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    Transition Summit helps military job seekers

    Transition Summit helps military job seekers

    Photo By Christine Cabalo | Henry Chong, a recruiter with U.S. Customs and Border Protection speaks with military...... read more read more

    WHEELER ARMY AIRFIELD, HI, UNITED STATES

    10.19.2016

    Story by Christine Cabalo 

    U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii

    SCHOFIELD BARRACKS — What would you say to the person with the power to hire you for your dream job?

    Military job seekers spent two days crafting their answers and learning how to get that interview during the Hawaii Transition Summit that concluded Oct. 19.

    The summit brought together experts from several organizations to help in the job search, including the Schofield Barracks Transition Assistance Program and Hire Our Heroes, an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

    The event ended with a hiring fair featuring more than 100 different employers, including private businesses and government organizations with global ties.

    “This summit is great because (the job seekers) will have contacts on the mainland,” said Mike Bormann, the manager at the Transition Assistance Program, here. “If you’re a Soldier going back to Detroit, you’ll be covered because there’s a representative here from Toyota, and their company operates in Detroit.”

    The summit also featured workshops on a variety of topics for transitioning Soldiers, spouses and retirees.

    Job seekers from all the armed services, as well as military spouses, could register for the summit. Attendees learned how to create and amend their LinkedIn profiles, format resumes specifically for federal jobs and use strategies for finding employment after leaving the military.

    The military job seekers could also network and hear personally from Soldiers and other veterans who have made a successful transition into a civilian career.

    Abie Chong, who previously served in the Air Force, spoke about how he needed to adjust his interview technique when he first transitioned. Chong is now a military programs recruiter for Hilton Worldwide.

    Some shared how their job search came with minimal transition time and how important it is to ask for help when needed.

    Casey McEuin, who spoke at several of the summit panels, shared his career path after he was injured in Afghanistan in 2011, while still serving in the Army. When his transition came sooner than expected, he initially had a hard time doing well in job interviews and lived out of his Jeep.
    McEuin shared with summit attendees how he was like them, but he got hired with Hire Heroes USA at a similar transition summit at Joint Base Lews-McChord in Tacoma, Wash.

    “It’s up to you to take charge of your transition; you need to command yourself through the transition process,” he explained.

    McEuin attributes his training as a Soldier and keeping a resilient warrior ethos for his success as he went through his job search. He encouraged attendees to seek out whatever assistance and resources they need for success.

    Hearing from transitioned service members was insightful for Air Force Tech. Sgt. Ryan Sofranko, who attended the summit and is transitioning out of the service.

    “All of the panel interviews were helpful,” he said. “Everyone on the panel had a broad amount of experience.”

    For attendees who have several months of service left, the summit featured great information and practice tips to put into their job search. For example, during the hiring fair, attendees could get a one-on-one review of their resumes from professionals at the Hawaii State Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

    Jonathan Hogan, a Sailor serving out of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, said the summit helped him put the finishing touches on everything he needs for a civilian job interview.

    “I’ve been able to polish up my LinkedIn account, and my resume is significantly better today than it was yesterday,” he said. “It’s been really helpful polishing everything up, since I still have some time for planning to get out. I’ve been able to fill in the gaps and catch things that I might have missed to make myself more available for employers.”

    Master Sgt. Calvin McCrary, a Soldier with the 8th Theater Sustainment Command, said he recommends to anyone who missed the summit to make use of the resources provided by Schofield’s Transition Assistance Program and Army Community Service Hawaii.

    “I’m looking forward to applying what I’ve learned about the interview process,” he said. “I’ve learned how to better show my strengths during the interview process and have confidence for it.”

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 10.19.2016
    Date Posted: 10.28.2016 18:25
    Story ID: 213227
    Location: WHEELER ARMY AIRFIELD, HI, US
    Hometown: TACOMA, WA, US

    Web Views: 457
    Downloads: 0

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