Forge Institute partners with DoD SkillBridge to support Service members' transition gap to civilian careers

A year ago, I began my transition from a 20-year career in the United States Air Force to civilian life. The drastic life change can be daunting to many service members, myself included. There is a fantastic plethora of organizations and programs to help with this monumental task. Wading through the information from these groups is like drinking from a fire hose and can become overwhelming. The program that has had the most significant impact on my transition is DOD SkillBridge. The SkillBridge program allows service members to spend up to their last 180 days in service working with a private organization. 

The intent is to gain skills and experience in the private sector to lead service members to become more employable and ease their transition. I selected the Forge Institute Fellowship program because its training plans aligned with my interests and future employment goals. The Fellowship has allowed me to leverage my 20 years of military experience in leadership and program management skills to the civilian sector. I received training and hands-on experience in cybersecurity and IT fundamentals during the Fellowship program. Forge provides clear direction to a career in cybersecurity, intelligence analysis, sales/marketing, or project management along with an a’ la carte menu of training and career path choices designed for any professional goals.

This flexibility allows the Fellows to direct their paths to success. The Fellowship further prepares participants for employment by providing weekly coaching sessions from top industry leaders, subject matter experts, and recruiters. This opportunity to have a candid dialog with potential employers has been invaluable. Many times service members have difficulty translating their military experience into private-sector skills. The Fellowship combats this by leading resume, LinkedIn, and interview workshops to hone our marketability with what industry is looking for. The Fellowship program provides opportunities to get real-world experience leading teams and championing programs. I was excited to promote the Cyber/IT fundamentals course that partners with several Arkansas State Agencies to assist with funding for residents to become job-ready for employment in a higher paying technical career. 

I became passionate about this project once I saw how it raised the quality of life for real Arkansans. Most of the course participants are new to cyber and technology. Although they learn all the skills that will make them more successful in gaining a higher paying entry-level role, they can have serious doubts about their abilities. Forge has identified this issue and tasked me to assist the program with this challenge.

I utilized my degree in Social Psychology to prepare and teach a lesson plan that discusses Imposter Phenomenon and how to use resiliency tactics to overcome it. Although there can always be lingering doubts about self-ability, having the tools to overcome those doubts is the best remedy to keep those thoughts at bay. 

I’m incredibly proud of my 20 years of service to my country, and though there were many challenges I’ve had to overcome, I would do it all over again. While serving in the United States Air Force I have had several opportunities to lead teams, be mentored, mentor others and learn to become comfortable in uncomfortable roles. The Air Force has provided me with an extended amount of development opportunities; and now as I prepare for the transition Forge has stepped up to close the gap to my next role. As I prepare to hang up the uniform, I’m grateful to Forge Institute for empowering the development of my talents in civilian life. With Forge’s guidance, the experience and knowledge I have gained about non-profit organizations and working with the private sector will ensure I can continue serving my community in my next career.

Robert Baker,  a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, was deployed multiple times to various hostel locations and served in roles such as Installation Transportation Officer & Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge. While serving as Command Manager of Traffic Management Policy for Air Mobility Command (AMC); Robert directed transportation for AMC’s largest Full Spectrum Readiness Exercise. Robert holds a B.S. in Social Psychology and is a DoD Trained Resilience Instructor & Victim Advocate.