During the month of November, the Office for Equity and Accessibility team is encouraging all protected veterans to self-identify through Hokie Team or their human resources office. Self-identification allows Virginia Tech to recognize and support our veterans and supports strategic efforts to create and maintain diversity within faculty and staff. As part of this effort, we are highlighting some of our veterans who proudly served.

Ammie Jo Carter, a U.S. Navy veteran and program manager for the Division of Vehicle, Driver, and System Safety at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute since 2022, spoke about her military experience and how it has prepared her for civilian work, the best part of working at the university, advice to current service members who will be joining the workforce soon, and more.

How did your service prepare you for your role at Virginia Tech?

In the Navy, I did many different administrative tasks, used new technology, taught new service members, and handled customer service and leadership roles, which have been beneficial in my role today.

What skill or talent did you master in the military that you still use today?

The ability to adapt and overcome challenging situations are skills from the military that I still use.

If you could narrow it down to one thing, what do you wish employers understood about veterans?

I hope employers understand that veterans tend to stay busy and do not require a lot of praise in the roles.

What was your favorite experience in the military?

My favorite experiences of the being in the military were meeting lifelong friends who became family as well as the extensive traveling during my time.

How is your professional civilian experience different from your professional military experience?

Civilian professional experiences tend to make you more politically correct and actually stop and think about what things you’re trying to accomplish, versus the mentality of “do it now and ask forgiveness later.”

What has been the best part of working at Virginia Tech?

The best parts about working here are feeling like my job matters and the great people I work with every day in my job.

What made you consider Virginia Tech as a place to work as a civilian?

I considered Virginia Tech because it has large job availability and there is great job stability.

What advice would you give to current service members who will be joining the workforce soon?

Plan, plan, plan! Civilian hiring practices can take a long time — the interview process and starting a position can be a timely wait, so ensure you are prepared for this holding period. 

Resources for veterans

For protected veterans who want to update their status, contact your human resources representative or utilize the self-service link on the Hokie Team Access Menu.

For any veterans in need of assistance or community, the Virginia Tech Veterans Caucus is one of 10 faculty/staff caucuses representing differing communities at the university. The purpose of the Veterans Caucus is to improve the working, learning, and living environment for employee and student veterans; advocate for the mentoring of, and transitional support for veterans returning to work and/or school, and recommend actions to improve the recruitment and retention of employee and student veterans. If you are interested in learning more, email Virginia Tech Veterans Caucus at vtvc07@gmail.com.

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