Transitioning from the Military to a Civilian Career
Matthew Caraballo has always had a passion for helping causes greater than himself, evident by his seven years of service as an Aircraft Maintenance Technician in the United States Air Force. After Matthew concluded his service, he was ready for his next adventure. While pursuing and eventually earning his MBA, Matthew discovered his passion for sales. It was this love for sales combined with his devotion to helping others that led him to his position at Mammotome as an Associate Sales Representative, eventually becoming a Biopsy Sales Specialist. Matthew shares his story and his advice for other service members preparing to transition out of the military.
Describe your transition out of the military and into a civilian career. How did you prepare?
Approximately three months prior to my separation, I began applying for entry-level positions within the government sector and leveraged my previous experience managing military personnel to secure a Human Resources technician role with the Department of Defense.
Education has always been important to me, and within six months of being separated, I enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program and began utilizing my GI Bill benefits. I continued with my MBA program, which exposed me to a variety of business courses that helped me discover my passion for sales.
Tell us about your role at Mammotome.
I first joined the Mammotome team as an Associate Sales Representative in April 2019, assisting the OR sales specialists in accomplishing their objectives across the northeast region of the United States. After 18 months of achieving positive results, I was awarded my very own territory and promoted to the Biopsy Sales Specialist role in NYC. Now, as a Biopsy Sales Specialist for Mammotome, I am responsible for providing clinical solutions to local breast care and women’s imaging centers across the greater New York City (NYC) area. As a patient advocate and technical resource, it is my job to help improve patients’ lives by assisting healthcare providers in achieving greater clinical outcomes.
I have always had a passion for helping causes greater than myself, and as a Biopsy Sales Specialist at Mammotome, I can do just that. Supporting patients and clinicians in the fight against breast cancer provides me with a sense of purpose that is both fulfilling and rewarding, like how I felt while working in the military.
How do the skills you learned in the military help you in your role at Mammotome?
During my time in the Air Force, I learned to work in a high-pressure environment. As an aircraft maintenance technician, I was forced to develop a high level of self-discipline and accountability to ensure real-world missions were accomplished safely and on time. As a Staff Sargent, I nurtured my strong communication and interpersonal skills to unify large teams to achieve complex objectives that could ultimately result in the loss of life.
These skills have become invaluable to me as a Biopsy Sales Specialist because a great deal of pressure comes with working in a competitive and results-driven environment. Being effective requires a strong ability to stay disciplined and accountable, especially when working in a clinical setting. Clear and effective communication is paramount when selling complex and technical solutions. Getting people with various backgrounds and motivations to come together to achieve a common goal requires the effective use of different communication styles at a high level.
As a driving force of the Mammotome Veterans Leadership Network (VLN) associate-led group, can you tell us about the group’s mission?
One of the many ways Mammotome supports veteran employees is through the Mammotome Veterans Leadership Network (VLN). The Mammotome VLN is an associate-led group that expands engagement and connects associates that have also served in the armed forces. The Mammotome VLN hosts events throughout the year to help educate our veteran employees about their benefits, identify outlets for support, and provide opportunities for us to give back to our fellow veterans in the local community.
What’s your favorite part about your job?
Being an integral part of the clinical team is extremely gratifying. As a subject matter expert and technical resource, I take pride in the value I bring to our customers. I enjoy making the doctors’ and technicians’ lives easier so they can focus on providing the best possible care for their patients. Whether it is answering direct questions during a procedure or offering workflow solutions during set up, I appreciate the positive impact I can have on patient lives by supporting the clinicians who care for them.
What advice do you have for service members who are preparing to transition out of the military?
For those service members transitioning out of the military, especially those who might not have a lot of direction, I would suggest self-reflecting in three areas. First, do you have a passion for helping others? And if so, what is it that you enjoy doing for others? Second, what are you the best at, or in the top 1% of? And lastly, how much freedom do you prefer to have over your day-to-day work activities? Just thinking about how you would answer these questions can help narrow your career path down and provide insight as to what you want from your next career.
Why should veterans consider a career at Mammotome?
A big reason veterans should consider a career in the medical device industry is because of their refined skill sets. Patience, perseverance and resilience are just a few characteristics veterans develop that are critical for success in a sales environment. Serving in the military also teaches and promotes acting with integrity. In the healthcare and medical device industry, operating with a strong sense of integrity is essential to make a valuable impact on patient care and succeed in your role.
Working for Mammotome has been a great experience. The organization has been incredibly supportive of my career transition and consistently offers me opportunities to grow both professionally and personally. It is a pleasure to work for an organization that cultivates such a positive working environment and embraces inclusion, especially for veterans!