EL PASO, TEXAS (Sept. 23, 2024) - At the University of Texas at El Paso Career Expo held Sept. 19 and 20, students were welcomed by several different employers offering Army civilian career opportunities, all situated in close proximity to each other.
This unique arrangement, which is not commonly seen at events hosting over 200 employers, was facilitated by the recruitment office for the Army Civilian Career Management Activity, also referred to as ACCMA. Having all the Army employers from White Sands Missile Range, Fort Bliss, Fort Worth and Albuquerque together made it easier for students to engage with them and provided a more streamlined experience.
"Our goal in these events is to bring all of the Army commands and agencies under one umbrella, Army Civilian Careers," said Rebecca Estrella, Human Resource Specialist from ACCMA. "Instead of having all the Army commands separate, we wanted to have a collective combined effort because we are all looking for students and hires. Even if one command has an opportunity but is not the right fit for a student, another command may have an opportunity that better suits the student."
Present at the expo were the Army Test and Evaluation Command, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development - Command Analysis Center, Mission and Installation Contracting Command, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, Research and Analysis Center, Army Research Lab, Army Criminal Investigation Division and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation.
"Representing the Army at this career fair is Fort Bliss, White Sands Missile Range, and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers with their Albuquerque and Fort Worth districts, and some of them are hiring for positions even outside of this location, which is great," said Estrella.
ACCMA had been to other career fairs at UTEP and noticed that all the different Army commands were in various locations. The idea to create a unified recruitment effort at career fairs began to take shape last November. That's when Estrella began looking for the right points of contact within the Army who could help participate in these significant events in a joint effort.
"UTEP is our first to have all the installations and commands all together. They are like our pilot program, and we hope in the future we can do the same at other universities and colleges with other installations," said Estrella.
The Army Test and Evaluation Command at the White Sands Missile Range had their tablets charged and ready to give students easy access to all the hiring information they may need. All employers reviewed resumes to find the ideal candidate. Occasionally, a cowbell would echo throughout the job fair, indicating someone had received a job offer.
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