JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
Joint Base Langley-Eustis will hold workshops on resume writing and federal employment, host job fairs, and offer Service members the chance to ask questions to panels of local employers to gain the latest information on the job market, easing their transitions.
Two people in charge of the initative are Robyn Wilson, Airman and Family Readiness Center community readiness consultant, and Roger Bullis, Army Community Services community readiness consultant.
Wilson serves as an employment specialist for the Langley AFRC, while Bullis teaches resume-writing workshops at Fort Eustis. Both offer advice to Service members about separating as smoothly as possible.
Resume
· Make a master resume with all previous employers, skills, certifications, schooling, etc.
· Research companies you may want to work for and the jobs they have available
· Create a targeted resume specifically for that job or career path by copying and pasting from your master resume
· Highlight your education and work experience that is directly relevant to the types of jobs the employer is offering
· Remember, recruiters have a limited amount of time to look over each resume, usually 30 to 45 seconds
· Font sizes should be no larger than 12 points and no smaller than 11
· Headlines being either bold or underlined
· Place your name and contact information at the top of the second page so if the pages get separated they can easily be matched again
· Resumes should be no more than two pages and if you are going to have a second page it must be at least a half-page
· Don't print resumes double-sided
· Do not put "references available upon request" at the end. Instead, use the space to put more information
· Always get a point of contact for the company to follow up with when hand-delivering or sending out a resume
Job Fairs
· As soon as you even start to think about transitioning from the military, you should start attending job fairs
· Research what companies will at the fair and what positions they have open
· Have business cards of some kind, or a resume to leave with prospective employers
· Only bring copies of your targeted resumes, or resumes focused towards a specific occupational field
· Dress for success; change out of your uniform and into appropriate attire. This step will convey that you are now concentrating on transitioning and you are ready for the next step
· Remember that job fairs are very busy and your time with a perspective employer will be limited.
· Prepare a 30-second "elevator speech" focused around tying your skills and abilities to the job requirements
· Ensure you are showing an employer the value you can bring to an organization
Interviewing
· Research the company so you know as much as you can about it
· Remember that often the person interviewing you is not a professional interviewer and every question is asked for a reason.
· Remember first impressions are everything. Show the same professionalism shown in the military
· Show up early to your interview, but no more than 15 minutes early
· Greet the interviewer with a solid handshake and make good eye contact
· Wait to sit down until you are asked, and when you do, sit without crossing your legs
· Have a few follow-up questions to ask after the interviewer is done with their questions such as:
- If they need you to clarify any answers
- What is next in the process
· Always ask for the job; don't assume they know you want the job because you showed up for the interview
When it comes to researching a company or searching for available jobs, the AFRC offers a database of jobs available in the area. They also offer the "employer panel" workshop, which allows individuals to ask questions of employers around the community. All these resources are geared towards assisting a job seeker with writing a resume, attending job fairs, or going in for an interview.
Additionally, the Army Community Services offers workshops on resume writing and federal employment that are available to Service members, dependents, civilians and retirees.
While this may seem like a lot of information, Wilson and Bullis both stress the importance of networking and researching companies when starting to plan a transition. Preparing early can help save a lot of headaches while leaving military life to find work in the civilian sector.
For more information, contact the Airman and Family Readiness Center at 764-3990 or Army Community Services at 878-3173.
Upcoming Resume Writing workshops:
(Registration required, all classes are held from 9 to 11 a.m. at 650 Monroe Ave., Fort Eustis)
Feb. 13, 2014
March 21, 2014
Upcoming Federal Employment workshops:
(Registration required, all classes are held from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at 650 Monroe Ave., Fort Eustis)
Feb. 27, 2014
March 20, 2014
Upcoming Employer Panels dates:
(Registration required, all classes are held from 2 to 4 p.m. at 45 Nealy Ave, B Wing, room 201, Langley)
March 5, 2014
May 21, 2014
July 18, 2014
Sept. 19, 2014
Nov. 19, 2014
Upcoming Job Fairs:
Feb. 12, 2014 - 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. - 100 19th St., Virginia Beach
March 27, 2014 - 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. - Fort Eustis Club, Fort Eustis, Va.
March 25, 2014 -10 a.m. to 2 p.m. - 740 Town Center, Newport News, Va.
March 27, 2104 - 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. - 1500 North Military Highway, Norfolk, Va.