“My Transition” #9: Joe Robinson — Army Intel to Senior Director at Micron
From High School dropout to Army Intelligence Officer and Sr. Director, Global Risk & Resilience at Micron Technologies, Joe has benefited greatly from military service and hopes others will also.
I think the most important thing I learned during my time in the Army is that I have the ability to choose my own experience. No matter the circumstance, I can choose to enjoy my time there… recognizing that each moment is an opportunity to enjoy, even in the hardest of circumstances, is the most important thing that I learned.
Boise, ID — Joe Robinson entered the military at the lowest pay grade possible, E-1, and eventually worked his way up to become an intelligence officer and a Senior Director at a major technology company. His story embodies what makes America’s military the best leadership training institution in the world… but it wasn’t without struggle. Here’s his story:
DJS: Why did you join the military?
JR:
I joined the Army before I had even finished High School. I was a high school dropout and had just completed my GED. No prospects for employment or thoughts about college. I just wanted to get out of town for a while because I was not really happy with where I was at. There were also patriotic reasons, my Grandpa had served in World War II and my brother was in the Coast Guard. These were people that I really looked up to, but my primary motivation was to do something different.
I was a high school dropout… I just wanted to get out of town for a while because I was not really happy with where I was at… my primary motivation was to do something different.
DJS: What were the most important skills or lessons that you learned?
JR:
There were parts of the Army that I absolutely hated and other parts that I really loved. I think the most important thing I learned during my time in the Army is that I have the ability to choose my own experience. No matter the circumstance, I can choose to enjoy my time there. Just listen to people tell stories about their basic training experience. They will laugh about the different characters or moments they experienced, but ask them if they want to go back. The majority would laugh and say, “hell no”! But we all have those memories. Recognizing that each moment is an opportunity to enjoy, even in the hardest of circumstances, is the most important thing that I learned.
I think the most important thing I learned during my time in the Army is that I have the ability to choose my own experience.
DJS: Did you know what you were going to do when you got out?
JR:
I am still in the Army Reserve, but when I left Active Duty, I had no idea what I was going to do. I had been working on a college degree, but it still wasn’t finished. I was married and had two children, which meant that people were relying on me. It was a scary moment, but I knew that I had to get on with life and I wasn’t advancing fast enough in the military.
DJS: Did you face any struggles?
JR:
My financial picture was probably the most significant struggle. I was living in Arlington, VA in a tiny two bedroom apartment. I was barely making it month to month and digging deeper and deeper in debt. I finally realized that the Washington, DC life wasn’t sustainable for my little family based on the point I was at in my career. I had to move somewhere that had a better cost of living and was more family friendly.
I was barely making it month to month and digging deeper and deeper in debt.
DJS: Tell me about your initial job search?
JR:
That first job search was rough. I applied for so many jobs that I couldn’t keep track of what interaction I had had with each. I ended up creating a spread sheet that listed each detail. I believe I applied for nearly 250 jobs nationwide and I only had around 10 interviews. And out of those 10 I had three in person interviews. When I finally received an offer I was so relieved, but that first day was stressful. I had the first discussion with my boss and asked him what he wanted me to do. His response was, “I have no idea. That’s why I hired you.” I was initially shocked by this, but I dug in to my past experience and realized that was always what I did in the military. I had my MOS training, but I was given hundreds of additional duties that I just had to figure out.
I believe I applied for nearly 250 jobs nationwide and I only had around 10 interviews.
DJS: What skills from the military translated into your job and made you successful in your current role?
JR:
One of the final roles I was in on Active Duty was as a member of the Army’s Crisis Action Team. I was an Administrative NCO to begin with and worked my way into the role of Tasking NCO. This final two and a half years prepared me to enter the world of Crisis Management and Business Continuity. The Army’s use of contingency planning in general is good preparation for the work I do now. I consider the types of things that can impact my company and prepare us to keep operations running at all times. It is a pretty good role that has constant change, which I really enjoy.
The Army’s use of contingency planning in general is good preparation for the work I do now. I consider the types of things that can impact my company and prepare us to keep operations running at all times.
DJS: Are there other veterans in your workplace? If so, how is that dynamic?
JR:
I have two Veterans on my team and there are a few hundred on our campus. Micron puts on a breakfast event on Veteran’s Day that is well attended and valued by our Veteran community. I was involved with handing out a commemorative challenge coin last year to every Veteran on our site. Some of these guys came up to me with tears in their eyes. They had never been recognized for their service. This was the first time their community had made any effort to personally thank them. I’m talking Vietnam, Gulf War, Somalia, War on Terror, Iraq, Afghanistan, vets. It was humbling. So, the Veteran dynamic is pretty good. I haven’t seen anyone that wears it on their sleeve in my workplace, but I know it exists in other places.
