Michael Quinn

CEO at HireMilitary | 2x LinkedIn Top Voice | Forbes Contributor | Army Veteran

From Army Sergeant Major to 3x LinkedIn Top Voice, Forbes Coaches Council and Senior Manager at EY, my transition from the military to the private sector must seem idyllic. It was (in fact) the hardest year of my life - and that is why I became so active on LinkedIn + created HireMilitary, Tenova LLC and the Digital Networking Professional Program.

HireMilitary is the ONLY veteran staffing company out there that provides Direct Placement (veterans & military spouses), but ALSO leverages the DoD SkillBridge Program to bring interns or “fellows” to companies for 3-4 month of OJT where the company is not allowed to pay salary or benefits (FLSA compliant) because the military still covers it. We bring an unparalleled social media & outreach program that touches more than 2.2M people every month in support of your requirements.

The Digital Networking Professional Program trains & certifies individuals to leverage LinkedIn in support of personal or corporate branding, growing a network, engaging with content and leveraging their free tools. The Digital Networking Coach certificate gets after those “optimizers” that charge people, but don’t have any way to back up their LinkedIn or coaching experience in a way that matters to potential clients. We are an approved Army Training Vendor for this under credentialing assistance.

Tenova LLC is a service disabled veteran owned small business (SDVOSB) that brings the unique quals of HireMilitary & the Digital Networking Professional Program, couples them with training, communications, and change management, to support government & commercial clients of all sizes.

I teach the transitioning General and Flag Officers from every branch of service, am a regular public speaker, train businesses on leveraging LinkedIn or Veteran Hiring Programs & volunteer much of my time supporting the military community both on and off-base. This is my passion – and I am lucky to have found a rewarding career to pursue it.


Founder and CEO

HireMilitary, a branch of Tenova LLC, is a self-certified Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) focused on comprehensive transition and employment connection support for Service Members, Military Spouses, and Veterans.

Had a candidate hunt down my personal cell phone number

To tell me they applied for one of our jobs and really wanted it

Asked for me by name

It wasn’t good 😞

#quinnsights

I mean…in what world is that going to be received well?!

I’m not the recruiter and never shared my number

That wasn’t demonstrating how awesome you are

It was creepy and borderline stalking 

Don’t go there, people

Chief Growth Officer | 3x LinkedIn Top Voice | Forbes Contributor | Adjunct Professor | Army Veteran

Mike Bowers just became a Deputy Under Secretary at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for the National Cemetary Administration

This picture was taken on June 16, 2023 at his retirement ceremony

Think about that career progression in 2 1/2 years!!!

10x things that make me so excited for him and the VA:

1 - his time as XO at “the Beast” on Quantico was the least coolest job of his career

2 - but dealing with 8x GOs and their staffs from an O-6 Command level was probably the most important skill he could learn
(stakeholder management)

3 - he started early on transition prep by doing hundreds of informational interviews

4 - started as a GS-14 at the VA and was promoted to GS-15 Supervisory in about 6 months

5 - nobody cares about veterans more than him

6 - every time I we talk he is volunteering at another veteran event

7 - he has a thick Maryland accent that I think he uses to his advantage (along with the great haircut)

8 - networking within the VA is a part of his daily routine…but actually getting to know people is what he does best 

9 - he smiles even though he is a Marine

10 - the National Cemetary Administration is in good hands

Please connect with and congratulate Mike when you get a chance

#quinnsights

Remember:
How you prep determines where you start that first job

Where you start is only the beginning of your next career

And relationships matter more than you think

Thoughts?

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8 years ago a “coach” was frustrated I didn’t charge people for the advice I give

Said I could make “6-figures” just by charging for what I do on LinkedIn (not even full time)

I said “charge who?”

This is my community and I’m still engaged because of a passion to change lives at scale

I’ve never charged a service member or veteran for my advice or support

Although I’ve considered a paywall for the gimme, gimme, gimme entitled few 😉🤣🤣

#quinnsights

Why share?

Because I still give away my time and advice for free

But I #qualify people before personally investing more time

Because I’ve been burned way too many times by spending time on people only to learn they didn’t want to DO anything I recommend

They just wanted me to be their “easy button” for a job 😞

The easiest way to “qualify?”

Attend one of my monthly Mastering LinkedIn webinars with the USO 

I teach you everything you need to leverage LinkedIn and find your success

THEN DO IT AND FOLLOW UP

The next one is Feb 19th

Will I see you there?

Google “USO MVP” to register

Messages like these refresh me 💪  for the regular battles with the #complainers & "I deservers"

This is a high-performer who's entire business unit was cut (laid off)

But because they are a high-performer...they've been networking every day since 2019 and HAD OPTIONS right away 

While I'll bet there are thousands that aren't in the same boat 😔 
(and really salty about it)

Please learn from this

And make it part of your work day to net-work
(every freakin' day)

Got it?

