retail sales associate

sales clerk

cashier

cook

warehouse worker

U.S. Coast Guard

With my nine years of leadership experience, I have made consistent career progression, growing as a leader by honing my verbal communication skills and working diligently to earn four promotions in that time.  My experience with the United States Coast Guard taught me how to work in a team environment.   The tasks that proved to be most challenging were successful because of our motivation and team-oriented culture.  Having been stationed in over five units, I gained the unique opportunity to collaborate regularly with a diverse set of team members from several entities that included Coast Guard units, Coast Guard Associations, external sports marketing and promotion teams, Hawthorne Elementary School, FEMA response teams, the Ronald McDonald House, and other military services.  
As a Storekeeper (SK), I found myself immersed in several job positions that ranged from procurement and contracting to property management for the Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf Coast of Mexico.  Based on my achievements and job experience outlined in my resume, I demonstrated increased responsibility over time, which is also endorsed on my recommendation letters.  From 2006 to 2014, I was responsible for maintaining million dollar budgets to forecast spending plans for future fiscal years.  With over 100 events managed and a 20-member Honor Guard team, I assigned members and participated in events that honor our military veterans and our country.  From 2007 to 2010, I expertly maintained a $26 million physical inventory.  By calculating item usage, I could forecast part replenishment and my unit yielded a 98% accuracy count for three years.  In 2012, I became my unit’s nonprofit coordinator for a local elementary school.  With no budget, less than five volunteers, and minimal experience, a small cast of members and myself methodically brought our program new life.  With my passion for marketing, I worked with members of my staff and the school to create attractive promotion plans to increase our fundraising and support.  Within eight months, I grew from a staff of five to a staff of sixteen; we contributed over 80 hours of volunteer time, and raised over $2,000.00 for three programs.   These programs not only support grade school learning and mentorship, but also increased the Coast Guard’s exposure to a demographic that may be unfamiliar with our service.  In 2012, I lead a team of SKs in their triennial compliance audit by developing Excel spreadsheets that tracked unit and department spending.  The running ledger was influential in overseeing the unit’s procurement activity.  The ledger was user-friendly, requiring only small amounts of data entry.  The adopted processed increased the integrity of the unit’s financial process.

-If you go in with a career oriented mentality and only want to serve then you won't be disappointed. there is much opportunity for advancement and you have a chance to work with very dedicated and intelligent people. the problem is that you roll the dice every time you get orders. the person you worked for that you liked will not be your boss for long and the next guy you get will make life miserable for you as much as possible. you have no tools for preserving your own dignity. whenever it is decided you will be labeled and made an example as often as necessary. you have no way of quitting or moving on. you just have a contract to exhaust and then you are let go. you make the same money whether you work hard or force your work on others. the people who excel in their grade are the ones that rub elbows enough with the management. same as anywhere i guess but if you thought the military would be based on merit, experience, or achievement, you were wrong. favoritism is as much in effect here as anywhere except you have no freedom whatsoever. you're not even allowed to be disappointed or object to the structure for fear that the rest of the peons will also reject the master.

-that being said though. great opportunity for learning. if you apply yourself and know who to follow you will learn many skills and have a chance to do many different things. it's an interesting career, with benefits. you will travel and see other countries. you will be put into a role of responsibility and leadership at a very junior rank in your career. ever operational billet is important and you will feel accomplished. this is all at the will of the command. you may never have a break in this job but you may get lucky with the people you work for.

-my biggest complaint about the job is that you will be asked to be humble and keep interest in working harder when you are getting paid the same as others in your rank that don't do as much as you do. you can only do that for so long until you think to yourself that it isn't worth it. that you should have chosen another rate that didn't even leave a computer desk all day and make the same money. you can argue about personal pride in your work but at some point you feel that you should be compensated for the effort that you are putting into the machine that others are just not.

