Veteran’s Perspective 38 www.latinastyle.com LATINAStyle Vol. 25, No. 2, 2019
In the military there are two types of people, those that give orders
and those that take orders. These very defined roles can make it hard
for those in the military to transition to civilian life. Angela M. Berasa-Owens is a
Iserved in the U.S. Air Force as an Airfield
Management Specialist where I was
responsible for assisting aircrews in filing
their flight plans, conducting daily safety
inspections, and keeping the runways free of
debris. I enjoyed my job and traveling to serve
overseas but opted for a medical discharge when
I was expecting my first child so I could move
closer to my family.
My transition to civilian life was also
impacted by a medical condition, lupus, which I’ve
had for over 20 years. I had been in remission for
about six years when it resurfaced which meant I
wasn’t able to work outside the home. Although I
needed the flexibility to work remotely, it was
important to have a job that was stimulating and
had room for growth. I found these opportunities
at Hilton. I started in a Reservations Agent role in
January 2016 and by July, I was offered an
opportunity to apply for the Diamond Desk,
working with Hilton’s highest-tier loyalty members.
I interviewed and was accepted and have been on
the Diamond Desk ever since.
This role has been ideal for me – I’m
empowered, have autonomy, and great benefits
such as travel discounts. I also have the flexibility
to attend doctor appointments and spend quality
time with my family. That said, I didn’t get here
without first working in some ‘dud’ roles. This
process taught me some lessons about finding
work after service:
1. Military experiences don’t always
translate in an obvious way to civilian resumes.
However, veterans have immensely valuable skills
veteran who served in the
United States Air Force. She
works on Hilton’s Diamond
Desk, serving the highest-tier
loyalty members. Hilton is on
a mission to hire 30,000
veterans, spouses and
caregivers by the end of 2020
and released more than 200
additional Work From Home
roles in February.
For more information visit
https://jobs.hilton.com/military
that are an asset to any company. One tip is
to make a list of these talents so you can use
them to your advantage during an interview. For
example, my military training gave me a sense of
strength and confidence as well as structure,
all skills that help me to work from home and
develop the right mindset to be productive and
self-motivating.
2. Think about the industry as well as
the role. More and more companies have military
hiring programs, which is fantastic. Though
for me, Hilton was the right fit. Not only because
of the flexibility of the role but because of the
industry. I am very outgoing and have a personality
that I never meet a stranger. This really feeds
into Hilton’s mission to be the most hospitable
company in the world.
3. Do an online search for military friendly
companies and find their military recruiting website
– most companies that have military hiring initiatives
will have a specific job site and recruiters such as
https://jobs.hilton.com/military.
Want to comment or have any questions on
this article? Email us at info@latinastyle.com
How I Went From
the Air Force to
Hilton’s Diamond Desk
By Angela M. Berasa-Owens, Hilton
LS
Angela (left) with her brother Ronald (center) and Mother Alyce while stationed at
Myrtle Beach AFB, SC. Angela was home on leave for her sister's wedding in Newton, NC.
Angela’s brother was also in the USAF. September 1988.
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