The leadership gene does not sleep. After our recent master class Positioning for Power: Jobs in Management and Leadership, I received a slew of calls from employed veterans who told me how they miss using the leadership skills they learned in the military. No matter how fulfilling their current work was, they still wanted to lead, to guide, to mentor.
So when I heard that American Corporate Partners (ACP) had an urgent need for volunteer mentors for a new eager crew of 4K transitioning veterans, I thought it was a perfect match. The need for mentors with experience in cyber, IT government, defense, project management and operations is great. What an opportunity to give back and change lives.
Interested in becoming a mentor? ACP is one of our favorite transition programs at the Veteran Employment Project, especially for those looking to get jobs with Fortune 500 companies. Over 35,000 post-9/11 veterans and active duty military spouses have completed the mentorship program since 2009.
Here is how it works: Transitioning veterans and military spouses first apply for mentorship with ACP. Each jobseeker is then hand-matched with a volunteer mentor from one of the 130+ corporate partners. Mentors come from some of the most prestigious and successful companies in the world. These mentors work with the protégés for a full year as they craft their new professional roadmap.
In just one hour each month, mentors can help protégés create long-term career plans, build a professional network, translate their military experience for the private sector, and improve their resume and interviewing skills — exactly the resources transitioning veterans and spouses need most.
Rich Comitz, retired Army officer and chief operating officer for ACP, explains what makes the program stand out.
“ACP’s unique value lies in our ability to connect veterans and military spouses with personalized mentorships, leveraging an extensive corporate network to deliver real, measurable career outcomes,” he says. “We build a community built on trust, accessibility and understanding of the military experience."
Their results speak for themselves. Over 85% of ACP protégés who get jobs during their mentorship are still in those jobs one year later — a 30-point increase over the average retention rate for veterans. The average starting salary for these protégés was $92,000 in 2024.
The personalized nature of the program and the expected year-long timeline means protégés have the time to develop a sense of trust and friendship with their mentors.
“Having someone who's there, who's empathetic and understands your background and where you're coming from is very impactful,” says Demond Glover, former U.S. Marine Corps captain and ACP alumnus.
Mentors who are veterans themselves are especially helpful. Glover is now an analyst with a major consulting firm and he says he benefited from a mentorship with another veteran. “Any time I had a question or concern, Lew was able to easily relate it to some of the experiences that we all go through as vVeterans,” he says. “I'm [where I am] today because of [his}Lew’s mentorship.”
If the leader in you is interested in making the transition path easier for your fellow veterans, take the leap and become a champion for our veterans and spouses. Visit ACP’s website to learn more about the impact you can have now.
