navy officer ranks A Veteran's Story: The Home Depot

After 8 years in the US Navy and 1 year in the Air Force, Tony Lemma joined the Home Depot in 1995 as a sales associate. He moved up the ranks to department supervisor, assistant store manager, store manager, district manager and is now the regional vice president for NY Metro, Northern NJ and parts of CT. He's responsible for the operations of over 70 stores. Tony joined us at store 6844 in East Elmhurst NY.

Transcript:

Tony: Thank you. Good morning.

Lauren: Tell us about your transition out of the military and your path to a career here at the Home Depot.

Tony: Sure, I remember it vividly, I mean, I was nervous, I was very scared. I just spent 8 years in the US Navy. I didn't have a college degree. I don't have a college degree today and I was scared. I had a wife, we have a child, but I went through a transition program in the Navy where people would come in and talk to us about opportunities and I met a friend of mine in the Navy whose active duty who was also a part timer at the Home Depot and he came to me and was telling me how great this company was. How the culture is awesome and the people treat you so good and he thought that our skills in the Navy were transferable because they treat him so well there. So, I decided to walk down the street to the HD and I applied for a job.

Lauren: And you received a job as a sales associate ?

Tony: I did. I was hired as a sales associate, um, and as soon as I put on the home depot apron I felt like I was family. I'll never forget it, my store manager walked up to me and he thanked me for my service in the US Navy, and this is 20 years ago and I was just a kid and I was nervous. And he said, I think you're going to do a wonderful job here and I started to listen closely to my supervisors and they put their arm around me and they immediately showed me what the culture of Home Depot was all about.

Lauren: When you got here what skills did you identify that you could really see transferred well from your military experience?

Tony: Well, for one, in the military, you know, you learn very quickly that you have to be a self starter so I was a self starter. I knew I could be on time. I knew how to respect people. I knew when you speak to someone you look them in the eye. These are the soft skills that you need in customer service. In retail in general, so I knew I was going to be good at that. But, then I wasn't positive about what I knew. Did I understand business, did I understand retail? But, what I learned very quickly at HD is the culture is so important. It didn't necessarily matter how much I knew. It mattered how I treated people and how I lived the values of the company. As I started to learn the values and learn the culture, that's when I started to see things happen for me in my career.

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hiringamerica

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hiringameri...

Connect with us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HiringAmericaTV

Help transitioning veterans! Enter our contest with by sharing your story or advice and you could win a Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga! Learn more: bitly.com/helpingheroesdogreatthings

navy officer ranks A Veteran's Story: The Home Depot
29 Likes	29 Dislikes
2,356 views views	1.16K followers
Non-profits & Activism	Upload TimePublished on 11 Feb 2016

