At First Mid, we support and encourage all our employees to pursue the dreams they have for their careers. As part of a blog article series for Veterans’ Day focusing on our employees who are Veterans, we recently asked Patrick Pfeifer, Senior Vice President, Commercial Lender in Champaign, Illinois, questions about his career path.
Could you provide information about your military background?
I was active-duty Air Force, where I served as a Boom Operator on KC-135 tankers. I flew the boom that refueled aircraft in-flight. I served from 1994 – 1998. I flew missions in support of Operation Deny Flight (Bosnia), one tour for Operation Provide Comfort (Northern Iraq), two tours for Operation Southern Watch (Southern Iraq), and two tours with the European Tanker Task Force. The ETTF supports missions throughout the Atlantic/Europe/Africa footprint.
What motivated you to join the military?
Family tradition was the reason I joined the military. My father, brother, both grandfathers, all three uncles, and three cousins have served in the military.
How has your military background prepared you for the challenges and responsibilities you face in your role at First Mid?
Teamwork, prioritization of tasks, understanding leadership, and following directions are all lessons I learned in the military that I have used regularly in my career. I am also pretty good at shining shoes.
Can you share a specific example of how your military training or skills have been valuable in your current position?
That is a tough question to answer — I think what the military does well is getting people from different backgrounds (geographic, religious, racial, economic, education) and putting them together and having them work with one purpose. The people we serve with become our family, especially when you think of the relative youth of those serving. For four years, my holidays, birthdays, successes, failures, happiness, and fears were all shared collectively within that tight-knit group.
How has First Mid fostered a supportive and inclusive environment for Veterans? Can you share any initiatives or programs that have been particularly helpful?
First Mid is supportive of its Veterans by recognizing them on Veterans’ Day. Our President and CEO, Joe Dively, mentions his appreciation to us routinely. This blog article series and questionnaire itself is evidence the company is supportive of its Veterans.
Have you encountered any unique challenges as a Veteran in the workplace, and how have you overcome them?
I have some hearing loss from my service. I actively work to reduce background noise and use email where possible. When people act suspiciously, I am acutely aware of it and can get a little agitated. During my first tour in Saudi Arabia, we flew our missions out of Riyadh and were under constant threat from Al Qaeda and its affiliates. After they bombed and destroyed the Khobar Towers, they moved us out into the desert to isolate us from attacks. However, being cognizant of your surroundings is not a bad thing when working at a bank.
How has your experience as a Veteran shaped your perspective on teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving in the workplace?
Understanding that good teamwork is a function of communication is a skill I learned in the military and has helped me in the workplace. If you aren’t communicating, then it is easy for negative aspects of division, confusion, and apathy to grow. Leadership is critical to foster the growth of communication as well as to educate their team so they can be leaders in the future.
What advice do you have for Veterans entering the workforce?
My advice for fellow Veterans is to understand that certain traits that are valued in the military can be problematic in the civilian world; however, you bring a wealth of skills and an ability to solve problems that is not easily taught through traditional educational methods. Consequently, you are extremely valuable to organizations like First Mid.
If you are interested in starting a career with First Mid, we have many open positions throughout our various departments and across our entire footprint. If you are interested in exploring and/or applying for one of our open positions, visit our Current Openings page, which can be found on our Careers page. There are many benefits to working at First Mid, such as health insurance, paid time off, and employer matching for 401(k) and HSA accounts. We are a great Company for a Veteran to grow in their career. There could be a place for you here.
