A U.S. Marine takes on new mission to help veterans transition to civilian careers

When Krystle Ramos graduated high school in 2005, she joined the U.S. Marine Corps — the latest in a long line of family members to serve in the military. She was excited to carry on the legacy of service and was stationed in Okinawa, Japan, where her chosen area of focus was nuclear, biological and chemical defense.

But her plans took a turn. “You have the job that you sign up for, and then when you deploy you might get trained for a different job,” Ramos said. In her case, that meant going from Japan to a deployment in Fallujah, Iraq. It was the height of the Iraq War, and she was assigned to operations.

Today, more than 10 years after completing her service, she sees a direct connection to her time in the military and her success in corporate America.

Transferring skills

In Iraq, Ramos would often meet with visiting generals and other dignitaries. "I had to learn to be confident and comfortable speaking with very senior people,” she said, “and how to act professionally and appropriately.”

“That confidence and those clear communication skills have carried over across all of my roles at JPMorgan Chase."

Since starting at the company over a decade ago, Ramos has held several roles. In her latest, she matches new employees with open positions and helps them acclimate to working at the company. Many of those new employees are fellow veterans, who bring unique skills to the table.

“Even if this is a veteran’s first official role in the corporate world, they already have experience leading others and thinking strategically,” she said. “And they know how to work as part of a team toward a common goal.”

A commitment to veterans

Ramos is one of over 18,000 veterans JPMorgan Chase has hired since 2011. That number is intentional.

“We have experienced firsthand the immense value, diverse talent and commitment that the military community brings to our business and are working to increase veteran and military spouse hiring and development, both inside and outside of the firm,” said Mark Elliott, Global Head of Military & Veterans Affairs at JPMorgan Chase.

JPMorgan Chase is one of the founding members of the Veteran Jobs Mission, a coalition of more than 300 American companies representing various industries committed to hiring 2 million veterans and 200,000 military spouses over the next decade. Since its launch in 2011, the initiative’s members have hired more than 900,000 veterans.

JPMorgan Chase is dedicated to providing job placement opportunities through its Military Pathways Development Program, which helps to provide veterans with the necessary experience, training and mentorship to succeed after service.

A community for all

Ramos leads the local veteran employee group within her department and is impressed with the veterans she works with at JPMorgan Chase. “It's an amazing community,” she said. “We have veterans who transitioned out of the military recently, and those that served 20 years ago, all here for each other."

Reflecting on her civilian job search after serving, Ramos said: “From the moment I showed up at a local military recruiting event and spoke to veteran employees, from when I was interviewing for my job to now — more than 10 years after joining the company — there have been resources to support me as a veteran.”

"It's always been clear to me working here that my time serving is considered an asset, and that's a great feeling. Now I get to help others chart their path and make invaluable connections to those who are on their own transition journey."

Learn more about how the firm supports military veterans and their families or explore career opportunities at JPMorgan Chase.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.