Inside Look | Marvin’s SkillBridge Internship

30 days, 240 hours, 14,400 minutes. That’s how long Marvin Gabriel, a dedicated Jpixx freelancer and social media foodie, spent with our team as a full time intern through the Department of Defense SkillBridge program, a transitory experience that helps those who are leaving the military find work opportunities in their area.

As he prepared to exit the military, Marvin was required to spend 45 calendar days (about 30 working days) with an organization of his choosing to assist him with the transition from Sailor to civilian – and we welcomed him with open arms. Now that it’s time for his next journey, we cannot be more thankful for the dedication, passion, and positivity he brought to Jpixx. On his final day in the office as an intern, we asked Marvin a few questions about the Program and his time here. Read on to learn more.

What is the DOD Skillbridge Program?

M: SkillBridge is a privilege- it’s not an entitlement. Your command can keep you for the duration of your program time from six months to 45 days. Outside of that, SkillBridge is exactly what it sounds like: it’s a bridge for a skill set that you want to apply in the civilian world. It doesn’t have to be a field where you excelled in the military, you could jump into a completely different work setting for the life that you want to create outside of the military. So for example, I was a mechanic. I knew nothing about mechanics. I was always into filmmaking and photography. And I had a relationship with Jpixx prior to getting out of the military so I guess I am their first guinea pig for Skillbridge, in a good way!

What did the SkillBridge process look like on the Jpixx side of things?

J: Marvin came to us at the end of last summer and proposed the idea [of the program]. When we looked at it, it’s a good deal for the business because they get somebody that is with them every day and the military pays their wage for the last x amount of days of their service. Because we had already worked with him, we felt very comfortable that he would fit well with our organization and it was a great way to get to know him better and to see what he can do. We filled out a lot of paperwork with several levels of certification, and now Jpixx is certified to be a part of the SkillBridge program for as long as I know, so we will very likely look into it in the future and open it up to anyone across the country. As a company, we’re really excited to be able to take advantage of the program, especially with the success of Marvin.

What have you learned while being in the Jpixx office full time?

M: The biggest thing that I learned being in an agency environment is that everyone has to do their part in order for jobs to get done. If one person slacks off, then the rest of the team has to pick up where you left off, so everybody has to be on the same page. I would say there’s a lot of similarities [between being here and in the military]. Timesheets, for example, are great because you can actually track how many hours are being spent on certain things in order to be more expedient. And in the military we have the same thing, where we log hours that we’re actively working in a specific job task so that the captain or the commander can get an overall view of how work is being delegated, on and off base. 

What would you say about your filmmaking productivity since you’ve been here?

M: Jpixx was a catalyst that allowed me a place to continue developing my creativity and workflow. I found myself in what they call that ‘flow state’ where I’ve built a habit to continue editing and posting on social media continuously. The 9 to 5 is not a 9 to 5, it’s a daily grind for me. Once I get off work, I go straight into another edit. Or straight into another shoot. So being here at Jpixx has allowed me to make content creation a lifestyle, really.

Check out more of Marvin’s original social media content on his pages: @marvinnn.g (IG) and @marvingproductions (YouTube)