The following story was submitted by DAV, an organization that aims to empower veterans by fighting for their interests on Capitol Hill, educating the public about the sacrifices and needs of veterans as they transition back to civilian life, and ensuring that they can access all benefits available to them. You can read more about them here.

On the day before the DAV job fair in Phoenix, Chris Peer’s plan was to drive from Arizona to Colorado for a ski trip with an old Army buddy. But when nerve pain from a lower back injury he sustained on active duty flared up and caused the left side of his body to go numb, Peer knew skiing was out of the question.

His service-connected disability was not the only challenge Peer was facing after seven years of military service. He was also having difficulty finding meaning in his civilian life.

“After separating, you realize just how deeply ingrained the military lifestyle and ethos are,” Peer said. “That sense of purpose is all-consuming in the military. But once you leave, you’re on your own.”

Peer received an email about the DAV job fair in his area, and initially, he hadn’t planned on attending. But when the trip to Colorado was scrapped, new opportunities opened up.

“Long story short, I ended up canceling that ski trip and going to that job fair,” he said. “I’m glad I did, because that’s where I found my current role.”

Now an operations apprentice at Wells Fargo Corporate & Investment Banking in Charlotte, North Carolina, Peer supports fixed-income sales and trading with pension funds, college endowments and other institutional investors. The position is a one-year apprenticeship sponsored by the Department of Labor.

Peer’s career has taken some surprising turns, like going into the office every day.

“My dad was a bond salesman for about 30 years on Wall Street,” Peer said. “I wanted to do the furthest thing from that, so I joined the military.”

Peer served in the Army from 2016 until 2023.

“I’ve always been interested in history and international relations and to serve a purpose greater than myself,” he explained. But after seven years of “running, jumping, and deploying all over the world,” he was ready to transition out of the military and into a civilian career.

During the transition, Peer considered graduate school and even attended industry conferences, but he continued to keep his career options open.

“I had one or two job offers that, if I’d taken, I might have been selling myself short,” Peer said. “It was stressful, not being employed and trying to regain that sense of purpose.”

He found it at the DAV job fair.

“The companies there were helping veterans, sharing their mission, providing information and doing their utmost to bring veterans on board,” Peer said. He spoke to recruiters at multiple booths, but the Wells Fargo financial apprenticeship stood out the most.

“Meaningful employment is key to a veteran’s success after service,” said Lamarr Couser, national employment director at DAV. “For some, like Chris Peer, an apprenticeship jump-starts their career; for others, it’s a full-time job or further education. DAV job fairs offer a range of opportunities for veterans, military spouses and active-duty personnel — helping them network, explore careers and take that first step toward their next chapter.”

“I felt like I was a little bit behind in the civilian world,” Peer said. “This apprenticeship is very meaningful. I am able to work and learn at the same time, doubling down on the skills that I learned in the military while building up those skills that I need.”

Since joining the program, Peer has noticed differences and similarities between the finance industry and the infantry.

“There are more subtleties to corporate discourse,” he said. “There’s no shortage of acronyms here in the financial industry. I’m trying to replace my military acronyms with banking acronyms.”

Navigating the career journey with a service-connected disability also requires special consideration, Peer said.

“The challenges to overcome are different, depending on your disability,” he said. “Conduct an honest analysis of what is a best fit for your career aspirations. Ask yourself, ‘What are my strengths? What experiences do I bring? And what are my constraints?’ Understanding those criteria will put you in the best place to succeed.”

For Peer, that criteria led him to his corporate mission.

“I actually enjoy coming into the office, being immersed in capital markets on the trading floor, learning from financial professionals with decades of experience combined, and having an opportunity to leverage skills and experiences from the military to benefit clients and stakeholders in the financial industry,” he said.

“I’m grateful to the folks at DAV for giving veterans like myself the opportunity to succeed and to thrive. My disabilities were preventing me from enjoying my life. I pushed through to go to the job fair, and I’m glad I did.”

This story was shared by DAV, an organization working to empower veterans and ensure they lead a high-quality life with respect and dignity. Read more about them here!