Getting a job while in the reserves is pretty easy. Keeping one while being activated and while life is happening is another story. Zetier is a company willing to work with its employees and, due to its paying employees by the hour and providing outstanding benefits, is able to retain and provide for guardsmen and reservists who are activated. Service obligations that are geared towards Zetier’s goals are subject to differential pay that is rare in today’s employment landscape. Outside work can be pre-negotiated and approved when a service member is called up for duty.
While activated, I had numerous opportunities to work for Zetier remotely. One of these opportunities was to present at a large conference. I had a topic I knew nothing about, a lot of extra time on my hands, and a goal to learn more. Zetier provided me with the platform and extra funds to produce something for myself, my audience, and my fellow soldiers. I wound up giving two talks to 100+ professionals at the conference and received numerous job offers and LinkedIn shoutouts. This boosted my self-confidence and motivation, which I very much appreciated. (Being activated for extended periods of time can exhaust guard members and create negativity.) I was able to make a name for myself and the company while doing something I love.
Zetier provided me with a variety of leadership and intrapersonal skills. Because of what I learned at Zetier – including the value of trust in the workplace – I was efficient in providing my team a strong sense of direction. I had previously seen that a common struggle among soldiers was micromanaging individuals who they tasked. I was able to avoid this and put trust in others to accomplish their job based on their skill levels and confidence. I had learned valuable management skills from Zetier’s leadership team and I applied what I learned through my activation period.
Returning to Zetier was a breeze. Fellow soldiers had complaints about returning to their workplaces only to find contracts terminating or company restructuring while gone. I felt as though I never left and was able to hit the ground running, returning to projects I was already familiar with and performing work I was already skilled at. While gone I feel the team kept track of my technical improvements and needs and, upon my return, aligned my taskings and salary to reflect all the changes that occurred.
Having transportation options (for example, the subway and airports) close to Zetier’s Arlington, Virginia, office makes drill weekend travel smooth. Most drills are just the weekend, in which case I’m still able to work full hours (and squeeze the last hour out before my flights). This allows me to work a good amount of time before leaving to travel to annual training events or MUTA drills for my unit. Zetier is also close to many other bases that support and have guard units in the area for IST purposes or transfers. The Northern Virginia area is prime for weekend warriors such as myself.
Furthermore, it’s an incredible feeling to still be able to pursue professional opportunities to develop myself and my technical skills, drive my career forward, and do a job I love. I believe the skills and knowledge I’ve gained through my time at Zetier greatly benefit my military obligation, providing more value to my service commitments and to my country.
For all active duty soldiers, Zetier offers a SkillBridge program. I highly recommend this program for technical folks looking for the next step in their career. This program gives relevant real-world experience and a possible follow-on job after a service member’s termination from duty. This program can be awarded to service members who are within 180 days of their ETS. See https://skillbridge.osd.mil/program-overview.htm for more information about the SkillBridge program. Zetier provides SkillBridge opportunities for 90-120 days. Inquire at skillbridge@zetier.com for more information.
