For James Hughes II, joining the Navy Reserve was a turning point. “Honestly, I signed up to serve because I needed to get my life on track,” he says. Now, as manager of project management for Comcast’s Greater Chicago Region, Hughes oversees the execution of major initiatives across teams. His journey from technician to manager should inspire and offer practical advice to transitioning service members wondering how their skills translate to the civilian world.
Please summarize your military job.
HVAC, plumbing and construction. The motto of the US Navy’s Seabees (Construction Force) is “We build, we fight.”
What was the biggest challenge transitioning from the Navy?
The biggest challenge was learning how to transfer my military skills to the corporate world. Thankfully, I learned so many everyday skills from the military—active listening, time management and some as simple as being on time—that are helpful in any work. Comcast was my first job out of the military, and I pushed myself to understand how I could be valuable and climb the ranks in a corporate setting. I’ve since been promoted to manager, which was a dream of mine when I started at Comcast.
How did you find this job?
I started at Comcast in technical operations and became the leader of our regional Veterans Network Employee Resource Group, which is how I learned skills related to planning and executing projects across teams.
Please summarize your current job.
My job is to bring teams together to make ideas come to life. Project managers are organized professionals who use innovation, creativity and collaboration to ensure projects are organized, communicated and executed upon.
Would you recommend this career field to transitioning service members or Veterans?
Yes, I would. You learn a lot of the same skills for project management in the military — leadership, discipline, organization, problem solving, teamwork, adaptability and communication.
What do you wish you knew when you transitioned from the military that you know now?
Get a mentor. You need someone in your life who has done what you are looking to accomplish.
What about you would surprise most people?
My age. People often think I’m still in my 20s, but I’ll be 40 at the end of the year.
Read this full article and more in the June 2025 Issue of G.I. Jobs magazine.
