Early in Keith Hoskins' career as a naval aviator, he learned a lesson that has stuck with him ever since. Just before an F/A-18 Hornet mission he was set to fly alongside some of his senior leadership, his commanding officer looked at Hoskins and told him that if he didn't make it airborne for any reason, Hoskins should take the lead.
Being thrust into a leadership position gave Hoskins pause, but a fellow officer pulled him aside and spoke the words he would never forget: "Never turn down the opportunity to lead."
Today, as the executive vice president of branch operations for Navy Federal Credit Union, Hoskins still lives by that. The former Navy captain and financial services executive offers separating veterans his own advice on how to succeed. Veterans, he believes, should consider financial services for their own future.
Hoskins went on to serve for 27 years in the Navy, living a dream of flying the Hornet. When he was looking at retirement, he felt the same apprehension many veterans feel when separating from the service. After retirement, he actually took three months away from an active job search to talk to colleagues and peers who were already out to learn about civilian work.
"I made a conscious decision that I did want to work in corporate America," Hoskins told Military.com. "But I just didn't quite know where to go ... so there was a little bit of apprehension. So I took a little bit of time to reflect, ask questions and prepare myself."
Hoskins, with a degree in electrical engineering technology and nearly three decades of experience as a naval officer, landed an executive position in the utilities industry. His time to reflect paid off, and he got his feet wet in the civilian world. Over the course of three years in that job, he took over an entire area of operations for the utility.
That's when Navy Federal came calling.
At the time, he had no experience in financial services, but he says veterans are ideally suited for leadership in the industry. For Hoskins, someone with a passion for service and a dedication to military personnel, making the move to a new sector wasn't a risk; it just made sense.
"What's so great about the military is that it broadens your horizons to new opportunities," he says. "The training runs the full gamut of technical skills to professional skills to leadership skills ... but I look at what our mission [at Navy Federal Credit Union] is, and it's people, our members. Our members are our mission."
For Hoskins, serving the members of Navy Federal Credit Union is just like his work in the military, especially since many of them are still serving. Veterans can identify with a mission like that. In the financial services industry in general, veterans will see a lot of familiarity with military life.
"In the military, you switch jobs every two to three years," he said. "It's always something different. It's always a change, and it's always a new challenge. And, you know, part of that new challenge is the excitement of taking on a new role. ... If you have the desire and will to succeed, you will take on new responsibilities."
In terms of career advancement, Hoskins says his time at Navy Federal has offered him a lot of opportunities, both as an executive and as a veteran.
"There's a clear career pathway [in financial services]," Hoskins said. "There is also a lot of training available as well. There's a lot of creative and strategic opportunities. I wanted to go to a company that supports veterans, has veteran programs that give a platform or a community where veterans can be together, share stories and support each other within that industry or that company. I can say I found that here."
When leaving the military, Hoskins says veterans should always do their research when choosing where to go and what to do. For him, it meant taking the time away to talk to his peers about their experiences and their industries. He believes that research varies from person to person, but is still important.
For any veteran considering financial services as a post-military career, he says not to worry about the doom and gloom heard in financial news. He believes the financial services sector continues to thrive and will always have stable jobs and growth potential for veterans, whether they have degrees in finance or not -- just be sure to take advantage of your educational benefits.
And never turn down an opportunity to lead.
-- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on Facebook.
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