Melissa Washington

Melissa Washington proudly served in the Navy and rather than shoulder the burden of a dual-service family, she decided to leave the military early to pursue a career while her husband spent 21 years on active duty. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business management and transitioned into a successful career in recruiting and human resources for more than 10 years working for both boutique agencies and global Fortune 500 companies.

Melissa was laid off from her job in 2009 due to a failing economy, marking the beginning of a nearly two-year journey and career reinvention that allowed her to use her passion for helping others. It all started with holding LinkedIn workshops for job seekers at her dining room table then speaking at venues across the nation including offering LinkedIn services to business and individuals. Her journey, took a little detour for 4 years as she worked at LinkedIn, planning Global Corporate Meeting & Events.

She has been featured in newspaper articles, on TV and the radio including a guest on “Dot Complicated” with Randi Zuckerberg SiriusXM Business Channel. Melissa is the go to person for media when it comes to LinkedIn and Women Veterans. Her book, Get Back to Work: Smart & Savvy Real-World Strategies to Make Your Next Career Move was published in 2014.

In 2015 she founded Women Veterans Alliance, which is currently the largest and fastest growing professional women veterans’ organization. As a service-connected disabled veteran, small business owner, speaker, author and award winner, she is passionate about connecting women veterans across the nation.

Sub-specialties: Social Media Marketing, Branding, LinkedIn, Careers, Networking Inspirational, Empowerment, Veteran Entrepreneurship, Understanding the Women Veteran Population.