In the 300+ interviews of U.S. Military Veterans that I have conducted with Beyond the Uniform, I have found two things to be true. The first is that U.S. Military Veterans can do absolutely any civilian career imaginable. Their military experience and skills honed while in the Armed Forces close no doors, and in many ways uniquely prepares them to pursue an incredibly diverse range of career options. However, the second truth I have observed is that most Veterans drastically underestimate what it will take to pursue their desired career.

My intention with this book – as with Beyond the Uniform – is to provide U.S. Military Veterans with the information, tools, and advice necessary to identify, pursue, and succeed at their ideal civilian career. If you read this book and decide that a career in Investment Banking or specifically at Goldman Sachs is not a career path you would like to pursue, that is just as much a victory as identifying it as your next career choice. As my career counselor, Andy Chen, told me at the Stanford Graduate School of Business: “Don’t worry about finding out what you want to do. Start figuring out what you don’t want to do, and start closing those doors.”

This book is based on a quantitative analysis of every public LinkedIn profile of U.S. Military Veterans who are currently working at Goldman Sachs. It is also based on over four hours of qualitative interviews with U.S. Military Veterans who have worked at Goldman Sachs. Lastly, it is based on the over 150 hours of interviews I have completed with U.S. Military Veterans about their civilian career. I have combined everything that I know about Goldman Sachs and its compatibility with a U.S. Military Veteran with the hope that it provides you with the knowledge to decide how this career path may align with your unique interests, desires, and skill set.