Consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers
Cold
calling Military Friendly Employers lands artillery officer a civilian job he
loves.
By Warren Duffie
The best
part of Geoffrey Kintzer’s job is the variety. One day he could be overseeing
an IT project for the Department of Defense, another day poring over budgets
for the Department of Transportation, and still another day reviewing
management efficiency for the Environmental Protection Agency.
“I enjoy
going from project to project,” said Kintzer, a former Marine Corps captain.
“My ability to anticipate problems and come up with solutions served me well
both as a Marine and as a civilian. I’m also a hard charger, which motivates me
to excel.”
On
the Job
Kintzer,
29, is a consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers – which offers advisory services
to corporate and government clients, specifically in financial management,
governance, risk and compliance, operational effectiveness, and technology.
Based in
McLean, Va., Kintzer works in PricewaterhouseCoopers’ federal practice, which
serves all agencies of the federal government. Aside from working on client
projects, he also completes regular corporate training and meets with internal
mentors regularly to chart his progress and success.
“I
enjoyed serving my country in the Marine Corps,” said Kintzer, “and working for
PricewaterhouseCoopers allows me to continue to serve. Many of the qualities I
learned in the military are transferable – leadership, teamwork, communication
skills, and personal integrity. I also have a real-world perspective on stress.
Even when my job is at its most stressful, at the end of the day, I’m going
home to a warm meal and my bed. No one is shooting at me.”
In Uniform
Kintzer
joined the Marine Corps with a desire to give back to his country and “serve
with the best.”
As a
student at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania, he attended officer candidate
school in 2002, between his junior and senior years. After graduating in 2003
with a bachelor’s degree in history and political science, he completed his
basic officer course at Quantico, followed by artillery school at Fort Sill,
Okla.
During
his career, Kintzer served in California, Iraq and Okinawa. He got out in 2007.
The Transition
“I knew
I only wanted to do four years,” he said. “To prepare, I took transition
classes, developed a résumé and sent it to friends and family for review, and
networked as much as possible.
“I moved
to Oakland and worked for a law firm with the intent to attend law school,” he
continued. “But after a little while, I realized that wasn’t for me. So I
looked around for companies providing consulting services and in search of
military veterans. I wanted to move back to the East Coast, and working in the
federal government sounded very interesting.”
Kintzer
cold-called a number of companies, actually speaking with quite a few hiring
managers who were veterans. One day, he saw an online job posting with
PricewaterhouseCoopers and applied. After an initial phone screening and a day
of face-to-face interviews with six people, he was hired in June 2009.
“The
hardest adjustment when I first left the Marine Corps was establishing a
work-life balance,” he said. “I took on every project I could get and had to
tone it down to keep from getting burned out. I also would have taken some time
off before getting a civilian job. I encourage those getting out of the service
to use their terminal leave and take that dream trip.
How’d
You Get That Job?
Kintzer
cold-called a number of companies, actually speaking with quite a few hiring
managers who were veterans. One day, he saw an online job posting with
PricewaterhouseCoopers and applied. After an initial phone
screening and a day of
face-to-face interviews with six
people, he was hired in
June 2009.
“I was
struck by the cost of civilian life. My salary was higher, but I no longer
received housing allowances or hazard pay, and wasn’t shopping at the
commissary or PX anymore. People need to evaluate these costs before leaving
the military.”
Want to
know how much you need to earn as a civilian to equal your military pay? Check
out our civilian pay calculator at www.gijobs.com/calculator.
Kintzer’s
Advice:
Plan early. “Start networking and look for
jobs at least a year before you get out. This will drastically ease your stress
during your last few months in uniform.”
Save your money. “It’s easy to save money in
the military, especially when you’re on deployment. Start banking your pay.
Create a budget for your military and civilian lives and stick to it.”
Use the VA and other resources. “There are a
variety of nonprofits and related groups dedicated to helping military veterans
transition out. Take advantage of such services.”
PricewaterhouseCoopers
HQ: New
York City (U.S.) London
(Global)
Employees:
165,000
Locations:
offices in 151 countries
2009
revenues: $26.2 billion
www.pwc.com/us/en/index.jhtml