DJS: If you knew one thing before the transition process that would have made your experience easier, what would that be?
JR:
Military experience is valued by most employers. Don’t downplay it’s importance in your own mind or to anyone else.
DJS: What was the hardest piece of balancing Reserve and family responsibilities?
JR:
There have been a lot of moving and financial decisions. For a while, I continued to work in the Washington, DC area as a Business Continuity Program Specialist for the Defense Finance and Accounting Service. Shortly after taking that job, I realized government work was not all that it is cracked up to be and I couldn’t afford to raise a family in DC on the salary I was pulling in. So I headed to the Midwest and joined Navistar as Global Business Continuity Manager. While there, they also had a need for someone to act as Head of Security for their subsidiary, Navistar Defense. I took on that role in addition to my existing role. It was a lot of work.
A few years later, we moved to Boise, Idaho. This was a tough decision, but we had family reasons to make the move. I was lucky to find a role with a great company, Micron, where I was actually able to make a step up to Sr. Director, Global Risk & Resilience. Hard work and continuous improvement are the driving factors to my success. Always move forward.
DJS: Tell me more about Micron Technology, what is the company’s mission and what is your role there? How did the military prepare you for this?
JR:
Micron Technology is a world leader in innovative memory solutions that enable the most innovative computing, consumer, enterprise storage, data center, mobile, embedded, and automotive applications. Through global brands — Micron, Crucial®, Lexar® and Ballistix® — and broad portfolio of high-performance memory technologies, including DRAM, NAND, NOR Flash and 3D XPoint™ memory, Micron is transforming how the world uses information.
I am currently the Sr. Director of Global Risk & Resilience, responsible for Enterprise Risk Management, Business Continuity Management, and Crisis Management. The easy way to explain my job is that I think about all of the things that could go wrong and then get people to do something about it. This is obviously an oversimplification, but not really too far from the truth.
As an intelligence officer I was taught to think like the enemy and provide solid reasoning based in fact (when possible). If I didn’t come to the table with facts then I would have never be able to hold my own with the S3 (Operations Officer) that was actually responsible for planning the friendly operations. In addition, Business Continuity is just identifying the critical elements of your business, considering threats that could disrupt those elements, and creating contingencies if those threats materialize. Every Commander, S2 (Intel Officer), or S3 should be able to do this. The analysis required, and considering the world through a different perspective, really prepared me well for my current role.
Business Continuity is just identifying the critical elements of your business, considering threats that could disrupt those elements, and creating contingencies if those threats materialize.
DJS: What one piece of advice do you have for anyone reading this?
JR:
Some Veterans may need guidance or support, but there are very few of us that are broken. Do not listen to all of the well intentioned people out there that think we are broken. It isn’t true. Most Veterans have more dedication and drive than an average civilian. We are trained, tested, and experienced. When we get our chance we will excel.
Do not listen to all of the well-intentioned people out there that think we are broken. It isn’t true… We are trained, tested, and experienced.
Service Details:
Joe is a 17 year veteran of the Army Reserve. During those 17 years, he has spent approximately 6 on Active Duty. He deployed once in support of the Global War on Terror and did a three year mobilization to Washington, DC. He has served in a wide variety of roles from mechanic to Intelligence Officer and Counterintelligence Branch Chief.
On the Civilian side, Joe has worked as a Global Business Continuity Manager and Head of Security for Navistar Defense, as well as at Abbott Laboratories as Director, Crisis Management. Currently, he is the Sr. Director, Global Risk & Resilience at Micron Technologies.
Top Resources:
Bunker Labs — For vets interested in startups, this is a national not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization built by military veteran entrepreneurs to empower other military veterans as leaders in innovation. Through local chapters organized in cities across the nation, Bunker Labs provides educational programming, mentors, events, and thriving local networks to help military veterans start and grow businesses.
Start With Why— Everyone has a Why. Do you know yours? Your Why is the purpose, cause, or belief that inspires you to do What you do. Simon Sinek’s online Why Discovery course guides you through a step-by-step process to discover your Why Statement. (Only $10 for Military and Veterans)
Veteran Crisis Line — We have all been there and this is a great resource to have available for yourself or for friends.
Are you interested in sharing your story of transition? Or are you a military transition specialist who would like to share some tips? Send me an email at MilitaryTransitionStories@gmail.com
The goal of this series is to bridge the military-civilian divide in three ways: 1) Highlight the incredible skills and value that military veterans of all generations and backgrounds bring into the workplace. 2) Help transitioning veterans understand their true value and therefore aim as high as possible in their employment and educational goals. 3) Discuss the common struggles, pitfalls and indicators of success in veteran transition, in order to provide better transition assistance from both military and civilian sides.
