Building a Brighter Future

Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Zachary S Eshleman | 190821-N-VS214-079 NEW YORK (August 21, 2019) Builder 1st Class Felice Goldman is highlighted in the Recruiter Spotlight. (U.S. Navy photo/Released)  

NY, UNITED STATES

11.15.2019

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Zachary S Eshleman 

Commander, Navy Recruiting Command

Story by Electrician’s Mate (Nuclear) 1st Class Adam Glover, Navy Recruiting District New York Public Affairs

NEW YORK (NNS) - Born in the heart of the Bronx in New York City, Builder 1st Class Felice Goldman had dreams of joining the U.S. Navy. However, after high school she put those dreams on hold to explore a variety of jobs.

“I worked as a teacher’s aide for several years in New York City,” said Goldman. “Then I moved to live in Hawaii as a farm hand,” she laughed “I worked for room and board, and got put in charge of keeping the wild chickens off the property.”

She continued trying several career paths before settling back in New York City and working for a car rental business, but the lure of the Navy still called to her.

Finally, in 2010, she took the first step and walked into the recruiting station in nearby Harlem.

“I knew I wanted to join to serve my country and travel the world, but I didn’t really know anything else about the Navy,” said Goldman. “However, I knew I liked working with my hands, so when I was told about the ‘Seabees’ by the classifier, I knew that was the perfect choice for me.”

Joining the Naval Reserve as a Builder, she began her new adventure, which sent her on several deployments with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 27.

“My first deployment orders were written, and two weeks later I deployed to Guantanamo Bay to rebuild infrastructure,” said Goldman. “It really made me understand the excitement of the Navy. After that it was on to deployments in Djibouti, then Kenya, to build support structures for the Army.”

Following her deployments, Goldman decided to try her hand at something new and became a recruiter.

“I love the Navy,” said Goldman. “But my first experience with a recruiter was horrible. They left me standing outside at 4 a.m., so I decided the best way to prevent other people from having that bad experience was to become a recruiter myself.”

Her first hurdle in becoming an effective recruiter was a challenge within her very nature.

“I may not seem like it, but I’m a very shy person,” said Goldman. “Sometimes I like hanging out at home with my hairless cats, but the recruiting world is not a place for the shy or soft spoken, so I had to get better.”

Thankfully, she said, she had great mentors whose lessons helped prepare her for the rigors of recruiting.

“In the Seabees I had two great mentors,” said Goldman. “Senior Chief James Kearns encouraged me not only to take risks, but to be excited about them. And then there was Senior Chief Steven Bylis, who was great about listening to my plans and letting me try out new ideas. This mentality really helped prepare me for the job.”

Even with this guidance, she admitted it started off tough.
“During the beginning, there were growing pains,” said Goldman. “I had a lot of no-show appointments and those that did show up weren’t always qualified. Thankfully, I have great support from my station, especially my LPO [leading petty officer], Machinist Mate 1st Class Jamal Joe, who helped me find the niche that fits for me with recruiting.”

She soon found her job with the Seabees was part of that niche.

“People think that if you join the Navy you’re going to spend all your time on ships, which for some is a turn off,” Goldman explained. “But after explaining my job with masonry and carpentry, they learn that not all Sailors have to go on ships. It also helps them to see the Navy has jobs that translate directly back to the civilian world. The Seabees have a great reputation in the armed forces, regardless of the branch, so applicant’s family members who served will vouch for what a great program it is.”

Once she got her feet under her, she developed her own plans which proved to be a success.

“My plan is simple, but it works for me,” said Goldman. “I go out to public areas in my hot zip codes and talk with everyone who looks remotely qualified. Every day is different, and you get to talk to all sorts of individuals. Sometimes I will end up talking to the same person twice, but it’s worth it because sometimes they point me to people who may be interested.”

Two and a half years later, this strategy has been a success for her, leading to her finding 28 contracts in 2018, 32 contracts so far in 2019, and earning her an advancement to first class petty officer. It’s also led to recognition from her command including several recruiter of the month and quarter awards; plus she received a Navy Commendation Medal.

However, what ultimately drives Goldman isn’t the awards or recognition.
“The most rewarding part of recruiting is working with the individuals who come into our office and want to serve their country,” she said.
Navy Recruiting District New York covers 7,700 square miles and includes New York City’s five boroughs, Long Island and the northern half of New Jersey.

NRC consists of a command headquarters, three Navy Recruiting Regions, 16 Navy Recruiting Districts and 10 Navy Talent Acquisition Groups that serve more than 1,300 recruiting stations across the country. Their combined goal is to attract the highest quality candidates to assure the ongoing success of America’s Navy.

For more news from Commander, Navy Recruiting Command, go to http://www.cnrc.navy.mil. Follow Navy Recruiting on Facebook (www.facebook.com/NavyRecruiting), Twitter (@USNRecruiter) and Instagram (@USNRecruiter).

• Date Taken: 11.15.2019
• Date Posted: 11.15.2019 13:57
• Story ID: 351939
• Location: NY, US