Saint Petersburg, FL - The We Hire Heroes Network, one of the leading #veteran employment resources on the web with over half-a-million veteran-friendly job listings, announces that registration is now open for the first-ever Civilian Boot Camp – CivilianBootCamp.com.

This virtual summit will take place online from May 14 through May 23. Its purpose is to equip members of the military veteran community with a powerful combination of current workforce development skills, proven civilian employment best practices and essential knowledge of many of the hidden realities of learning the civilian lifestyle – an invisible process known as “re-civilianizing.”

All veterans and spouses struggling with the frustrations of re-adjusting to Planet Civilian, along with their potential employers, are invited to attend this groundbreaking informational event at no charge. 

The Civilian Boot Camp faculty consists of 10 successfully-transitioned veterans, two exceptional military spouses, and eight incredibly committed civilian supporters - all with established track records of dedication to the cause of properly preparing our military professionals to succeed in the “real world.” The event is the brainchild of Air Force Special Operations veteran and Founder of the We Hire Heroes Network, Lance T. Walker.

“As a veteran myself, I know that the rules for living in the civilian world are very different - even the opposite - of what we learned in the military,” said Mr. Walker. “It's tough to win the new game when you're playing by a set of rules you've never been taught! And winning is no longer about just finding a job; it's about finding the right role in a profession that allows you to have a full and satisfying life while you continue to serve the people you came here to serve. “

The military puts its members through a very intense period of “boot camp” training for six to eight weeks to turn raw recruits into polished military professionals. After that, the advanced training goes on for months, even years. It's been clear for a long time now that a similar effort is needed to prepare transitioning members, and their families, for life after the service. But until now, most programs have either focused exclusively on gaining employment, or have been the products of well-intended individuals working alone.

Thanks to the Virtual Summit model, we now have a way for various experts from both the career development and personal development worlds to combine their energies and focus as a team on the roots of the re-adjustment problem. Frequently this comes down to a simple lack of the new knowledge required to complete the new mission. In other words, “Boot Camp In, Boot Camp Out.”

Each day of the summit, two speakers will present valuable information from their areas of expertise. Mr. Walker will kick off the event, followed by these 19 dynamic speakers:

·         Lida Citroën (TAP Instructor, US Air Force Academy) – Personal Branding and Reputation Management for Veterans (Opening Keynote)

·         Tom Wolfe (US Navy Retired) – Successful Career Strategies for Military Veterans

·         Dylan Raymond (US Army Retired) – Moving Swiftly from Deployment to Employment

·         Deanna Cowling (Transition Mentor) – Exploring Your Federal Career Options

·         Jenny W. Clark (GovCon Strategist) – Secrets for Contracting with the Federal Government

·         Michelle Tillis Lederman (Communications Expert) – Principles of Likability Leadership

·         Michael Kissinger (US Army Retired) – Real Income for Military Spouses

·         Antwain Thomas (US Navy Retired) – Business and Financial Strategies for Veterans

·         Francina Harrison (US Navy Spouse) – Strategies for Re-engineering Your Career

·         Deborrah Ashley (Expert Positioning Consultant) – How to Grow Affluence by Building Influence

·         Dana Manciagli (Global Career Expert) – End-to-End Job Search System for Veterans and Spouses

·         Lisa Nichols (Transformational Speaker) – Creating Your Best Destiny: Unlock Your Abundance (Guest Contributor)

·         Melissa Peavey (Transformative Career Coach) – Discovering Your Passion and Activating Your Life's Purpose

·         Melissa A. Washington (US Navy Veteran) – Connecting and Empowering Female Veterans

·         Lila Holley (US Army Retired) – Sharing Female Veteran Stories

·         Eduardo “Eddie” Ramirez (US Air Force Retired) – Accessing Your Hidden Veterans Benefits

·         Sam P. Lark, Jr. (US Air Force Spouse) – Using Social Media to Create Career Security

·         Trevor O.D. Noel (US Air Force Retired) – Putting the “Human” Back in Human Capital Acquisition

·         Graciela Tiscareño-Sato (US Air Force Veteran) – Success Secrets for Thriving in the NEW Economy (Closing Keynote)

“Lance T. Walker is an outstanding representative of the veteran community,” said Christopher Pernell Thames, We Hire Heroes network member. “Mostly recognized for his abilities and effective coaching strategies in Military Transition Assistance, he also possesses a unique assortment of expertise in the areas of Digital Marketing, Website Development and Motivational Speaking. Lance shows great concern for the veteran community, reflected perfectly in his launch of Civilian Boot Camp.”

Reserve your free ticket for the 10-day Virtual Summit now at CivilianBootCamp.com.

Please email questions to Lancetwalker@civilianbootcamp.com.

About We Hire Heroes Network

Launched in 2010, the We Hire Heroes Network seeks to prepare our military veterans and spouses for civilian life, assist employers with recruiting and retaining veteran talent, and facilitating the process of bringing the two groups together successfully. The network’s flagship site, VeteranJobSource.com, was voted “America’s Best Job Site for Veterans” in 2014. Employers can also download a free Guide to Finding and Hiring Veterans at OperationHiddenValor.com.