Has Breakline Turned into another JMO Recruiter?

The Weekly Sitrep - Hawaii edition

Aloha Sitreps Readers!

I’m writing this edition of the “Weekly Sitrep” from my hotel in Waikiki beach. I have never been to Hawaii before so I wanted to start off on the main island and check everything out here before doing any other islands. The reactions I have gotten from folks have ranged from “Stay as far away as possible from Waikiki” to “some of the best restaurants in the world are there”. It’s been interesting, we have driven all over the island and seen a bunch of sights. I’m surprised at a few things.

1. How small the island is

2. The mix of Japanese, Americans, US Service Members and Native Hawaiians 

3. How good the food is

4. How different the weather is on different parts of the island

Flying here, we got very lucky and the whole family was upgraded on the LAX to HNL portion of the flight. With a small baby this was truly invaluable. My wife and I actually split our tickets so she had one of our kids and I had the other. Delta won’t upgrade a family of 4. But they will upgrade you and a +1, so something to think about.

We also rented a car. I recently found out about AMEX Premium car insurance. It’s much cheaper than the rental car insurance that rental car companies give you. It’s a flat 20 dollars for the rental, and becomes your primary car insurance. You need to have an amex card to use it. But it's worth checking out. Feel free to use my referral code for the AMEX Platinum card if you are interested. Annual fee waived for military!

News Articles I found interesting this past week

WSJ - Drone Swarms Are About to Change the Balance of Military Power

WSJ - How TikTok Was Blindsided by U.S. Bill That Could Ban It

AP -  Duty, Honor, Outrage: Change to West Point’s mission statement sparks controversy

Yahoo - Mexican artist crushes Tesla under giant stone head

Washington Post - Realtors settlement expected to lower housing prices

Vanderbilt MBA Admissions Boot Camp on April 16th

The Vanderbilt MBA program will be having a special admissions boot camp for military applicants on April 16th! It’s free to attend. Register here.

• Vanderbilt MBA program is a Yellow-Ribbon school and will award up to 50% of the unmet need in YR funds (which is matched by the VA). This makes it a very low-cost option for YR eligible students. 

• About 17% of their student body are military and they have a very active Armed Forces Club

• They offer the Bass Military Scholars program, which awards a $30,000 stipend annually to veteran students. This Scholars program is open to five graduate programs across Vanderbilt and Vanderbilt Business is always represented in the highest numbers. The $30k can be used in conjunction with YR funds.

• Their average base salary for 2023 graduates was $154,000

Has BreakLine turned into another JMO Recruiter?

For a while now I have been recommending BreakLine as a reputable organization to help veterans get in tech fields. I knew several alumni of the program and they all had fantastic things to say about the program. I even have a write up of the organization on my website. With that being said, imagine my surprise when I got the following email from a former BreakLine recruiter in my inbox the other day. 

“I worked at BreakLine as a Recruiter for the last 3 years and have been a big fan of your site! I recently left to pursue a different career path, and before I hang my recruitment hat I’d like to clarify something about BreakLine for your audience. 

I have seen too many veterans come through BreakLine and use it as their sole resource. While this might have been a viable option back in 2021 when my husband went through (transitioned from the Navy), it certainly isn’t now. BreakLine has changed a lot in the last three years. I have a draft article that I’d love to send you outlining why BreakLine should not be your only resource, how it can still help transitioning vets, and more resources to consider. The goal is to clarify the current reality and prevent current/future transitioning vets from putting all of their chips in the BreakLine basket.

At BreakLine, we regularly received applications with SitReps2SteerCos as the referral. Lots of veterans come to your site for guidance, and if you think it’s helpful I’d love to provide some clarity for them.”

I figured it was important to give perspective from a former BreakLine recruiter, so come check out her short write up and decide for yourself!

After three years as a Recruiter at BreakLine, I’ve seen the company transition from an education company focused on career discovery to a recruitment agency focused on placements. Having helped hundreds of veterans through their transition into the civilian workforce, one thing is clear to me: In this job market you need to hedge your bets. I would still recommend BreakLine for their online resources and free classes, but you can’t bet it all on BreakLine anymore.