Never Stop Learning
Written by Robert Pincay
I learned many things in my military career, but what I didn’t know was how much it would prepare me for my job in Prudential.
The skills and competencies I learned in the military are endless. My military career gave me sound values to live by, and instilled in me a sense of personal responsibility. I learned about teamwork. I learned about the importance of being on time and I learned about the value of paying attention to details. Most importantly, I learned about leadership. As a Marine Corporal, I commanded a unit, expressed initiative and made difficult decisions under pressure. Commanding a Marine unit forced me to become a much more efficient planner and to think about the big picture. I learned to strategize a mission while working to preserve the welfare and morale of the team. And I learned the value of having a mindset that it’s okay to acknowledge danger, but not to dwell on it.
When you think about it, all of these skills align with many of our leadership competencies: demonstrating a strong moral compass, establishing a clear vision and strategy, takes intelligent risks, collaborating to seize opportunities and transforming strategy into action.
So it’s easy to see how my military skills helped make my transition to my job in LCBE Information Technology a little easier. I still use my attention to detail and proper planning skills. I continue to be on time and maintain a good teamwork mentality. I am also aware of potential risks, but I don’t dwell on them. And most importantly, I learned to keep an open mind to learn new skills.
That last one was especially important when I walked into Prudential about a year ago. While working with computers was something I never thought I would be doing (I rarely used a computer except for school assignments or streaming music videos), I was excited to learn new computer and technology skills. I also would not have been as comfortable with my writing as I am today. The confidence I’ve gained is priceless. I am more forthright and inquisitive than before. So I feel like I have advanced leaps and bounds as I begin my professional career—and would not trade this experience for anything.
In both the military and corporate world, I learned firsthand the benefit of being open to new opportunities and acquiring new skills. I hope I never stop learning. And I look forward to continuing to build on my skills and to grow in my Prudential career.
Robert Pincay is a 2011 graduate of the VETalent program. He is currently a full-time consultant at Prudential, and his story ran in Prudential's internal newsletter.