U.S. Coast Guard: Active Duty / Boatswain Mate 3rd class(May 1997- May2001) / US Coast Guard Reserves with (2) Deployments/ Maritime Enforcement Specialist (Aug. 2004-March, 2010) PSU 301(DHLS)
I conducted Maritime Law Enforcement Operations; Fisheries and drug Enforcement on board the USCGC Reliance; I have boarded many vessels, seized (3) vessels for illegal catch of fishes. I was also responsible for working with other law enforcement agencies in drug enforcement. In addition I conducted search and rescue operations; providing assistance to vessels in distress, and/or the recovery of persons from the water. I also participated in the recovery operations of Flight 990, Egypt Airlines.

With the PSU 301 I was responsible for the upkeep of rescue and survival gear. I was a designated boat gunner and driver. We provided security for water-borne vessels and assets, to include naval installations. I participated in Global Terrorism operations (GTMO / Kuwait), in GTMO Cuba, I participated in the commissions, and provided security escorts for Iraq and Afghanistan prisoners going to their trials. In Kuwait, I provided protections of vessels inbound and out bound of its ports and provided the physical security of its surrounding Oil platforms.
During my time with the Coast Guard, I had received the following: Global War Terror Service Medal 10/26/2009, CG ARMED FORCES RS NUM MOB DEV 04/25/2009, Boat Forces Operations Insignia 11/13/2009, CG, Merit Team Commendation 07/17/2007, CG Reserve Good Conduct 06/29/2007, Port Security Insignia 06/07/2007, Global War Terror Expeditionary 12/30/2006 w/ Device 01/01/2011, Armed Forces Reserve Medal AFR 10/23/2006, Mobilization Device for AFRM 10/23/2006, COMDT's Letter Of Commendation 09/19/2006, CG Presidential Unit Citation 05/25/2006, National Defense Service Medal 06/29/2005, COMDT's Letter Of Commendation 01/10/2001, CG Merit. Unit Commendation 08/15/2000, CG Special Ops Service Ribbon 06/06/2000, CG Good Conduct Medal 05/12/2000, Coast Guard "E" Ribbon 02/28/2000, CG Special Ops Service Ribbon 01/24/2000, and the Coast Guard "E" Ribbon 09/05/1997

Command Master Chief (E-9) & Senior Enlisted Leader for West Coast’s only long range, fixed-wing search and rescue Coast Guard Air Station. Advising, consulting and participating in the senior leadership team and Human Resource requirements. Assist all 200 members on personnel policies, programs, ideas and opportunities pertinent to their well-being, allowing them to focus on performing their mission and enhancing their careers. 

Promote balance between workforce needs and command goals. Accessible to all crew members and their dependents, command chiefs encourage communications affecting personnel and mission accomplishment.

Aid personnel with special issues; Humanitarian Assignments, Hardship Transfers, Aid members with legitimate special circumstance transfers; Special Needs Program, work with Command Drug and Alcohol Representative, Unit Financial Specialists, pass to personnel all necessary information for advancement opportunities.

Provide a direct route of communications between CO and workforce concerning all work related issues, morale events, surge ops, recognition, leadership training, daily routine, improvements to unit infrastructure and providing a safe work environment.

Run interference for Commanding Officer on smaller personnel issues that can be properly handled at a lower level, child support, and providing routes for professional counseling to help with relationship issues, provide contact with appropriate Work Life resources for personnel.

Ensure all administrative paperwork is completed for the following events; Alcohol Incidents, NJP, Restriction of Liberty and on-base driving privileges.

Act as Command Human Resource expert and manage department budget, and distribution of work/funds. Maintain analysis of personnel issues, budget and workforce trends. Counsel personnel on performance, disciplinary actions, training/education, family advocacy, formal complaint processes, facilitative management and conflict resolution.

Direct supervision of the unit administrative staff and senior enlisted leadership team.

