Job hunt: Employment readiness helps transitioning Soldiers

By Nathan Pfau, Army Flier Staff WriterMay 14, 2015

Job hunt: Employment readiness helps transitioning Soldiers
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FORT RUCKER, Ala. (May 14, 2015) -- Change is something that all Army families and Soldiers are pretty familiar with, but one unfamiliar transition that a Soldier might be faced with is searching for a job when shifting back into civilian life.

Army Community Service seeks to equip Soldiers and families who will be on the hunt for jobs with the tools and knowledge they will need for success by offering sessions designed to help build up their confidence and figure out how to most easily make that transition, according to Mike Kozlowski, ACS personal financial readiness specialist.

If you're the spouse of an active-duty Soldier, a military dependent, a Department of the Army civilian or a retiree, the prospect of doing a focused job hunt can be daunting, said Kozlowski. Questions people might find themselves asking are: "Where are the jobs?" "Is my résumé 'up to snuff' and good enough for distribution?" "I haven't worked in years, so how can I make myself more marketable to potential employers out there?" These are typical job hunter concerns that can paralyze a person's efforts to land the job that they get to do.

To help answer those questions, ACS holds employment readiness sessions in the Soldier Service Center, Bldg. 5700, in Rm. 350 on a biweekly basis throughout the year. The next sessions are slated to kick off today and May 28 at 8:40 a.m. People can register for any of the sessions in several ways: signing up online at the ERP website (http://www.ftruckermwr.com/register-for-employment-readiness-program-events/), by calling 255-2594, or by stopping by the ACS office in the Soldier Service Center.

"My charter is to lend Soldiers, spouses, family members, DA civilians and retirees a helping hand with their employment-related concerns," said Kozlowski. "If they are thinking about getting a job or another job for whatever reason, such as to strengthen their financial readiness or to gain a measure of professional fulfillment, then they need to attend an ERP session."

The class is not a series of classes -- just one session is all it takes. Doing so registers participants into the program and affords them access to several valuable employment-related resources, he said, such as the Virtual Career Library, "Passport Career" (a Web-based resource that identifies job opportunities worldwide) and a personalized account with the Spouse Education and Career Opportunities program. Registration has another perk. Kozlowski provides free résumé reviews and one-on-one career counseling.

Because each session is jam-packed with employment information, Kozlowski mixes the session content with interactive lecture and multimedia -- there are times for questions and comments throughout the session. The sessions cover résumé tips, interview skills, searching for federal and off-post job opportunities, the impact of social media, professional image, networking and vocational trends. The classes typically last an hour and forty-five minutes and are free, he said.

"(People) don't plan to fail, (they) just fail to plan. Entering the civilian marketplace sets up a whole new set of challenges, which may become obstacles to success after transitioning from military service," said Kozlowski. "My constant advice to Soldiers who are even thinking about entering the civilian job market is to plan, plan and to plan some more for every possibility that would affect them financially and vocationally."

He said the job environment is a tough one, with a number of economic factors affecting companies' abilities to hire on full-time employees, which makes sessions such as these that much more valuable.

"You can count on a three- to six-month timeframe (hopefully less) for your job hunt. During this time, bills will keep coming in, and with no income the question becomes, 'How am I going to survive this job hunt?'" Kozlowski said the time to start a financial fund is not a month or two from separation or retirement, but at least a year in advance of the anticipated date.

"I always encourage Soldiers, near-retirees and their spouses to begin the transition planning process early and to practice it daily. It relieves them of most stressors associated with the unknowns out there in the civilian marketplace," he said.

Kozlowski said National Guard Soldiers on Title 10 orders going through flight training would greatly benefit from the class.

"They usually have no job to which they can return following their training here, and the ERP sessions, along with one-on-one résumé reviews and career counseling, can set them up for success when they return to civilian life. Knowing that they will have meaningful employment when they return home allows them to devote more attention to becoming Army Aviators," he added.

Related Links:

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Fort Rucker ACS Employment Readiness Program

Fort Rucker, Ala.

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