Marisol Maloney helps veterans turn military experience into civilian language

Marisol Maloney, a 20-year Navy veteran and former cleared recruiter, is using Secret Squirrel Consulting to help transitioning service members and veterans explain their experience in terms employers understand. Her work focuses on preserving operational security while improving how candidates present leadership, skills and value in the civilian job market.

Why it matters: - Many transitioning service members have strong qualifications but struggle to translate military experience into civilian terms. - Maloney’s coaching is aimed at improving how veterans compete for jobs by helping them communicate skills, leadership and credentials more clearly. - The work is especially relevant for cleared professionals, where a security clearance helps but does not replace the need to show broader job fit.

What happened: - Influential Women featured Marisol Maloney, founder of Secret Squirrel Consulting, LLC, on July 13, 2026. - Maloney built the firm to help top secret- and secret-cleared service members and veterans speak “Civilianese” while maintaining operational security. - Her background includes 20 years in the U.S. Navy, a move from enlisted to officer, and later work as a cleared recruiter in the defense industry. - Maloney’s Navy career included aviation, logistics, emergency nursing, intelligence analysis, executive communications, strategic planning and recruiting.

The details: - Maloney began as a Navy Nurse Corps officer and later transferred into the intelligence community. - She held a Top Secret security clearance while supporting national security missions that required adaptability, discretion and strategic communication. - One assignment put Maloney in the role of strategic speechwriter for the four-star admiral leading U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. - That job required translating technical and classified material into clear messaging for senior leaders. - Maloney now applies that experience to help clients rewrite military and federal service into language recruiters and hiring managers can evaluate. - She describes herself as a “Veterpreter” because she helps veterans learn to “Civilianese”. - Maloney says she teaches clients how recruiters think, what hiring managers look for and how to communicate the value of their experience. - She is a certified career transition strategist. - Maloney emphasizes that employers hire for a mix of skills, leadership, education, certifications and the ability to communicate value effectively. - Her public profile includes a LinkedIn profile, a company website and an Influential Women profile. - Media inquiries are directed to marisol@marisolmaloney.com.

Between the lines: - The story reflects a broader problem in the veteran job market: strong experience can lose value when it is presented in military-specific language. - Maloney’s niche combines recruiter insight with military credibility, which can make her message more actionable for transitioning professionals. - Her focus on cleared workers highlights a second challenge: protecting sensitive information while still making achievements legible to civilian employers. - Her quote suggests a coaching style built around confidence and outside skepticism rather than credentialing alone.

What’s next: - Maloney is continuing to coach transitioning service members, veterans and specialized talent. - She is also speaking publicly for veteran organizations, nonprofits, transition programs and professional conferences. - Her ongoing content and appearances are likely to keep centered on resumes, LinkedIn strategy, applicant tracking systems and recruiter expectations.

The bottom line: - Maloney’s pitch is simple: veterans do not need to invent new experience; they need a better translation of the value they already have.