Would anyone care to share their experience with Lucas Group, Bradley- Morris, Cameron-Brooks, Orion etc? I'm an Army CPT, separating from active duty with 8 yrs experience in SEP '18.

I would love to get some perspective if they're worthwhile, positive/negative experiences that some of you may have experienced.

USAA in San Antonio is always hiring, they have a program called VetFit. Allows Vets to transition into IT roles.

I went through Cameron Brooks in my transition. First thing that I would mention is that at the end of the day, they're a business.

Positives:
Interview preparation - They have a system that works. I still use some of the techniques in job interviews (left active duty fall 2013)

Quality companies - The career conference that I attended did have some great companies with solid salary ranges/opportunity for growth.

Network - There's a pseudo network that can be built up within companies that hire from these firms. It can be invaluable to lean on these peers during your transition from the military. CB usually has a good group of dudes and dudettes that you can reach out to.

Convenience - CB does everything for you as far as preparing you with books and practice sessions. It's as close to a "transition in a box" as you can get. It's great if you're in a busy role while still on active duty and they really do a good job of taking care of all of the little things.

Negatives:
Geo Preference - If you're all in on getting back to a certain part of the country, it can hamstring you and the CB staff doesn't like it because it makes their job more difficult.

'Quota' Interviews - You'll have a set # of interviews at your conference and the CB staff set them up (loosely based upon your preferences). There may be a few roles that you're not 100% interested in. This can seem like a waste of time, especially if they want you to do a follow on interview.

Loyalty/Job Search Commitment - CB has you affirm that you don't look around or go with other firms while you're working with them. This plays into the loyalty complex that we as service members have. I have little regrets about my transition, but I do wish that I would have checked out other options prior to going all in.

Overall, it was a good option for me at the time. I landed a great gig that helped me during my transition and I was able to grow professionally. I hope this helps and good luck with the transition!

Went through Cameron-Brooks last year. I would recommend, but you do have to look out for number one.

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Loyalty/Job Search Commitment - CB has you affirm that you don't look around or go with other firms while you're working with them. This plays into the loyalty complex that we as service members have. I have little regrets about my transition, but I do wish that I would have checked out other options prior to going all in.

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I broke the pledge and applied for jobs a couple of months before the conference. Others in my group did the same. I didn't hear back from many of the companies, and others responded after I started my new job. I realized how tough it is to break through a company's online application portal.

C-B plays on your military culture to get you to follow their orders. It's entirely in their best interest for you not to apply for jobs. They even tell you not to network for jobs with your friends, family, etc. Their deal lets you apply for jobs on your own after the conference. The catch is that you will have multiple offers to good companies with a decision deadline attached. It is impossible to conduct a job search in that time.

They will get you in front of top companies. They routinely have ExxonMobil, BP, USAA, big medical sales firms, Corning, and many others.