directly addressed the major struggles many transitioning service members encounter, and it personally resolved my own. This program exposed me to a corporate business and required me to present myself in professional attire. In addition, it assisted in resume building, skill translations, interview preparations, and keeping up to date with the well-designed curriculums, which allowed me to prepare my individual career map. By exposing me to potential employers and allowing me to build a strong network, this program directly addressed what I needed the most.

What were your key takeaways from the course that have contributed to your current success?

Network, network, network!!! This is probably the cornerstone of the FourBlock program. Not to detract from any of the other wonderful resources FourBlock offers, but what I specifically needed the most was a good strong network. A network that is not only comprised of veteran connections, but also corporate ones too. This directly contributed to my success and allowed me to land the role with my organization.

What have you accomplished since you completed the program?

Since completing the FourBlock program, I was accepted to Fox School of Business with my alma mater Temple university, where I will be pursuing my MBA beginning this fall. I also began working for Merck & Co. as an Operations Manager.

What do you love about your current company?

What I love about working for my current company is its mission statement. Merck is one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, and it cares more about the actual patients who are receiving the aid and the impact our work has all over the world than monetary profits.

What one piece of key advice would you give to veterans who are currently transitioning?

The one key piece of advice I would give to veterans who are currently transitioning is to ensure they develop a strong network that is parallel with their career plans and don’t hesitate to reach out to develop those plans and network. Just like me, you may never know how it could land you your next career.