Coal Mines to Career Maps: Resilience, Mentorship, and Mapping a Career with Rob Thomas

In this powerful episode of Pathfinders, host Pete Schramm talks with Rob Thomas, a Marine Corps veteran and HR leader whose career has spanned an extraordinary range of experiences—from underground coal mines to boardroom strategy. Rob’s professional journey didn’t follow a straight line. After growing up in a challenging environment with no clear blueprint for success, he pursued college, then shifted course to serve in the Marines. It was there, by the needs of the Corps, that he first stepped into a personnel administration role, unwittingly launching a career in HR that would later define his civilian life. When he left the military, Rob faced the same uncertainty many veterans experience in transitioning to the civilian workforce. He took on several retail and HR roles before making a bold move: working as an underground coal miner to support his family. That decision, while unconventional, led to an unexpected breakthrough: a hiring manager saw HR experience on his résumé and called him in for a corporate HR interview instead. That single conversation became a turning point, opening the door to a new chapter of professional development and leadership in the HR space. Throughout the episode, Rob reflects on the importance of self-awareness, mentorship, and strategic growth. He shares how informal mentors from his time in the military helped shape his thinking, and how having a long-term goal, becoming a senior HR leader by 2027, has guided his choices ever since. He encourages younger professionals to embrace discomfort, stay flexible, and use a “career map” to track their development. Rob also emphasizes the importance of regularly reviewing and adjusting that map, both as individuals and alongside trusted mentors or a personal board of advisors. Rob’s story is not just about upward mobility; it’s about resilience, transformation, and paying it forward. Now working on career navigation strategies inside his organization, he’s helping others build their own maps, showing that meaningful progress is possible, no matter how unexpected the path may be. His journey is a reminder that success is not always linear, and that leadership often comes from those who’ve learned to lead themselves through the hardest of transitions.