Through DoD SkillBridge and networking, Charlie Folk traded high-tempo logistics for a remote career and more family time.
Like many veterans, one of the biggest challenges for Charlie Folk when he separated from the Marine Corps was adjusting to the slower pace of civilian life. The tradeoff: Spending more time with his family.
“Like many, I struggled with the lifestyle change,” he said. “It’s tough to leave a high-tempo environment where you understand the importance of your daily responsibilities. I had a hard time adjusting to a slower paced lifestyle.”
He did adjust, and by networking vigorously Folk landed a spot in the DOD’s Skillbridge Program and a career in the defense industry. Today he’s a testing manager for Parsons Corporation, a technology-focused defense, intelligence and infrastructure engineering firm, who works remotely from his home in Georgia while continuing to serve in the Marine Corps Reserve. We asked him about his military service, transition and civilian career.
What was your military job? First and foremost, as an officer, I am a leader of Marines. As a logistics officer, I am responsible for ensuring Marines have the food, fuel, ammunition, equipment and transportation required to achieve mission success. Essentially, that means managing the entire supply chain from base to battlefield.
What was your exit plan as you prepared to transition from the military? I sought out everyone I could think of who had walked that path before me. There are a lot of unknowns, but I found that most people were very helpful and offered great advice. I’ve tried to do the same thing since transitioning from active duty. Networking is huge!
What was your biggest fear? My biggest concern during the months leading up to separation from active duty was taking a pay cut. BAH and free healthcare are very underappreciated until they are gone.
What turned out to be your biggest challenge? Like many, I struggled with the lifestyle change. It’s tough to leave a high-tempo environment where you understand the importance of your daily responsibilities. I had a hard time adjusting to a slower paced lifestyle. It took a while to see the overall importance in what I am doing now.
Any funny or awkward moments during your transition? I was on a call with someone from HR during my Skillbridge Fellowship. When that conversation was over she essentially told another co-worker that I seemed too indoctrinated and “called her Ma’am too much.” He later told me and my response was, “Man, I grew up in the South! I’ve been saying ma’am and sir my whole life.”
Why did you choose this career path? We found that my operations and logistics experience translated well to project controls. I have also spent time as a financial specialist and am now in a testing manager role.
How did you land your current job? Networking. I landed this opportunity with Parsons Corporation through a fellow Marine that I crossed paths with while on deployment in Afghanistan. He was a reservist that worked for Parsons and was able to help me secure a fellowship through the DoD Skillbridge program. He has since become a personal and professional mentor to me.
What do you do in your current role? I oversee business testing for a major system rollout impacting about 20,000 employees. Essentially, I coordinate testing efforts, track progress, report metrics, lead working sessions and act as the bridge between the business end-users and IT to make sure the system is ready for real-world use.
What do you enjoy most about your job? Autonomy. My manager is an incredible leader who gives me direction and lets me operate.
What’s the biggest challenge you face? Working with people in different time zones. Sometimes you don’t get a response until the next day.
How would you describe the pay and benefits? Competitive pay and benefits. The Employee Stock Ownership Program is awesome. Parsons is also very supportive of military reservists. I think it’s a great company to work for.
What are your usual hours or work schedule like? I work a 9/80 schedule (80 hours in nine workdays) which means I have every other Friday off. So, my two-week cycle usually looks like this: nine hour days Mon.-Thurs. and eight hours on Friday. The following week I work nine hours Mon.-Thurs., then I’m off on Friday.
If you could go back, what do you wish someone had told you before you left the military? Be where your feet are as much as you can. Yes, you have to plan and prepare for what’s next. But enjoy the camaraderie, high-caliber individuals and uniqueness of it. The civilian world is very different. Not bad at all, just different.
What’s one common mistake veterans should avoid during the transition? Don’t fall in love with one idea/job/industry. I’ve seen people fall into that trap and then get down on themselves because they feel like a failure when they don’t land that particular job. I had never heard of project controls until the opportunity presented itself. There are lots of opportunities out there, so just keep an open mind.
What do you do to relax or recharge? Spend time with my family. That’s the reason I wanted to leave active duty. I also really enjoy coaching youth sports.
Tell us something about your family. I grew up in a divorced household, but it led to having four loving parents who have always supported me. My wife and I have known each other since we were 12 years old. Since getting married, God has blessed us with three amazing kids!
Charlie Folk
ERP Business Testing Manager
Parsons Corporation
Remote/Georgia
Employed Since: DOD Skillbridge Program June 2022. Hired full-time in November 2022.
Age: 36
Military Service: Major (O-4), Marine Corps (2014-2022); Marine Corps Reserve (2022-Present)
MOS: Logistics Officer
Education: Bachelor’s, business administration (concentration in management), Georgia College & State University, 2012
Lean Six Sigma Green belt
Distinguished graduate of numerous military courses