#quinnsights

So thankful the USO brought me out to teach that event at Ft Bliss in 2019

They have an amazing facility and I taught at the The NCO Leadership Center of Excellence and Sergeants Major Academy on the same trip
(in the Master Bedroom)

Class 63 "All In"

Missed out on my webinars or workshops?

The next one is Feb 19th

Google "USO MVP" to attend

And if you ask me for the link - I'm going to tell you to stop being lazy

I tell you to Google the link for a reason

We don't want servant leaders

We want #business leaders

Y'all transitioning military spouting that you are "Servant Leaders" first and foremost are focused on the wrong thing

You can incorporate elements of servant leadership into your philosophy

Build a fantastic team and take care of people

But if you aren't #prioritizing the business and making money

That green banner will be popping up soon for YOU

⭐ You can't spend 90% of your time on 10% of the people out here ⭐

You typically will have to cut the 10% that can't or won't perform and hire people that will (and ideally perform better)

#quinnsights

Servant leadership only works in the military because you have unlimited people resources and no payroll to meet 

Congress funds everything

And the whole financial structure is "obligate, obligate, obligate"

Out here companies need to make money to stay open

And that requires BUSINESS decisions

Which is also why I am on a campaign to make sure senior enlisted leaders attend all the finance, budget and contracting meetings
(so they learn and can land at the right level out here)

Questions?

How much would this event 👇 cost in the private sector? And if an O-6 Commander had to pay for it...would they?

I mean literally....

For every minute that a service member was there for the run

The pre-formation time
Warm ups
Run time
Speeches afterwards

200, 400, 800 people for 2 hours

Maybe 2x hours of work

Broken down into hourly wages with overtime (because it is never under 40 hours)

Would the Commander still choose to do it if the funding came right out of their operating budget? 🤔 

#quinnsights

I'd love for someone to do the math on this

Get me your cost - but be prepared to explain how you got it 

⭐ I'll hop on a few calls with the people that do ⭐

Because when you run through this drill...

You'll understand how you need to THINK DIFFERENTLY when you get out of the military

And all you have to do is start thinking $$$ (true cost vs ROI) 

Got it?
Questions?

What number did you come up with and how?

~300 comments on my post about being cold-called from a candidate basically broke down into 2x distinct groups of people:

Group 1
Hiring Managers, Corporate Recruiters, Established Professionals saying "too far"

Group 2
Salespeople, Unemployed struggling to find a job, and "career coaches/thrid party recruiters" that have never really been corporate recruiters or hiring managers saying "you should have hired them"

I encourage you to check the comments yourself

Even the "CEOs" that disagreed with me were mostly from 1x person companies 🤔 

But at the end of the day:

Always look at someone's background before following their advice
(including mine)

And don't cold-call unless it is a sales role
(and then you'd better be great at it)

Got it?

#quinnsights

P.S.
It is abso-freakin' hilarious the number of strangers that said they would NEVER work with me from that post 🤣 

I understand that people are struggling

That is why I share advice freely every day

But your struggles don't make you the best candidate 🤯 

Industry knowledge
Relevant experience
Tailored resumes
Practiced interviews &
Relationships do

ALL OF WHICH YOU COULD OBTAIN WITH HARD WORK

Now go get it!!!

Oversharing your struggles or issues doesn't make you a best candidate or make hiring managers want to hire you

It makes them pause

Ask "why?"

And more often than not choose another candidate 
(that doesn't give them pause)

I mean:

Q:  What is your biggest weakness?
A: I don't like to work more than 2 hours a day

Not going to cut it...

#quinnsights

A veteran I know wrote posts about their struggles with PTSD, how they could only work a couple hours a day, had issues with going to the office, issues with people

Yet they were upset that they weren't getting hired for full-time jobs

Ummm.... 🤔 

A simple social media check takes them out of the running
(even if technically illegal)

Then there are the "angry complainers" that hop on my posts to call me names and say how mean I am

Comments show up in social media checks as well 🤯 

Look:

Disabled veteran doesn't make you a better candidate
Unemployed for a year doesn't make you a better candidate
Never getting callbacks doesn't make you a better candidate
Complaining publicly about companies, recruiters or ATS deosn't make you a better candidate

Learn to compartmentalize 

Focus on highlighting your strengths, networking, & improving every day

To find your success by becoming the BEST CANDIDATE

Got it?

(and don't overshare)

In my last Army job I "led the operations for 17,000 people in 45 countries." Using that as a baseline...some could say that I am now #underemployed as the Chief Growth Officer of an SDVOSB

I most certainly am not

I am right where I decided to be
(and doing well 🙂)

But it took a LOT of hard work, risk, failure, experiential learning, sacrifice and growth for me to get here

#quinnsights

So when I see people complaining about "veteran unemployment" I always ask the question:

By what metric?
How did you come up with that number?
Who determines if a veteran is underemployed?

