800. Helping Veterans Transition Through Self-Discovery

Matthew J. Louis

“Especially for veterans, if they can find an optimal career field that’s best suited for them, they will double their career earnings, their job satisfaction and their rates of retention. So it’s incredibly important coming out of the service that they do that self discovery, that introspection, so they can realize those happy endings for themselves, their families, and their employers.“

Matthew J. Louis is one of the nation’s leading experts in career transition for veterans and public service professionals. He coaches individuals on their transition efforts and advises employers on hiring programs designed to successfully assimilate these valuable talent pools. He is the author of the forthcoming HarperCollins book “Mission Transition: a practical guide for veterans in transition and their employers.”

The Most Impactful Turning Point?

“After graduating from West Point with a degree in mechanical engineering, I served for 5 years as an officer in the U.S. Army. Then I spent 6 years honing my skills in various operations and management roles at Procter & Gamble and General Electric—each very gratifying experiences on many levels. In 2004 I happened upon an opportunity at Deloitte, the largest professional services network in the world. I have been thriving there for the past 15 years.”

The Most Powerful Lessons Learned?

From my middle class upbringing in Cincinnati, Ohio—my father was a firefighter, my mom was a homemaker—I learned a few critical lessons that have informed my life:

1. Hard work will get you everywhere, or as St. Jerome said: “Good, better, best. Never let it rest. ‘Til your good is better and your better is best.”

2. We go through this world together and we’ve got to help one another out. My mother was all about self-sacrifice and service to others before self.

3. Education was a priority. In spite of my dad’s lack of accomplishment in his own education, he was a stickler for making sure his kids got good grades.