ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. — Human Resources Specialist Victoria Fuhrmann, an intern with the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command G-1, is excited to see where her government career will take her.
Fuhrmann, part of the Human Capital Division, was hired through the Becoming Everything You Are STEM Conference’s career fair in 2023. The BEYA STEM Conference is available in-person or online, which is called the “digital twin experience,” or “DTX.” Fuhrmann decided to attend the conference virtually because it was more accessible to her needs. She felt more at ease talking to recruiters with the chat feature in the comfort of her own home.
“Because of [my] anxiety, I knew I would do better if I attended the career fair virtually,” she explained.
The Anne Arundel County native recommends career fair attendees prepare their resumes, take some time to think through potential interview questions and have some facts or “bullet points” ready about themselves because an interview can happen with an employer on the spot. This practice can help job seekers provide more thoughtful answers and feel more confident, she added.
Forging a new career path
Fuhrmann graduated in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. She used her educational experience to land a job at a biomedical laboratory but eventually decided lab work was not the right fit for her.
After job hunting and networking, Fuhrmann took the advice of a friend she met in college who works for the federal government. Kristy Chau, a human resources specialist with CECOM G-1, encouraged her to attend BEYA because it would allow her to meet with multiple potential employers in one day.
During the career fair, Fuhrmann said she was drawn to government jobs. What appealed to her, she said, is the flexibility of being able to telework part-time and have an alternative work schedule, which gives her a regular day off. Having the ability to telework part-time helps manage her anxiety, she stated.
According to Fuhrmann, when she received the job offer to work at CECOM in the spring, she was eager to accept.
As a human resources specialist, Fuhrmann works on a variety of tasks including conducting telework inspections. This means ensuring employees and supervisors are complying with the telework policy, which includes checking that they take required trainings and are entering the correct codes into the Automated Time Attendance and Production System. Fuhrmann is also on the awards team, which means she helps process and distribute awards to CECOM employees.
Additionally, Fuhrmann has participated in career fairs at UMBC and Harford Community College to tell others about her experience as an Army civilian.
“My advice to others would be to give it a shot if you are on the fence,” she said. Obviously, weigh your options, but keep in mind the benefits.”
Attending BEYA
The BEYA STEM Conference will be held this year at the Baltimore Convention Center from Feb. 16-17. In addition to the career fair, the BEYA STEM Conference also features workshops, mentoring breakout sessions, networking events, and an awards ceremony which recognizes “women and men who are shaping the future of engineering, science, and technology.”
To learn more about attending BEYA in-person or virtually, visit https://intouch.ccgmag.com/mpage/beya-home.
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