“Transitioning process is like drinking out of a fire hose. You don't fill up a bucket with a fire hose. You need to have droplets of information, to fill it up. And I feel like it was one of those things that I am definitely an advocate for because I don't want people to go through what I went through. I don't want people to have a stressful time when it's supposed to be a happy time.”
Binal (Micki) Patel, 20-year Navy Veteran and now Program Manager at Microsoft, wants the military community to know that it is possible to have a successful, not stressful transition out of the military.
In a recent interview with KP of The Morning Formation Podcast, Patel shares about her 20-year Navy career and also shares about her transition out of the miltary. She has not only landed a great career in the civilian workforce, but she also helps an guides other veterans during their transition as well!
Micki has a Bachelor of Science and many certifications under her belt in the realm of computer science and program management. After her 20-year career in the Navy, she is now a Program Manager working at Microsoft and she is also impacting the lives of many in the military community as Vice President of ACT NOW Education.
In the interview, Patel shares that she was grateful for her time in the military and how it was not the typical military career that most have. Micki humbly recounts that her career path in the Navy was an easy one, partly due to the wonderful leaders she had that saw her potential and always pushed her to reach for more. She also shares that her family and Indian culture made a big impact on her work ethic and it also made a big impact on her attitude towards her leaders in the Navy.
“One of the other things we learn in Indian culture is ‘respect your elders, and respect your authority.’…I never wanted to be the disappointment that these people would see…And so that was one of the things that was always a pushing factor…I always want to be one better than I was last time.”
When it was getting close to her retirement from the Navy, Micki underwent a very stressful time trying to transition out. It was so stressful, she even experienced health problems. Luckily, she came across a wonderful nonprofit organization, ACT NOW Education and was helped tremendously by the President and Founder, Jai Salters.
ACT NOW Education is dedicated to offering free information to the military community, in order to help them succeed as they transition to the civilian world. The organization has made such a great difference to lives of many. Micki was so impacted by ACT NOW, that she wanted to pay it forward. She became involved with the organization and is now the Vice President of ACT NOW Education, where she plays a vital role in the lives of many in the military community.
If you are interested in learning how you or someone you know, can have a less stressful transition out of the military, you do not want to miss the interview with Micki!
Get off the train tracks and onto the train to success.
Click here for the whole interview.
Blog post written by: Lina Gomez
