RailWorks Featured Veteran: Daniel Symonds, United States Army
RailWorks is honored to have Daniel Symonds join the L.K. Comstock National Transit team in Atlanta as an Estimator!
Symonds’ military career began in 2002, two years after he graduated college. He viewed the Army as his steppingstone, signing up for three years to gain work experience. Symonds went to Officer Candidate School (OCS) and was commissioned as a Field Artillery Officer. The three years turned into 20 years, and Symonds retired earlier this year.
“Nine moves and five overseas deployments later, it was time for me to start thinking about my next career path,” said Symonds.
While still on active duty, Symonds heard about the HOH Corporate Fellowship Program and interviewed at multiple companies, including RailWorks. The L.K. Comstock National Transit team was seeking an Estimator, which appealed to Symonds.
“I had 20 years of military experience but zero experience as an estimator,” said Symonds. “As someone who didn’t know what they wanted to do at the beginning of this transition, the opportunity to see a variety of jobs and industries was eye opening.”
Symonds said the skills he learned in the Army have prepared him for his new role more than he would’ve thought.
“My Field Artillery skills aren’t in high demand in the civilian sector, but all the soft skills I’ve honed over the years of service are,” he said. “As an Estimator, the attention to detail that was drilled into me in the military has proven to be valuable and has allowed me to correct mistakes.”
Working with Hiring Our Heroes to transition into the next phase of his career has been a rewarding and valuable experience for Symonds, and he’s excited to continue.
“I’ve had nothing but great interactions with everyone on the RailWorks team and I’m looking forward to helping expand the rail systems in the U.S. while furthering my career with L.K. Comstock,” said Symonds. “My two sons loved playing with trains when they were young, and I love that I have that connection with them now.”
