JMO Recruiters

[HappyBear]

I'll be transitioning out of the Navy soon and was wondering if anyone has had any experience with the following firms:
Cameron-Brooks
Bradley-Morris
Lucas Group
Orion International
I have heard that Cameron-Brooks requires JMOs to work exclusively with them and Bradley-Morris does not. Three of them advertise themselves as the "largest" organization of their type. I have checked out their app pages and have found that some ask for a lot of personal info to be sent over a non-secure connection. That really didn't give me a warm fuzzy at all.
Any other info on any of the above firms, or others, would be greatly appreciated.

 

[schoolio]

I went to a Cameron-Brooks info meeting where Roger Cameron stood up there and "motivated" us for 2 hours. I was supposed to go to an interview with him the next day to see what my goals were and what my best fit would be in the corporate world. He was very serious, and had I wanted to go the corporate route, I probably would have stayed with his firm. Very professional. I was impressed (but not enough to give up flying).

However I have heard that later on in the process he requires you to read a stack of books for a pseudo-mini graduate degree. I guess it's his way of trying to catch you up to your industry peers. A lot of people don't like that part of it, but I think the average starting salary for a Cameron-Brooks alum is around $80-90K.

I have not heard of Bradley Morris. The others send me emails for their hiring conferences all the time. That's the only experience I have with them. Good luck.

 

[sjflyer]

My wife (SWO) and I separated from the Navy in 2004. She used Cameron-Brooks. They are a very professional outfit. As mention above you are required to do some homework (read around 20 books and attend 1 or 2 workshops) to better prepare you for the interview process. You will definitely have to put some time and effort if you want to use their services.


They ask that you don’t seek employment opportunities on your own because among other things if you contact one of the companies that they pair you with even if it is a different division; Cameron-Brooks is not eligible to charge that company their finders fee (20 to 30K). With that said there are no contracts and you could seek employment opportunities outside if you wanted to.

My wife interviewed with 11 companies in one day. The companies were solid fortune 500 companies and the salaries ranged from 55K to 80K. At the end of the day no matter how well you do you are only allowed to peruse up to 4 companies for second interviews. My wife landed a very good job and she and I are very pleased with Cameron-Brooks. The prep process takes around 6 to 12 months although some people do it in less. One you are invited to a hiring conference it last 2 days and you will have a job offer by the end of the week. You will know the salary range of the position that you are applying for the day before you interview and Cameron-Brooks will do the final salary negotiations on your behalf. The more you get paid the larger their commission.

If you want more detailed info send me a PM.

Good Luck,

SJFLYER

 

[milplt]

Cameron-Brooks

I have heard of other's experiences with some of the other firms, and I have personal experience with Cameron-Brooks. While they have a good track record with placement, it is because they are very restrictive of when they will let you interview at one of their job fairs (the job fairs are set up by Cameron-Brooks similar to Air Inc conferences). They specifically only work with mid O-3's and below. My impression is that they tried to make you feel as if you were not worthy of civilian higher level employment without their help so that you would commit to them 100%. The initial interviews consisted of them asking things like what books you have read, who your favorite CEO was, etc. and then telling you that you were not quite ready, but they could work with you if you followed their program. "Sure, those military experiences are good and all, but that isn't real leadership in the sense of civilian employment." Of course, this was coming from my interviewer who served all of 4-years in the Army in a tank unit - peacetime only - and who joined Cameron right out of the Army. No corporate experience, but he did say that Cameron-Brooks let him help make decisions involving the retirement plan. I was also of the belief that they were under-placing their clients, in both salary and responsibility. Those high placement fees may be part of it, companies won't pay $100,000 AND a $20,000 fee for an entry-level mid-manager. I wouldn't avoid them if you felt that they fit your needs, but don't stop searching and certainly walk into the interview knowing how valuable your skills and experiences are and don't let them sell you short. I know friends who started at companies like Home Depot and GE with salaries close to and over 6 figures to start, all without Cameron's help. Companies like that are very adept at recruiting military officers. These corporations value officer qualities and will train you as required in the other required skills and plan on you assuming responsibility quickly. These are just my experiences (could be common, could be an anomoly); but of all of those that I know that made the move from the military to the corporate world, none of those that are making the outstanding salaries in the outstanding jobs were placed by Cameron.

 

[HappyBear]

Thanks guys for the info. Sep-day is fast approaching and I need a back-up plan in case I don't get picked up this spring by the CG. I'll give the corporate guys a closer look. Also, two friends of mine just gave me a recommended reading list, including Roger Cameron's book, to start on as well. It's hard for me to imagine not flying at all right now, but either way I must feed the family.

 

[Pirate]

I worked with Orion. I am a current reservist with a flying sq. Cameron-Brooks wants you to be mobile and will not work with someone who is geographically locked. Orion was less demanding. There was some interveiw prep but not the mini job education Cameron-Brooks pushes. With all that said I was hired by a construction company making good money. Many of the guys I work with are Cameron-Brooks guys. The stories they tell of the Cameron-Brooks prep makes it sound a lot like a cult.

Be weary of some of the big companies JMO hiring programs. I know 3 people who did the Home Depot thing (I almost did it myself). Every one of them resigned within a year. They all worked in different locations but all had the same complaint; the hours were too demanding (60-70 hrs per week).

Good luck. I could not give up flying either. I made sure the career I entered was compatiable with reserve duty.

 

[PlaneStupid]

Hey Happy Bear, I don't know about CB but I would highly recommend the Lucas group. I was offered multiple jobs with quality companies after attending their conference. Talk to Jim Oneil he is a very sharp individual.
One thing to remember though when dealing with these recruiters. They get paid by the companies who you interview with, so their best interests lie with them and not you. Watch out for number one and good luck.

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