As a member of the United Stated Military I was fully aware that it was not suppose to be fun, but with all of the duties and responsibilities that I had while in the Coast Guard I was surprised with how often I truly enjoyed myself.  The work wasn't always easy, and sometimes people requested miracles which was very frustrating, but to be able to grant the miracles requested was a wonderful feeling.  Not only was it a weight off my shoulders, it also gave me a since of pride, and confidence knowing that I could deliver sometimes unreasonable requests. I lived and worked with the same people everyday, sometimes away from civilization for months at a time.  Learning how to deal with all of the emotions was the greatest experience.  Even on the toughest days we learned to put aside our personal feelings and get the work done, and deal with many different challenges and issues while in very situation.  
Communication was not always the greatest, and planning was not an easy thing to do, The thing about the military is that everything is unpredictable! We've got to make the best judgment call for what we think will happen, and if it didn't as planned, we learned to proficiently manage the changes to best suite our needs and the operations of the ship.  Regardless of where you are at in the military you have a chain of command we have to follow, which can sometimes make things very hard, and sometimes it makes things much easier.  The hardest thing about the job was learning how to deal with the lack of communication.  I was always taught about strong communication, and have prided myself on communicating very well, and it was a challenge that I had to learn to deal with, and work around in my everyday life.  The most enjoyable part of the job, was the experiences.  I got to travel the world, and get paid for it.  Now I'm ready to be with my family and supply support for them!

A typical day within the Coast Guard is never that. You never know what will happen next. That said, it depends what occupation you do within it though. As a former Police Officer and Search and Rescue Agent, everyday is different. One minute you are eating lunch peacefully and the next minute you are being called out to rescue persons from a sinking ship or boat. If excitement is what you are looking for, the Coast Guard is the way to go.

I learned to be a leader, hard worker and gained so many different skill sets that you can never get in the civilian workplace. One of the best things about being in the military are the people you meet. You are noting without your crew. They are like a second family to you and knowing that any positive outcome of any mission is only going to be happen due to the teamwork everyone puts into it. You watch their backs and they watch yours. Not to many civilian workplaces are like that where you see everyone only out for themselves.

The hardest part of the job mainly goes for those who are married with kids. If you are on a big boat and out to sea for three months at a time some can get pretty home sick at times. Even those at land stations tend to feel the same due to the long hours being spend there.

The great thing about the Coast Guard that attracted me to join was that unlike other armed forces, the C.G. does not perform long deployments. The longest they deploy for is approx. four months. Although they do deploy to other parts of the world in support missions, their main objective is the security of the United States so being close to home is crucial in safeguarding our land and waters and not some other country somewhere.

After retiring in 2025 following two decades of service, I can honestly say that joining the U.S. Coast Guard was one of the best decisions of my life. I enlisted right out of high school in 2005, drawn by the promise of adventure, service, and a steady paycheck. What I discovered was far more—a true calling that shaped me into a better leader, teammate, and person.
The Coast Guard’s unique blend of military and humanitarian missions kept every tour exciting. From search-and-rescue operations in the Gulf during hurricane season to drug interdiction patrols and environmental response efforts, I was constantly challenged and proud of the impact we made. I served on cutters, at small boat stations, and later in sector command roles. The training is world-class; I earned my coxswain qualification, incident command certifications, and countless other skills that opened doors both inside and outside the service.
What truly stood out was the people. The camaraderie in the Coast Guard is unmatched. You live and work side-by-side with men and women who become family. We supported each other through deployments, family separations, and life’s toughest moments. Leadership emphasized taking care of our people, and I watched countless shipmates grow from seamen to chiefs and officers.
The benefits were outstanding—competitive pay, excellent healthcare, tuition assistance through the GI Bill, and a pension that actually allows for a comfortable retirement. The travel opportunities, from Alaska to the Caribbean, were incredible bonuses.
Of course, it wasn’t always easy. Long hours, family time missed, and the physical demands tested us. But those challenges built resilience and lifelong friendships I’ll cherish forever.
If you’re considering a career with purpose, pride, and real impact, I can’t recommend the Coast Guard highly enough. Twenty years flew by, and I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat. Semper Paratus!

