Workshops, Career Fair Help Wounded Find Jobs

By Cheryl HarrisonSeptember 20, 2007

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas (Army News Service, Sept. 20, 2007) - Wounded warriors received assistance in resume writing, interviewing and proper dress Sept. 17 in an effort to prepare them for the next day's Hiring Heroes Career Fair and job market.

Members of the Army Career and Alumni Program, Human Resources, Army Community Service and the Office of Personnel Management held the workshops in the Sam Houston Club. About 30 people took advantage of the opportunity to create or update resumes and receive sound advice as they prepared for the career fair.

"We have the Directorate of Information Management and Information Technology folks help us out with the set up of computers, and about 25 volunteers who review and tweak those resumes that the Soldiers need a little help with," said Mike Main from Human Resources.

"They have done an outstanding job with my resume. I thought it just needed minor surgery, but it turned out to be major surgery," said Spc. Richard Meyer, of Company A, Warriors in Transition Unit, who had his resume tweaked by an ACAP volunteer.

Spc. Meyer, a member of the Mississippi National Guard, was serving in Iraq when he received injuries to his spine. He also lost his home during Hurricane Katrina.

The next day at the career fair, about 80 registered vendors were on hand to accept resumes and applications, talk with prospective employees, take applications and, in some cases, do on-the-spot interviews and make job offers.

"Thank you for providing hope and opportunity for Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines who swore to protect our country and our way of life, and who were wounded carrying out their duties while upholding that important oath," said Maj. Gen. Russell Czerw, commander of the Army Medical Department Center and School and Fort Sam Houston, in his opening remarks.

"At least 75 percent of the folks I spoke with today said it was a very productive career fair and they had good leads to follow up on," said Mr. Main at the end of the Tuesday's event.

This was the fourth Hiring Heroes career fair held in San Antonio. A fair held in March ended with 40 percent of the applicants receiving job offers.

(Cheryl Harrison works for the Fort Sam Houston Public Information Office.)