Soldier takes positive steps toward employment

Photo By Staff Sgt. Patrick Caldwell | Command Sgt. Maj. Bill Wyllie, the senior enlisted advisor for the 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment, 77th Sustainment Brigade, 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, chats with Sgt. Matt Henneke about his resume as part of the battalion’s employment and education initiative.  

JOINT BASE BALAD, IRAQ

04.24.2011

Story by Staff Sgt. Patrick Caldwell 

77th Sustainment Brigade

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq – Sgt. Matt Henneke, a communications specialist with the 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment, 77th Sustainment Brigade, 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, isn’t sure he will secure a job once he returns home from Iraq, but the La Grande, Ore., resident estimated he already is off to a good start on his job hunt.

Henneke’s job search is unique in several ways, including the fact he is actively seeking employment while he is stationed at Joint Base Balad in central Iraq.

The first step in his quest is to put together a resume. Henneke is drawing upon the expertise of fellow soldiers in his battalion for guidance.

Henneke’s individual effort is an example of a broader campaign 3rd Battalion leaders kicked off earlier this spring. The employment and education effort is the creation of Lt. Col. Phil Appleton, the commander for the 3rd Battalion and a Silverton, Ore., native, and Command Sgt. Maj. Bill Wyllie, the command sergeant major of the 3rd Battalion and a John Day, Ore., native.

Appleton and Wyllie kick-started the ambitious employment and education plan with the intent to help soldiers secure a viable future when they return home. Their bold agenda includes employment seminars, resume building and mock job interviews for 3rd Battalion soldiers.

Henneke said the resume-building piece of the employment and education program is a good one.

“It gives the soldier the opportunity to work on their resume and then get them revised,” he said.

Revision and careful supervision on resumes are two of the key pillars of the employment and education plan. Officers and senior non-commissioned officers are already geared to read individual resumes submitted by soldiers who seek employment.

Appleton, Capt. Carmen Nicely, the commander for the Headquarters and Headquarters Company of 3rd Battalion and a Walla Walla, Wash., native, and Capt. Jock Johnson, the chaplain for the 3rd Battalion and an Irrigon, Ore., native, all reviewed his resume. All three individuals offered key suggestions that Henneke said proved to be crucial.

The work of Nicely, Johnson and Appleton not only improved his resume, Henneke said, but they also helped him emotionally regarding the job hunt.

“It made me feel more confident and gave me some insight on what I needed to change,” he said.

Nicely is a significant asset for potential job seekers because of her civilian employment. Nicely works full-time for the state of Washington as an employment and training supervisor.

For Nicely, the 3rd Battalion’s employment and education program is all about preparing soldiers to be successful.

“I think the program is very proactive of our command to get people thinking about the jobs they are interested in,” she said.

Nicely said the program is not a silver bullet in terms of employment, but it is a good start.

“It is not a guarantee, but it boosts their chances,” she said.

Nicely said one key for 3rd Battalion soldiers is to focus on their personal qualities when they frame resumes.

“People don’t talk about that much, but it is important,” she said. “You know, are you flexible, dependable?”

Nicely said a holistic approach to framing a resume is a good method.
“There is no right way to do a resume. But there are ways to make it stand out more,” she said.

Wyllie said overall the battalion’s employment and education effort for post-deployment is going better than expected.

“We are getting a huge turnout of resumes from the [3rd Battalion] companies. It is going phenomenal,” Wyllie said.

For Henneke, the best future in the wake of his Iraq deployment would be one where he finds stable employment that allows him to also spend time with his wife and three children.

He said the employment and education program has already paid dividends for him.

• Date Taken: 04.24.2011
• Date Posted: 05.08.2011 08:59
• Story ID: 70053
• Location: JOINT BASE BALAD, IQ