Chris Teodoro
I was born in the Philippines and emigrated to the U.S. when I was 16 where I had to learn a new language, make new friends and adapt to a new culture. I learned at an early age the words resiliency and determination. I also learned early on to set goals for myself and managed to accomplish many of my goals to include a successful military career as an Army Special Forces.
As Special Forces Soldier, I spent a large amount of time training and advising foreign partner nations overseas. That means constantly learning so you can “talk the talk and walk the walk.” To be good at this line of work, you have to be a lifelong learner, always striving to get better, and a true subject matter expert.
With that mindset, I knew that I need to take ownership of my future goals and ambitions. So, when I began my transition last November 2019, my first stop was the Hawk Career Transition Center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord to identify the resources and programs available for transitioning service members. With their assistance, I was introduced to the IVMF’s Onward to Opportunity career training program. I attended Angela Condon’s O2O informational presentation and was extremely impressed with the O2O program, which allows service members, veterans, and military spouses to receive, at no-cost, professional certifications and career training to support a successful transition.
While COVID-19 definitely imposed some challenges during my transition, I was able to adapt to the changing environments and used the “virtual environment” to balance work, transition, and career training. I passed my Project Management Professional (PMP), Six Sigma Yellow Belt, Google IT Support Professional, Scaled Agile Scrum Master and CompTIA A+ O2O coursework while also participating in a remote Hiring our Heroes Corporate Fellowship with Nike. The O2O online learning platform was a valuable resource to study for these certifications. The platform allowed me to access additional coursework, TestPrep, and additional resources to help with my exam preparation. Additionally, the O2O program helped with expanding my virtual network and with my career transition by inviting industry experts to engage with and provide career advising to the cohort members.
The best piece of advice I can provide to active and transitioning service members is to take full advantage of the many resources available to pursue advance certifications and training. While transitioning out of the military can be a daunting task, anything is possible with good time management, self-discipline and initiative. I was once told by my former Special Forces Team Sergeant to “never let it rest until your good is better and your better is best.”
Lastly, I owe most of my success to the resourcefulness, support, and dedication of the O2O team; program managers, coordinators, advisors, and mentors that guided me and made it possible to make this transitioning process less challenging. I am beyond honored to have successfully served our country for 24 years. Thank you so much.
Chris Teodoro
First Sergeant, US Army
O2O Pacific Northwest, WA
PMP Graduate
Not knowing when is the right time to laser focus on your transition instead of your military obligations is one of the many struggle for many transitioning service members.
After I passed the PMP exam, the goal for springtime was to continue to network with O2O and hopefully secure something part-time heading into Summer/Fall that could be potentially portable when we PCS next Summer.
outstanding support since I entered the program in January. You two helped me clarify my vision and ensured I was on the right transition path for my next career.
Opportunity program has provided me during the transition has been invaluable. Leaving active military service is always a stressful transition, and the onset of COVID-19 along with the ensuing record-shattering unemployment rates has made a difficult transition even more stressful. The ability to use a structured program to translate my military experiences into a known certification through Project Management Professional Certification course has been invaluable. Onward to Opportunity pairs this world-class training with the additional resume and interview preparation offered through Hiring Heroes to foster job placement and offer a holistic transition program that far surpasses any other transition assistance I have found. The Onward to Opportunity staff is genuinely committed to supporting all servicemembers through this transition and their ability to pivot during the challenges presented has been truly noteworthy. I will continue to recommend this service to all of my fellow servicemembers separating from active service and will be forever grateful for the opportunity offered by the Onward to Opportunity team.