Related keywords

information technology,army hrc,military transition program,military family support center,marines special forces,job interview script,interview tips,job hunting agency,successive differentiation,marines mil,interview questions for accounting,success picture,home depot hours,veterans day new york,military transition theory,successfully,military family advisory network,army times,interviewbit,succession certificate bangladesh,veterans health administration,navy beach,informational interview,job hunter guide,army officer ranks,military family care plan,military press,military transition council sudan,military transition jobs,military movies,air force one movie,military transition to civilian,jobs near me,contestation,military family appreciation month,contestants left on the bachelorette,contestant,navy seal training,job hunting email title,job search,veterans hospital,marines memorial theater,air force 1,jobs,job application,navy seal,veterans day sales,career management consultants - cmc,military family life counselor jobs,air force ranks,job interview dialogue script,job hunter,job interview example,information now,military family housing,homecoming dresses,army reserve,interview definition,success meaning in bengali,home depot lawn mowers,contesting a will,carrera,careerealism,interview schedule,job interview tell me about yourself,military news,homecoming spiderman,military time,marines salary,army corps of engineers,homecoming tv show,information theory,homecoming season 2,home depot carpet,marines logo,military transition network,military family quotes,military one source,contest of champions tier list,interview questions for teachers,job corps,army of the dead,veteran 轟,home depot mulch,contest girl,military exchange,information technology salary,veterans day quotes,air force 1 off white,military transition timeline,job interview strengths and weaknesses,information definition,jobs that hire at 16,jobs that hire at 15,interview questions for marketing,job interview tips,success quotes,success window,job hunting ptt,succession certificate,air force 270,success story,army email,military child care,job interview sample,military pay,interview techniques,army surplus,army navy store,home depot rental,navy federal,navy yard,job hunting agent,marines vs navy,job hunter agency,navy federal near me,military by owner,marines uniform,careerjet,army national guard,army pay chart,veterans of foreign wars,military pay chart,military transition assistance,army ees,jobs for college students,successor,marines online,military retirement calculator,interview method,military transition internship,home depot paint,jobs for teens near me,contest of champions,home depot promo code,veterans day pictures,information technology jobs,military family discounts,succession,veterans day free meals 2018,contesting challenging,jobs hiring now,military transition recruiters,career5,military branches,air force 1 nike,homecoming proposals,home depot stock,veterans day free meals,military transition internship program,http://www.marines.mil,homecoming themes,navy beans,homecoming mums,homecoming dance,veteran status 意味,homecoming poster ideas,job hunter employment agency好唔好,job fair,military transition offices,information age,homecoming movie,job websites,home depot truck rental,job interview questions and answers tagalog,contested divorce,military diet,job interview weakness,interview video,military transition assistance program,veterans,veterano,veterans day history,career mode fifa 19,veteran 映画,interview with the vampire,military family relief fund,army football schedule,successful people,home depot ad,marines mos,contest a ticket,jobs in las vegas,http://career.hm.com,air force one,contests to win money,jobscan,veterans day youtube,homecoming podcast,marines oorah,ヴェテラン,veteran status,contest calendar,navy ranks,career en español,home depot credit card,air force 1 low,marines jobs,navy blue suit,successful synonym,home depot labor day 2019,job interview questions and answers,military family benefits,air force nike,marines ranks,veterans day meaning,career test,contest ideas,home depot coupons,military family services,jobs at google,veterans day deals 2018,job interview preparation,job interview questions and answers for freshers,military family month,homecoming ideas,military transition resources,job search engines,contests and giveaways,jobs that pay well,military family photos,career connect,navy football,air force 1 black,air force general hospital,air force city park,home depot near me,military transition team,job lot,home depot tool rental,jobs movie,homecoming beyonce,job hunter agency hk,interviewer meaning,interview preparation,information security,homecoming cast,veterans day specials,military family separation pay,military school,veterans day 2018 freebies,career path,interview questions,veterans affairs,homecoming dress stores,army football,job interview tagalog,job interview for call center,military surplus,veterans day canada,army ranks,careerbuilder,army rangers,homecoming dresses 2019,navy seal copypasta,information ratio,jobs hiring,job interview conversation,marines boot camp,veteran meaning,navy exchange,army of darkness,military family resource centre ottawa,veterans day observed,career program canada,success meaning,success status,contest synonym,air force 1 utility white,veterans day deals,veterans day discounts 2018,jobs for 13 year olds,navy blue,career opportunities movie,marines memorial,navy blue dress,job interview question and answer pdf,veterans administration,military alphabet,informational interview questions,navy pier,successful,job interview questions,home depot careers,homecoming lyrics,navy reserve,marines vs army,air force 1 high cut,veterans day,military transition services,veteran 関ジュ,job search sites,job hunting taiwan,air force 1 utility,contest dc parking ticket,contested,military family life counselor,veterans day usa,military transition resume,veterans today,army ako,army pubs,succession planning,job hunt hk,job hunter中文,careers colombia,information synonym,job hunter company,veterans day 2018,veterans day 2019,interview synonym,navy football schedule,information science,veterans for peace,interviewer meaning in bengali,careers tenaris,air force one manila,air force 1 white,jobs for 16 year olds,navy uniforms,military family scholarships,homecoming dresses cheap,job interview questions to ask,job hunting hk,military pay calculator,jobs for teens,success is the best revenge,information systems,air force 1 triple white,homecoming proposal ideas,job interview for fresh graduate,home depot grills,interview with history,veteran explorer,air force 1 women,information literacy,https://www.homedepot.com/,job hunting 中文,career opportunities,succession act 1925,military family insurance,jobs for 14 year olds,veterans affairs medical center,job hunting letter,career hm,air force one ktv,marines malevolent,marines hymn,army knowledge online,military family leave,jobs indeed,homecoming hairstyles,military star card,job hunting email,success pic,military transition to civilian life,jobs from home,job hunting skills,information processing theory,veterans day images,military transition checklist,home depot ceiling fans,military ranks,marines reserve,information society,navy federal credit card,military industrial complex,job hunting site,marines eat crayons,military transition resume writing services,veteran sos,job sites,contest of champions cards,informational,information architecture,interviewer,job interview attire,job hunting website,jobs in maine,jobs for 15 year olds,careers jnj,careers bbva,information security analyst,interviewee,contest definition,jobvite,contestar,military family resource centre,interview movie,home depot return policy,