Blueprint For Success
These veterans got trained for high-paying jobs in the construction industry. Find out how they did it.
By Kathleen Ganster

Deanna Gonzalez knew that sitting behind a desk all day wouldn’t be a good job for her when she left the Marines. She was used to being in a workplace dominated by men. So when she looked at careers in the construction field, it seemed like the perfect fit. “This is my fourth year as a plumber apprentice and I love it,” she said. “Believe it or not, there are a lot of things here that are very similar to my career in the Marines.”

A former corporal who “can’t sit still,” Gonzalez, 28, enjoys the structure and environment. “I like using my hands and need to be active,” she said. “I also have found the same sort of camaraderie in my union that I found in the Marines.”

When Gonzalez separated from the Marines in 2006 and returned to New York City, she had originally thought of a career in law enforcement. But when an injury sidetracked her plans, she turned to the building trades, a career common in her family. Gonzalez enlisted the aid of Helmets to Hardhats, an organization devoted to assisting veterans, to explore opportunities. “I posted a résumé with them and they contacted me about the apprenticeship. It was so easy,” she said.

The New “Green Movement”
The construction industry tends to pay higher salaries than the national average and there are many opportunities for transitioning veterans, according to Darrell L. Roberts, the executive director of the Helmets to Hardhats program.

“Among the many occupations that will be impacted by the green jobs movement, few will provide as many opportunities as the construction industry,” said Roberts, a Navy veteran and a journeyman sheet metal worker.

Helmets to Hardhats refers candidates to quality career providers and refers quality career providers to qualified candidates, Roberts said. Veterans complete a profile with the program, and then Helmets to Hardhats works with them to determine which craft is the best fit and provides career opportunities in the region. “At the end of the day, having an informed advocate on your side who knows where you need to go and who you need to talk to can help facilitate the hiring process,” Roberts said.

Family Friendly Wages
Timothy Dunn, 22, of Queens, N.Y., also used the Helmets to Hardhats program. “I worked with my hands in the Marines and knew I couldn’t sit in an office. They helped me get into a program right away,” he said.

Now an ironworker, Dunn is working on the new World Trade Center. “My salary was way above what I would have found in another industry and it is doing what I like to be doing. This is perfect for me,” he said.

Roberts said the average hourly wage for those completing the apprenticeship programs in the building trades is $23.35 per hour, which is $54,808 a year. “We work diligently to list only careers that offer family supporting wages, medical benefits and reliable pension plan,” he said.

No College Degree Required
Justin Cadle, 31, is a boilermaker apprentice in Crown Point, Ind. A Marine veteran who still serves as a sergeant in the Marine Corps Reserve, he has two years of college under his belt. But he wasn’t sure a college degree would be the key to finding a job in a difficult economy. “I knew people with business degrees that couldn’t find jobs,” he said. “I knew that I would find a good job in the building trades. I wanted a career, not a job.”

Helmets to Hardhats helped him find the career he was looking for, one that allowed him to make a viable wage in a tough economy. Plus, his military background serves him well in the construction arena. “We know how to work together, we know how to follow the chain of command,” he said. “It is very similar to the military.”

Former Marine Jose Bonilla, 34, a journeyman plumber in New York City, who is also a Helmets veteran, agreed. “The intangibles that you learn in the military help you every day in the construction industry. We have a strong work ethic, we know how to get a job done – that gets you ahead,” he said.

Positions ‘Perfect Fit’ for Veterans
Contracts with military installations also provide career opportunities in the construction field that are a perfect match for veterans. Joe Yoswa, director of media relations and public affairs for Contingency Operations for Fluor Enterprises Inc., said their work with the U.S. Army’s Logistics Civil Augmentation Program IV providing contractor support and logistic work for U.S. military troops stationed in Afghanistan has created numerous opportunities. “We are looking for a wide variety of trade and craft employees, operation specialists and logisticians,” he said.

Yoswa, 46, a veteran himself, said these positions are ideal for veterans. “Fluor has a long history of hiring veterans. The very complex contracts that we execute in the most difficult of environments provide the challenges and focus that veterans thrive on,” he said.

The military background melds perfectly with Fluor’s needs. Rob Wells, 31, an Army veteran, is a human resources plans and operations supervisor. “My Army experience gives me insight into our customers, the Soldiers and the U.S. Army. I know what is important to them, how they communicate and I understand the culture,” he said.