Because if they are determining it based on their "leadership" or other military experience...

That is an entirely different industry 😵‍💫 

Trust me - you don't want SGM Quinn being in charge of that skyscraper that is being built by hundreds of people

Even though he led 17,000+

But after 10+ years of skyscraper experience???

Hold my beer 😆

44 months ago (then Col) Brig Gen Reid Novotny hired a scrappy Major for Squadron Command

That Major was a wrecking ball…knocking down “white whales” and bringing the 175th COS to unheard of readiness and mission success

Including 27 fully qualified cyber Airmen from the TSR Program at a savings of $6.8M in training costs😎

Today Lt Col Dominick Della Pia had his Change of Command turning over the 175th COS

After making “the Reapers” THE single most impactful cyber unit in the entire Reserve Component

With an active mission at CYBERCOM

And the Maryland Air National Guard is converting the entire Wing to Cyber Operations

So if you are interested in paid training and a TS clearance while serving in a really cool unit…

You should check them out! 

#quinnsights

P.S.
If this was the Army they would have been in formation and likely outdoors 😱

Did I choose the wrong Service? 🤣🤣

Networking is reaching out to someone BEFORE you need or want something 

Everything else is sales

#quinnsights

That’s why I say it is easier for transitioning military

If you start early…

They couldn’t hire you if they wanted to

Keep this in mind

The “LinkedIn police” will tell you not to post this perfect soft pretzel

And they are the same people that think Auntie Annie’s pretzels are authentic 🤣🤣

I could never trust them

#quinnsights

The thing is:

We buy from whom we trust

Trust comes from relationships

LinkedIn helps you build them intentionally & at scale

You do this by:

1 - creating a complete profile that reflects your professional identify 

2 - connecting with people where you want to grow your network

3 - posting and commenting on content to build relationships 

Relationships form based on shared backgrounds or interests

Not job ads 

So if you never post content that tells us who you are outside of work…

Relationships don’t form

Alternatively:
If you only post cat memes

We never think of you for an opportunity because we don’t know what you actually do

Got it?

Find your balance

Then #goBirds

I’m having cheesesteaks tonight for the Super Bowl to remind me what could have been with better offensive coaching

CW3 William Woods took the ROI exercise I posted this week and kicked butt

I promised to hop on a call with some that posted awesome answers

So I set aside an hour on Tuesday to chat with him 

Including a resume review since he has done 27 informational interviews and dialed it in to a specific role

Effort stands out!!

Am I right?

#quinnsights

P.S.
I’d connect with William if you get a chance

Reaching out to hiring manager about a job they posted isn't #networking

It is a cold-call sales pitch
(trying to sell your services)

Very few people really like receiving those 😔 

Networking is reaching out 🐝4️⃣ they post the job
(and not leading with "can you give me a job")

Don't get it skewed

#quinnsights

Once the job is posted, the hiring manager has already passed it to recruiters for them to source, screen, short-list and pass forward a small group of qualified candidates

The hiring manager should have other work to do

So they aren't likely taking calls from rando strangers trying go around the system (and recruiters) to get a job

If they have the time to do that often...

I'll bet they won't be in a job for long 😱 

The only exception I've noted with any consistency are people in sales & third-party recruiting (which really is sales)

⭐️I mean … how do you respond to cold calls when you receive them?🤔

#militarytransition

Not sure how to intentionally network using LinkedIn?

Google "USO MVP" and attend one of my monthly free Mastering LinkedIn webinars

Questions?

"You'll be out of a job in 2-3 years & are training your replacement"

It isn't the company's fault

With hundreds of people doing this data processing job, it is borderline criminal mismanagement if the company isn't planning to replace you all with AI

The company doesn't exist to employ or pay you

They exist to make enough money to cover payroll, overhead expenses, and #turnaprofit for the owners that took all the risk and fronted the money to start the company

Don't get it skewed

If they don't do it - another company will and then steal the work at a significantly lower rate his company can't match 🤯🤯🤯 

#quinnsights

Change is here

I don't even need to type in the code for bananas at self checkout anymore
(even though it is the only code I remember 😁)

AI works with cameras to identify it when I put them on the scale 

Many jobs are heading the way of supermarket cashiers, switchboard operators, taxi cab drivers, bank tellers and travel agents 

So you should ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS evaluate the ROI to the company for your job and how easily you could be replaced
(by AI or giving your duties to someone else)

Questions?
Anything you would add?

Do you know the code for bananas? 😁

Metrics are the most overlooked part of the #militarytransition

Because you don't need to justify your job in the military

But out here?

