Celebrating veterans: A Q&A with Chris Crace

In celebration of Veterans Day, I spoke to my colleague, Chris Crace, Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) Military Affairs Leader. Chris served in the U.S. Marine Corps for seven years before moving on to the corporate world. Today, he supports other veterans making this transition through our Veterans Network.

Q. With Veterans Day coming up, tell us what the day means to you. How do you observe, honor and celebrate?

Veterans Day is about thanking those who have served in the military. Whereas Memorial Day is more of a solemn occasion to honor those who have died for our country, Veterans Day is a celebration of veterans’ willingness to fight for our country — and to be part of a cause bigger than themselves.

I think the best way to celebrate is to take the time to get to know a veteran. Ask them about their experience in the military — but focus on the positive by asking then about their best memory.

Q. Let’s talk about your own time in the Marines. What did you learn from this experience that shaped who you are today?

I entered the Marines at the age of 22 out of a sense of duty and a desire for adventure. It turned out to be a great experience for me. Being responsible for others really brought out the best in me.

While serving, you learn a lot about yourself based on how you react to stressful situations, which leads to many life lessons. Something that sticks out the most to me is that people are willing to do anything you need them to do if they know you care about them. If you get to know and show care for someone outside of work, they’ll be a lot more open to feedback and constructive criticism. As they say in the military, “accomplish the mission, and take care of your team.” That’s something that’s really translated well into the corporate world as well.

Q. How else do you think being a veteran prepares you for the corporate world?

The military is very much about being part of something bigger than yourself, but it also builds this willingness in you to do whatever it takes, even if it’s by yourself, to get a mission complete. There’s so much personal accountability that the bootcamps and officer candidate schools and academies drill into you and prepare you for. This is part of what makes veterans great leaders, because they set that example for their peers.

Additionally, most businesses today have goals surrounding a common mission. In joining EY, I have found a connection with our mission to Building a Better Working World. Finding this shared connection fuels my passion even more.

Q. Did you experience any challenges transitioning from the military to the corporate world?

The transition can be a challenge because we have made our career about the military for some time, and we’ve built up our networks there. However, when we switch to the corporate world, those years of experience do not directly translate, and then we also don’t necessarily have mentors or a network in our new domain.

You also do not want people in your new company to treat you differently or special because you are a veteran, either. In my case, I really wanted to blend in when I started my first corporate role, not because I wasn’t proud, but because I wanted to be able to stand on my own merit and my own skills as a corporate professional — to be seen as adding value. I was a student of the culture because the way people interact with each other and the written and verbal communication were so different.

Q. What advice would you give to a veteran going through a similar transition?

I’d say they should look at it as a mission and embrace the opportunity to make change. Plan for the transition by researching industries and companies that interest them. Expand personal and professional networks to learn more about target companies. Rehearse for phone screens and interviews to make sure they are prepared to highlight specific experiences and skills. Be prepared to deviate from the script because on the battlefield and in the corporate world the plan rarely goes as planned.

Q. Why is it important for veterans to support one another in the corporate world?

It’s important because a lot of veterans have a network of contacts in the military, but not so much in the corporate world. It’s so much easier to go through the transition period if you have a network of people that have shared experiences to talk to and bounce ideas off. Veterans can create that for each other, and it’s even more helpful if non-veterans step up and make themselves available for mentorship too.

Q. What can businesses do better both to attract and retain veteran employees?

Because job postings and recruiters often ask for “X” amount of years of experience or a specific degree, the main issue I see is that the overall system isn’t set up to accommodate veterans. A veteran who is applying to a corporate job for the first time has some great, transferable experience and unique value to offer, but not many companies are making the translation. So it’s hard to initially get picked out of a stack of resumes.

To level the playing field and make sure you’re being inclusive of veterans, you must open up your company to benefit from the skills they’ll bring right off the bat. Make sure your jobs are open to military service by translating service into years of experience or training.

Q. You are helping lead the EY US Veterans Network. Tell us a little about your vision for the Veterans Network and how it is helping our veterans, our people and our clients.

EY’s Veterans Network is basically what I described before, a community of people — some who have served and some who have not — supporting one another during and after military transition. Here at EY, we see the tremendous positive impact of hiring and working with veterans, service members and military spouses. We also work with our clients across all service lines to collaborate with their veteran support groups to grow our relationships internally, externally and within our communities. We continually want to demonstrate our commitment to veterans and to show our appreciation across every area of the firm. 

As a veteran, it’s wonderful for me to have a way to give back and continue to serve. It’s gratifying when I’m able to connect a veteran colleague with someone who might be able to help him or her. As an example, we recently had someone experiencing a pretty serious medical issue, and although it wasn’t service related, we were able to put him in touch with some people who had been through something similar. You could tell how much it meant to him, and that meant the world to me.

At the end of the day, it’s really about taking care of each other and, in turn, helping each other be our best selves for our families, friends, colleagues and clients. My vision is to keep expanding on that, raising awareness about the network and our Veterans Affairs program, and widening the network so that our veterans have as many opportunities as anyone else.

Thanks so much to Chris for taking the time to chat with me and, of course, for all he has done for our country and EY US. I’m proud to work alongside Chris in my role as the Executive Sponsor of our EY US Veterans Network, which, as Chris mentioned, is open to all employees including military spouses and families. I am excited to join many EY veterans and veterans supporters at Wreaths Across America at Arlington Cemetery on December 14, 2019. 

Veterans interested in applying can connect with us here.

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Ernst & Young LLP or any other member firm of the global EY organization.