FORT SILL, Okla. (March 6, 2014) -- With the looming drawdowns of Army personnel, there will be a tidal wave of Soldiers coming out of the service, whether they want to leave or not.
So when Sgt. Justin Kitchen of McComb, Ohio, was coming to the end of his contract of service with the Army last year, he decided he wanted to do something different. But he was unsure about exactly what he would do after he separated from the military.
"When I was in the service, what I was going to do afterwards was a big worry for me. You often hear 'There're no jobs out there, there're no jobs,' but I now know there are lots of jobs to be found out there. That shouldn't scare Soldiers away from searching," said Kitchens.
He served just shy of nine years with B Company, 168th Brigade Support Battalion as a ground support equipment NCOIC. He was very familiar with heavy equipment maintenance and logistical support, having deployed for 15 months in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from April 2007 to October 2008. He felt comfortable looking for a job where his Army experience and training could be used. So he signed up for Transitional Assistance Program classes, part of the Army Career and Alumni Program at Fort Sill.
Krystal Lewis, a transitional employment liaison, works with the TAP program here. Her main initiative is job placement and helping get Soldiers hired. Kitchen was a perfect fit for her program.
"[He] took the TAP program classes and met every deadline I gave him to get his paperwork rolling -- his resume, discharge forms and so forth. When I set up an interview for him with an employer he came 15 minutes early, wore a nice suit and was respectful. He was a Soldier who reflected positively on the whole hiring process," Lewis said.
"He participated in the hiring event we had last July, and he applied in advance with several employers that were represented at the hiring event. All of them wanted to interview him. They all said his interviewing skills were at a very high level," Lewis said. "He was very dedicated to the hiring process and finding a job."
When Lewis sent Kitchen the job listing for Crown Equipment, a national manufacturer of forklifts, his reaction was 'This is my ideal job.'
"The TAP program was exceptional as far as being able to match me with an employer. I interviewed with several companies before I talked with Crown. The others were kind of on the other end of the spectrum from where I wanted to be, and Crown offered me what I was looking for," Kitchen said.
Lewis said the interview evolved into a unique situation, because even though Crown was looking to hire someone back in July, they held the position until Kitchen got out of the Army in December.
"They held that position for him since they look for quality hires due to the time and cost of training a new employee," Lewis added.
"Through the classes at the ACAP center, they helped me build a resume that was really strong, so that when Crown read my resume they asked to interview me specifically. A strong resume can really make a difference when it comes to being hired," said Kitchens
Now he works as a field service tech in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, doing service, preventive maintenance and repairs.
"We have our regularly scheduled on-site services, like periodic maintenance. Often we notice things that need attention while we are doing the regular maintenance, like brakes that are worn or a tire that needs replacing. With the customer's approval, we will do further repairs on-site." Kitchen said. "You're not exactly your own boss but you do have to keep track of your parts and work and be efficient with your time, just like all those things the Army teaches you to do."
"There are jobs out there. There are tons of companies hiring if you are willing to do your work to find the job. It all depends on your skill-set, where you want to be and what you want to do. If I had tried to go back to my hometown to look for work, it would have been hard. But, because I was willing to relocate and come to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, they were willing to hire me," Kitchen said.
Lewis said because many Soldiers are looking for work, those looking have to do their best. ACAP
can help by providing the tools and training to help job seekers find the job they want.
More than 100 employers, including Crown Equipment, will be at the "Soldier for Life" hiring event March 27 at Rinehart Fitness center on Fort Sill. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. For more information or to register for interviews, contact ACAP at 580-442-2222.
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