(This article originally appeared in the December 2025 issue of Military Officer, a magazine available to all MOAA Premium and Life members who can log in to access our digital version and archive. Basic members can save on a membership upgrade and access the magazine.)

For servicemembers, veterans, and spouses, career transition doesn’t need to be — nor should it be — a solo journey. A professional mentor can prove invaluable before, during, and after the job-search process, offering new ideas and guidance while helping to expand your network.

“Mentors play a vital role in helping servicemembers, veterans, military spouses, and survivors navigate the career-transition process by offering personalized guidance, industry insights, and networking opportunities,” said Capt. Pat Williams, USN (Ret), MOAA’s program director for engagement and career transition services.

“They provide practical advice on translating military skills into civilian language, preparing for interviews, and building professional confidence. Beyond career strategies, mentors also serve as trusted supporters, helping individuals adapt to new environments and chart sustainable, meaningful career paths.”

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In addition, a mentor can serve as an accountability partner, providing a target for completion of key actions such as making new contacts and evolving your self-marketing campaign, and offer support to overcome temporary setbacks of the job hunt or uncertainty in a new work environment.

Lt. Cmdr. Jai Salters, USN, knows firsthand about the value of mentors. He credits the mentorship of three individuals in his life for getting him to where he is today.

“If I didn’t have these individuals in my life, I don’t know what path I would have taken,” said Salters, who founded the nonprofit ACT Now Education in 2021. “They talked me through opportunities I wasn’t aware of, and they challenged and pushed me when I doubted myself.”

ACT Now Education began as a brief Salters presented to members of the military community during which he would describe available resources to upskill in order to enhance career prospects.

“The first time I presented this brief, I was horrible,” Salters recalled. “I wasn’t a public speaker, but a mentor was there and said: ‘This information needs to be available and part of someone’s toolbox.’ He pushed me to continue to do them, and I got into a rhythm with them.”

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Salters, who serves as executive director, and volunteer staff lead the nonprofit, which offers free certifications, educational resources, career- transition training, and mentorship to its military community of more than 78,000.

In recognition of his efforts, Salters received in 2010 the Spirit of Hope Award, which acknowledges individuals who demonstrate a selfless commitment to the military community, similar to entertainer Bob Hope’s own dedication to servicemembers.

“That’s how ACT Now Education formed,” Salters said. “It was meant to be a resource for people to utilize, and people took advantage, and it grew.

“Early on, I used to do one-on-ones with people and go through resources they should take advantage of. As we grew, that became no longer feasible to do,” he added. “We were missing that aspect of mentorship. I wanted a way to be able to connect members of our community with others not in the network, at no cost, so we created MilMentor.”

The program offers free, one-hour calls for enrolled participants with mentors in a desired sector.

In addition to encouraging members of the community to connect with a mentor, Salters said being one is rewarding. ACT Now Education mentors represent organizations such as NASA, Google, Oracle, and Bank of America.

“Some people are not aware of the value of their experiences and how sharing that can make an impact. You only can do that through mentorship,” he said. “We all have L’s [losses]. But in order to get to the W [win], you need to get past the L’s, and a mentor sharing their experiences, knowledge, and lessons learned can help do that.”