I guest posted today in SuccessVets.com, “What You Thought Graduates of Elite Schools Have, But Probably Don’t.”

I wrote the piece for service-members transitioning to civilian leadership, but it applies to many people who worry about competing with graduates of elite schools. The guest post begins:

It’s easy to look at people who went to school while you served and think they’re ahead of you, which can cause anxiety. As a professor with an MBA and PhD who teaches and coaches leadership and entrepreneurship at elite schools like Columbia Business School and New York University, I want to point out many skills they often lack that you might have assumed they had.

My goal is to help you get hired, funded, or promoted by positioning yourself better and lowering your anxiety. I also intend this post to complement SuccessVets’ posts Why Top Performers Fail When They Leave The Military, which listed skills you might not realize you lacked, and Transitioning Veterans Achieve Extraordinary Success, which listed strengths you probably have.

For example, MBAs network so much that it’s easy to assume they make a lot of great connections. Many do, but many just share business cards and résumés without creating intimacy that service members often do.

Read the rest at What You Thought Graduates of Elite Schools Have, But Probably Don’t. The important parts follow the part I quoted.

About SuccessVets.com, run by Byron Chen:

SuccessVets was started to help veterans with their transition into new careers after the military.

I left the Marine Corps in June of 2013. Leading up to that point, I thought I was more than ready. I was leaving with fond memories and great friends. I had the support of family and veterans’ groups. I had completed the best training in the world and had successfully applied it in the toughest environments. So why was this still so hard? Leaving my previous life in the military was one of the most challenging things that I’ve had to do. And it didn’t feel like it had to be that way. When I took my first steps into civilian life, everything seemed uncertain and new. I was able to get on my feet quickly because of the help of other veterans, and that’s why I started this site. I felt that I could bring together insights and advice from other who had successfully made the transition. The bond I feel with America’s service members is just as strong as when I was on active duty. I hope that I can continue to contribute and serve them through the resources, interviews, and connections that I put together here.

Byron was a Captain in the United States Marine Corps and a graduate of the United States Naval Academy. His six years of active duty included one deployment to Iraq and two company commands. Connect with him on LinkedIn, Twitter, or send him an e-mail.

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