As Sailors near the end of their naval contracts there are several paths ahead of them; to stay in the Navy and make it a career, or close the hatch and set sail for new adventures elsewhere in the civilian sector.

The world's economy is constantly evolving with technology, and because of advancements being made every day across every job market available, how does one go about picking a career that will survive these advances?

Cmdr. David Whitmer, acting Mini Boss aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73), has a Master of Business Administration from Kelley School of Business with a concentration in Finance, he also has a successful side business in which he writes compliance software for banks, has owned and sold a business and was featured in the 2009 book "How to make Money In Stocks: Success Stories," by Amy Smith.

Whitmer noticed several Sailors struggling, both financially and where to go after their Navy career was over, so he created a seminar passing the knowledge he has gained over the years to any Sailors who wish to learn.

"This whole idea for the lecture series stemmed from conversations I had with Sailors in the tower," said Whitmer. "During weather delays all of us in the tower would discuss a variety of topics from taxes and financial management, to growth rates of the economy and job markets."

Word spread throughout Air department about the conversations, and the seminar series was the product of those early discussions.

"A lot of Sailors join the Navy right out of high school," said Yeoman 3rd Class Laeree Gordy, in Air department. "A lot of us didn't learn finance or how to properly handle our money and that's what I hope to gain from these seminars. You can really tell that Mini Boss cares about us. He saw some of his Sailors going through some tough times, and the fact that he created this series shows just how much he wants us to succeed."

Whitmer designed these seminars to reach a wide audience with the hope that everyone could benefit in one form or another.

"These classes have really helped me," said Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) Airman Joseph Lenz. "I've been working on getting out of debt, and these classes teach us how to balance our paychecks and how to make more money outside of the Navy. Mini boss also shows us different careers that are successful and where we should consider applying our skillsets once we leave the Navy."

The program has positively impacted the Sailors who have attended the meetings by teaching them a variety of financial skills that they didn't know before.

"If you are in a tough financial situation or if you want to know more about different job markets to be successful, you should come to these meetings," said Lenz. "I think these are great classes, there is a lot you can learn from them, I certainly have."

Throughout all of the seminars that Whitmer has provided, one message to his Sailors rings the strongest.

"Get rid of your consumer debt," said Whitmer. "Pay off any credit cards or car loans. Don't build up consumer debt, it can get out of hand very fast and cause added stress to your life."

Whitmer normally holds seminars, open to all hands, on Wednesdays at 8 a.m. in training classroom three aboard the Floating Accommodation Facility (FAF).

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