I learned a lot of great skills in the Coast Guard that is going to allow me to find decent employment when I get out but my 5 years in the service were very eye opening to say the least. As a minority in the Coast Guard I didn't see very many people that looked like me in high positions especially when I became a Public Affairs Specialist.  I got the opportunity to travel to a lot of different places within my field of work which was great. But I spent a lot of my off-time being on after hours duty.  Where I worked at the workplace culture/moral was dismal in both locations I was stationed, the mission was the focus but the well being of the people did the mission to me wasn't much of a focus. The hardest part of the job within my job realm was after hours work and deployments. The most enjoyable part of my job was deployments as well ironically, those were the only times where I felt my work was genuinely appreciated.  Within the last year of my active duty service I saw  two racial incidents  whiten the service that made national news and both incidents were committed by commissioned officers and were related to white supremacy. As an African American I was exposed to a lot of great opportunities that I normally wouldn't of experienced if I had not joined the service but I wouldn't suggest my future kids or nieces and nephews to join the USCG. If they want to join the military I would advise them to join the Navy, Army or Marines. The Coast Guard still has a long way to go in terms of diversity and have people of color in high positions.

Proficient in marlinespike, deck, and boat seamanship; manages, supervises, and administers personnel and facilities; navigates vessel and serves as deck watch officer and boat coxswain; trains, directs, and supervises personnel in seamanship, maintenance, rigging, deck equipment and boats; supervises damage control and working parties; maintains discipline; operate and maintain heavy equipment used in loading and buoy tending work. Knows standard boat nomenclature and terminology; knows and uses basic marlinespike seamanship including line types, construction and materials, knots and hitches and deck fittings; manages and trains boat crew in the topics discipline, personnel safety and survival techniques, wellness, first aid, and CPR; maintains boat safety and rescue equipment; understands boat construction, stability and maneuvering characteristics; identifies and applies survival procedures during emergencies; performs stokes litter use during medical evacuation activities; understands proper techniques for assisted towing operations; understands and operates emergency pumps in damage control situations; understands, operates, and demonstrates marine firefighting equipment;  Master of small vessels including marine navigation, radar collision avoidance, and piloting skills; uses electronic navigation equipment; understands marine meteorology; understands and applies the collision regulations (Rules of the Road); maintains a safe navigation watch; understands anchoring procedures; knows and uses proper radio communications techniques; and understands and demonstrates use of pyrotechnics.

Logging into a workstation and taking phone calls administered through a phone triage system. ultimate Goal was to exhaust all possible options to help the user in need and in the event I could not help, documenting the experience in the user's trouble ticket and alerting upper management in about the unresolved situation.

The objective was to diagnose and remedy all situations that came within a 10-15 minute window. Any situations that required more time would be passed onto to another specific group designated to handle issues that needed more time.

I learned how to move, think, and react in a fast moving environment. When one phone call was completed or passed on, another call was coming in 30 seconds later. I learned documentation was critical because of the volume of calls that came. Well documented tickets saved time and eliminated having to follow up with other technicians that may have worked with a caller on a previous business day.

The hardest part of the day was having to tell the user that there was nothing else we could do. Though this came once or twice a day, I still tried to reach out to the user's later throughout the week to see if there were any changes or updates in their situation. At times I was able to learn new fixes or get educated on some new updates or processes that was unknown in our workspace.

The most enjoyable part of the day was hearing a user state how fast I was able to resolve their issue so they could catch up on work or move on to some other things in their work day.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Retail sales associate 22 salaries reported	$15.27 per hour
Sales clerk 9 salaries reported	$16.10 per hour
Cashier 15 salaries reported	$16.83 per hour
Cook 9 salaries reported	$18.39 per hour
Warehouse worker 3 salaries reported	$17.98 per hour

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