Jun 8, 2020
We’re going to do something a little different this week, given the protests and the civil unrest across the country. Now more than ever is a time when many of us need to listen and try to understand what’s being expressed by members of our community. On November 4th, 2019, we conducted an interview with Darren Sumter, former Army Pilot, executive at LinkedIn, and a FourBlock Board member.
In this interview, Darren describes his experiences growing up, serving in the Army, and transitioning into the civilian workforce. We encourage you to take the time to listen to Darren’s story; consider the challenges that he faced throughout his life, service, and career; and get expert recommendations on how to seize opportunity in your career and market yourself as a veteran.
For over 20 years, Darren has worked as a management consultant and a business development strategist specializing in providing companies with business to business software solutions to drive innovation and improve profitability. Currently, Darren works as a Global Accounts Manager at LinkedIn where he manages responsibilities for several strategic customers in North America across several sectors.
Prior to LinkedIn, Darren was a member of several big data B2B software strategic consulting companies where he held responsibilities for new market and new customer business development. Prior to his software career, Darren was a strategy consultant in the US and Europe. He attended Harvard Business School (HBS), where he earned his MBA.
Prior to HBS, Darren attended the US Military Academy at West Point where he earned a B.S. in mechanical and aerospace engineering and served in the U.S. Army's aviation branch. He is a veteran of the first Gulf War, where he served in Saudi Arabia and Iraq for Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield.
Resources:
LinkedIn Resources for Military Spouses
LinkedIn Resources for Veterans
ABOUT US
Welcome to the FourBlock Podcast, a show that examines veteran career transition and the military-civilian divide in the workplace.
General Charles Krulak coined the term "Three Block War" to describe the nature of 21st-century military service defined by peace-keeping, humanitarian aid, and full combat.
But what happens next? Veterans are often unprepared to return home and begin new careers. We call this the Fourth Block.
FourBlock is a national non-profit that has supported thousands of transitioning service members across the nation in beginning new and meaningful careers.
Mike Abrams (@fourblock) is an Afghanistan veteran, FourBlock founder, director of the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration, and author of two military transition books. He’ll be representing the military transition perspective.
Lindsey Pollak (@lindsaypollak) is a career and workplace expert and New York Times bestselling author of three career advice books. Lindsey will be representing the civilian perspective of this issue.
Veterans, explore new industries and make the right connections. Find a career that fits your calling. Join us at fourblock.org/
Over 77% of FourBlock alumni stay at their first jobs over 12 months. Sponsor our program or host a class to equip more of our veterans at fourblock.org/donate.
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