Amazon’s Charleston fulfillment center Senior Operations Manager Scott Campbell was recently profiled in the Nov. 10 issue of the Cleveland Daily Banner. Campbell is one of many military veterans who have found careers at Amazon. The company is always looking to hire more veterans with the help of its dedicated military recruiting team made up of veterans from all branches of the armed forces.

Scott Campbell using veteran’s talents

Bronze Star recipient making difference at Amazon

Recent statistics show the unemployment rate for veterans runs slightly higher than the country at large.

That is happening despite the fact service members leave their military positions fully trained in a number of skills that can prove useful in the civilian workplace.

Those skills are beginning to be more and more valued as several companies are making an extra effort to offer these veterans a much different kind of recruitment than they may have experienced before — this one into a job.

One example of this is Scott Campbell.

When talking about service and dedication to their country, Campbell definitely has the resume.

Campbell earned his bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from the United States Air Force Academy.

By the time he left the military, he had earned many of the major awards and decorations possible including the Bronze Star.

Campbell earned the rank of colonel and served as commander of the 521st Air Mobility Operations Group at the Naval Station Rota in Spain.

Not only was he a command pilot with more the 4,600 flying hours in various aircraft, Campbell was also responsible for en route support for the air mobility force from the Atlantic Ocean, through the Mediterranean Sea and into the Southwest Asia area of responsibility.

To put it in very general layman’s terms, he made sure people and items got to where they were supposed to be.

Those are skills that could easily be utilized by a company that does just that … sending items to places all over the world.

Enter Amazon.

The company has been voted one of the top 100 veteran-friendly companies in the United States.

Its website has a specific page dedicated to the recruitment of military talent and provides internships for student veterans, internships for military spouses, on-the-job training programs for veterans, on-the-job training programs for military spouses, managerial level training programs for veterans, managerial level training programs for military spouses, networking events for military employees, professional gatherings or summits for military employees.

Just as Campbell made sure things got to where they needed to be in the military, he does the same working out of Amazon’s Charleston facility getting customer orders where they need to be.

“When I was going through my transition, I had the opportunity to talk to a friend of mine who had retired a few

months before me,” Campbell said. “I knew he was looking at Amazon and he told me about the jobs that were available.

Campbell said he went to Amazon’s website, workatamazonfullfillment.com, and submitted his resume.

“It was a really good match for what Amazon had for me,” he said. “And the team of veterans devoted to military recruitment did a great job helping line that work up for me.”

Campbell said veterans do have a program to help them “prepare somewhat” for civilian employment.

“For me, my experience with Amazon was extremely positive,” Campbell said. “From the first moment I dropped my resume on the website, it was within a couple of days I got a call from the veteran military recruitment team and had a great experience as they went over my resume and talked about the jobs that were best suited for me.”

He said the Amazon team took the time to mentor him and give career support as he developed into the position he holds today — senior operations manager for Amazon’s Charleston fulfillment center.

Campbell said he did not have the difficulty many veterans have in finding a place in the civilian workforce.

“Amazon does a great job in supporting the veterans who are looking for work. There are tons of opportunities out there and I encourage all veterans to look at the opportunities Amazon has,” Campbell said.

“They really understand the veterans, and they have a team of veterans devoted to military recruitment and they have a wealth of information and do a fantastic job,” he said.

Campbell said seeing a company such as Amazon put so much effort into hiring veterans “means a great deal to me.”

“There is some trepidation when you’re leaving a career, especially someone who has spent a lifetime in the Air Force, and you feel well equipped by the military and they have taken good care of you,” he said. “But, there is that unknown when you leave the service. Knowing that Amazon is there with a devoted team of recruiters that understands your military background is a great comfort.”

He said what he does now is the outbound part of Amazon.

“We are obsessed with ensuring our customers get their orders on time,” Campbell said. “That’s what I do here. We make sure we get those orders on time out the door.”

He said Amazon is looking for leaders who can think big.

“I think the leadership I have learned in the military is a great fit for the leaders Amazon is looking for,” he said.