You’ve probably heard of Johnson and Johnson (J NJ). They are, like, a pretty big company (last year they took in $82.1 billion in revenue) that has been in business since 1886. But, you may not know that they have some really unique military hiring programs.
Their chairman and CEO Alex Gorsky is an Army veteran himself and is extremely supportive of bringing veterans into the JNJ brand. He describes on their site one of the lessons that he learned from the military:
The other lesson is resilience — being able to fall down, pick yourself up and keep going in the face of uncertainty and adversity. It’s a very important character trait in the military and at work and home. Life is full of highs and lows, and you’ve got to be able to overcome obstacles and rally your team to see light at the end of the tunnel when things seem almost overwhelming. Resilience taught me not to focus on the problem, but on the opportunities that the problem provides. This has been incredibly valuable to me
Where to start with Johnson and Johnson from the military?
First know that you don’t need to be a doctor or biomedical engineer in order to work at a company like JNJ. They are a HUGE corporation and have lots of opportunities for careers outside of stethoscopes and lab gear. You may be able to find your niche in anything from marketing to human resources to operations.
If you are still on active duty, you can test the waters with JNJ via the Dod Skillbridge program. They have a partnership with Hiring our Heroes where you can work there through their corporate fellow program while on your last 180 days of active duty. That a direct path to working at Johnson and Johnson from the military.
And if you are looking for full-time employment, JNJ has two really unique pathways for veterans to access, the Military Veteran Leadership Development Program (MVLDP), and the Experienced Military Veteran Leadership Development Program (EMVLDP)for those with 20+ years of service.
Why have programs like this?
A lot of companies realize that veterans have exceptional “soft skills.”We learn fast, are comfortable with uncertainty, and have experience leading teams. But we lack industry experience and practical know-how to turn these skills into business value.
Programs like these are the company’s way of saying:
“Look, we know it will be hard for you to provide immediate value to the company coming from the military. But you have skills and attributes we want and we want you in our company. So we are going to invest in you and show you the ropes, with the expectation that you will be greatly valuable after the program is complete.”
It’s a win-win for everyone.
Military Veteran Leadership Development Program
The MVLDP (that’s a mouthful to write out, but we’ve all seen FAR worse in the military) is exactly what it sounds like: a program to start veterans on the path to positions of greater responsibility within JNJ.
Veterans accepted into the program will go through three, 6-month rotations across various functions within the JNJ enterprise (my guess is that you should have these identified when starting the interview process — they aren’t likely to assign them to you). This gives those veterans a broad view of the company and helps develop their future potential as JNJ leaders.
Qualifications, as taken directly from their site:
- Transitioning from active duty military service or less than four years removed from active service is preferred
- A minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree is required, an Advanced Degree is preferred
- A minimum of four (4) years military leadership experience is required
- A proven record of success and leadership throughout military career is required
- Demonstrated successful experience as a people manager and/or leader is required
- Must possess analytical and problem-solving skills is required
- Requires the ability to think strategically and creatively, to thrive in ambiguity, and to deliver results
- Must have excellent interpersonal, influencing, and communication skills (both oral and written) within all levels of the organization
Experienced Military Veteran Leadership Development Program (EMVLDP)
What if you are leaving after a long military career? The EMVLDP is one of the more unique programs out there as it is specifically geared for retired service members.
Common transition advice for veterans is that you should expect to step down a few notches in your first career out of the military. The refrain goes that you shouldn’t expect to be leading a corporate division just because you were a battalion commander in the army. You need to first learn how the business works.
While you shouldn’t likely expect a lateral move via the EMVLDP program, Johnson and Johnson military retirees can take advantage of this opportunity to leverage their greater military experience into higher-level corporate roles at JNJ.
Qualifications, as listed on their site:
- A minimum of twenty (20) years or more of exemplary military leadership experience is required
- Senior ranking official with significant levels of leadership responsibility (E-8 and 0–5 and above)
- Transitioning from active duty military service or less than two (2) years removed from active service is preferred
- A minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree is required, an advanced degree is preferred
- Demonstrated successful experience as a people manager and/or leader is required
- Analytical and problem-solving skills are required
- Requires the ability to think strategically and creatively, to thrive in ambiguity, and to deliver results
- Must have excellent interpersonal, influencing, and communication skills (both oral and written) within all levels of the organization
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