Management Opportunities
In addition to the craft trades, there are also opportunities in management roles at Fluor. Felix Stanziola, 47, also an Army veteran, is a project controls specialist. Since he had both the leadership skills and teaching experience as a sergeant first class in the service, as well as a degree, he was able to assume a management role with the company. “Skills that I developed in the military that have helped me are attention to detail, good time and managerial skills, as well as being able to deal quickly with numerous changes,” he said.

When Geoffrey McLean, 28, was transitioning into civilian life, he looked for a company with military contracts. “I conducted research on several companies in order to find a position that would allow me to leverage my skills and experience attained in the U.S. Army,” said McLean, a former sergeant who’s now an operations coordinator. “Fluor Government Group was a good fit.”

Since McLean works in an operations center, the military preparation has served him well. “I support the functions in a 24-hour emergency operation that supports the contract in Afghanistan. My military experience has taught me to respond with a sense of urgency and to be available 24 hours a day,” he said.

Industrial Construction Expands Options
The industrial side of the construction industry has weathered the recession better than residential or commercial construction, according to Jill Hubbard, human resources manager for TIC Holdings Inc. “In the industrial sector, there have been more opportunities and stability than other avenues,” she said.

An “open shop,” TIC has openings in the craft trades including positions for welders, pipe fitters, electricians, general foremen and heavy equipment operators, as well as those in the managerial, salaried positions such as supply chain management roles, business development, safety management and human resources.

A benefit to veterans, according to Lou Mantrom, 43, hiring coordinator and Army veteran, is the value that TIC places on this military experience. “I know in my case, I may not have had this position in other companies,” he said. “TIC places a high value on our experience and measures it on par with education.”

In his role, Mantrom seeks veteran employees. “We know that they have a strong sense of loyalty and are great at following directions and working towards a goal,” he said. “The character traits of the military are what we look for here at TIC.”

Caterpillar Courts Veterans
Opportunities across the spectrum are also available at Caterpillar Inc. at locations throughout the world, according to Christine Troglio, global process owner for experienced professional recruiting, onboarding and orientation. “We have a particularly strong manufacturing presence in the state of Illinois,” she said. “Our current strategy is to increase manufacturing operations in emerging markets, so veterans with global experience are of particular interest to us.”

The Caterpillar Armed Forces Support Network (CAFSN) is a group established to attract military veterans to opportunities at Caterpillar, along with assisting them with the transition to corporate life. “The work ethics and values of the military align very well with our culture,” Troglio said.

John Karson, 52, a product development manager, agreed. “My Navy background instilled in me teamwork that has helped me not only in working with others, but to get others to work with me,” he said. “Plus the values that I had from the military – honesty, integrity and commitment – were the values I found here.”

The same company qualities attracted Chad Sheets, 38, a manufacturing quality leader and Marine Corps veteran, to Caterpillar. “We are a leader in the industry, so it was an ideal choice for me,” he said. “The core leadership principals are the same and that was important to me.”

GET HIRED
Helmets to Hardhats
Employees: 20
Employees who are veterans: 9
www.helmetstohardhats.org

Jobs
Helmets to Hardhats helps to place veterans in the construction industry.

Pay
The average hourly wage for those who complete an apprenticeship program in the building trades is $23.35 per hour, or $54,808.

GET HIRED
Fluor Enterprises Inc.
HQ: Irving, Texas
Employees: 53,500
Veteran Employees: 1,100+
www.fluor.com 
www.fluor.com/careers 

Jobs
Fluor is looking for:

• Variety of trade and craft employees
• Operation specialists
• Logisticians
• Managers
  

Pay
$20,000 to $100,000+, depending on experience, certifications and responsibilities

GET HIRED
TIC
HQ: Steamboat Springs, Colo.
Employees: 5,377
Veteran Employees: 356
www.tic-inc.com
 
TIC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kiewit Corporation
www.kiewit.com

Jobs
TIC is looking for:

• Welders
• Pipe fitters
• Electricians
• General foremen
• Heavy equipment operators
• Managerial
• Supply chain managers
• Business developers
• Safety managers
• Human resources specialists

GET HIRED

Jobs
Caterpillar has positions available at all pay levels, from entry level production jobs to senior leadership positions.

Pay
The salaries for these positions are competitive on a national and/or local scale