Navy officer launches career mentorship program for vets

Getting out of the military can be an exciting time — a chance to put hard-earned experience to use in the private sector. But when a job offer doesn’t materialize and time drags on, it can be an incredibly daunting period.

“No one talks about the pressure that you have if you’re not able to land a job and you have three kids and wife, or a husband,” said Jai Salters, a lieutenant commander in the Navy, who, on Wednesday, launched the Mil Mentor program through Service to Success. 

Mil Mentor is a career platform that aims to pair service members and military spouses with industry experts who work as volunteer mentors to help them navigate different career fields and paths.

“What people don’t talk about is, ‘how do you get out of that spiral?’” said Salters, who’s currently serving as a cryptologic warfare officer. “It’s defeating. So how do you pick yourself up when you’ve been beat down for a full year, and for me, it’s mentorship. It offers accountability, and motivation, and helps you handle a situation like that, and it also offers visibility in the industry.”