November 2024: ACP congratulates Eric Kusanagi and Brian Olinger of Vanguard!
I am honored to nominate Eric for mentor of the month recognition.
From the very beginning of our program, he has been an incredible guide during my transition from the military to a career in technology. This journey has presented many challenges, but Eric’s openness, honesty, and patience have made a significant difference in my learning process.
We meet monthly, and I always look forward to our conversations about my professional growth. From day one, we established a clear game plan that focused on my goals and aspirations. His support has been invaluable.
Eric also helped me revamp my resume to effectively showcase my military management experience in a civilian context. He dedicated an entire week to mock interviews, which ultimately led to my landing an amazing position in the tech field within just one month.
I am profoundly grateful for his unwavering commitment to my success in the job market. I truly couldn’t have asked for a better mentor, and I hope our mentorship continues for a long time to come.
Yana I., U.S. Air Force, Texas
It is my distinct honor to nominate Brian as Mentor of the Month. As a service member
experiencing the uncertainty of transitioning to the corporate world after the military, Brian has proven to be a trusted guide who has had a profound impact on my preparedness to pursue professional endeavors after the military.
In our introductory meetings, Brian took the time to learn about my family, experience in the military and professional goals for the future. His investment of time to get to know me as an individual has allowed him to provide a uniquely personal quality to his mentorship approach.
In one particularly valuable exercise called “Career Pathing,” Brian coached me through identifying not just “what” I have accomplished over the course of my military career, as would be outlined on a resume but, rather “how” I achieved the accomplishments. Thinking in terms of skills and attributes matched with my passions and aspirations formed the rubric used to evaluate what professional opportunities to pursue. Brian and I consistently reference this foundational document in our mentorship sessions to evaluate job postings, prepare for interviews and remain aligned with personal goals.
During our time working together, Brian and I have covered issues as diverse as balancing family priorities with my spouse’s career, military to corporate skill translation, resume writing, compensation negotiation, interview preparation and the value of additional professional certifications.
Brian’s expertise and mentorship approach has allowed me to identify how my professional value translates to business. I am proud to say that our work together gave me the confidence to excel in four separate interviews, including one with the CEO and land my dream internship with a defense technology company in Silicon Valley.
Matt Sheftic., U.S. Army, Idaho