Employees COST a company ~32% more than their salary for payroll taxes and benefits (insurance, 401k, PTO, etc.) and that doesn't include the real overhead when it comes to management, systems & admin 

If you don't more than cover your salary + overhead
(200%+ is a safe metric)

If the company can just shift your work elsewhere...including AI
(with limited pain)

Then you need to be #prepared to be let go...

BECAUSE THE COMPANY IS LOSING MONEY EMPLOYING YOU
(most people don't realize this)

But If you track your metrics and provide value that well exceeds your salary, you will generally be fine...or someone else will quickly hire you

Those relevant metrics are what make people stand out (impact)

#quinnsights

There are exceptions to every rule

Companies let go of entire divisions, are sold, or fail

But even most of those...you should be paying attention to performance

If you are a rock star, but your division/company is hemorrhaging money...

You should be networking in advance

You feel me?

P.S.
Amazon cut 19,000 jobs

Am I, as a customer, really going to see a difference? 

And if the answer is "no"

Were they wrong in doing it? 🤔

You’ve seen the Philadelphia Eagles jersey in the background if you’ve been on a call or webinar with me this past year

What many don’t know is it is a 1990 Randall Cunningham jersey
(made it through all the PCSs)

I grew up watching him play

He literally changed the game

And he should be in the HoF for that impact alone 

#quinnsights

But this was a tough season for Eagles fans after winning the Super Bowl

So my best friend had this idea:

He bought a bunch of Randall Cunningham cards, found a signed rookie card, and framed it all together 👇

I’m picking it up in a couple weeks

😎😎😎

And I just commissioned a second one (different theme) for a recently retired Senior Leader I respect 🫡

What do you think?
Cool, isn’t it?

It’s a cool side-business he has 

He loves thinking through the theme, searching for the right cards, and placing them with meaning

And I couldn’t be happier for him/me

Like our CEO, NICK GISMONDI often says:
It is Thankful Thursday 🙏 with a double dose of people finding their success through networking

Headed to the gym for leg day shortly 🥹

This and the message from this morning give me strength 💪 

#quinnsights

Thank you for the people that send me these little gems

Not only do them make me soooo happy for you
(I want every veterans and milspouse to find their success)

They recharge me!!!

And they show the people that haven't started yet that I am not making 💩 up with my focus on networking

Right?

I saw this incredible video of a cheesesteak place in Philly (seeded hard roll, meat, cheese...looked mind blowing) and sent the video to my best friend

He agreed and went there with his family the next day
(it was a 20-30 min drive)

They didn't even finish the cheesesteaks 😱 😭 😭

They just weren't that good

And it just reminded me that just because something looks good on the internet ... doesn't make it so

You see...I see all of these "I help" people 

Some are "beautiful people" with huge networks

But I click on their profiles and you know what I don't see?

ANY MEAT

I don't see the experience that backs up paying them for services

I don't have friends that used their services successfully

I don't see anything that back up their claim to be the "top" anything

And it makes me sad 😔 

Because now I question if @Judy's Pancakes are really any good 🥹 
(iykyk)

#quinnsights

Why share?

Because there are a lot of people making claims, giving advice and selling services

Some have big networks like me 😅 

Some are really good
And many are not really good at all
(just good at social media or good looking)

And I don't want you to make "big purchases" based off of follower count, fahncy videos or beauty

1. DO THE RESEARCH

2. Ask trusted friends/advisors who they used 

3. Make educated decisions

THIS GOES FOR EVERYTHING YOU SEE ON THE INTERNET

Got it?
Any questions?

Signed up for Superpower and had blood tests

I'd had blood tests done via Tricare and the VA, but the doctors always said "you are in the healthy range"

That was all I got 🤷‍♂️ 

But I was still tired quite a bit
Wasn't building muscle
Dealing with quite a bit of fatigue 
More than I would expect for a young guy like me 😉 

It was super easy to do - just fasted and popped into the local lab
(done in 20 mins)

A few days later I found that:

While I'm "in the range," for some I was at the absolute BOTTOM 

Even though I workout regularly and try to eat healthy

They also found a few things that I wasn't tracking

Recommended some supplements

I took my first batch this am & it was like lightning was shoved us my 🫏 

I felt great and didn't need coffee 🤯 

Ready to get in a workout later 💪 

And then will order an advanced panel + a gut biome in the next few weeks

Have you tried something like this?
How did it go?

#quinnsights

I know it costs money

But this was the first time I actually got my results with an explanation of every test + things I could do to improve them

Ordered quality supplements

And I'll bring all the results to my VA PCM next month 😎 

I realized you can't put a price on health and quality of life

⭐ I don't work for Superpower & am not compensated for this post ⭐

But they sent me a referral link
($50 off)

I'll put it in the comments

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