Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Preston Jarrett | 191206-N-BJ275-0001 ST. PETERSBURG, Fl. (December 6, 2019) Aviation Machinist’s...... read more read more
Subscribe
Story by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Kathleen Gorby, Navy Recruiting District Miami Public Affairs
Recruiting can be a challenging tour of duty for any Sailor. Armed with a good sense of humor and positive outlook, Aviation Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Wayde Oberholzer took on that challenge to prove he could succeed while stationed at Navy Recruiting District (NRD) Miami.
Oberholzer has been recruiting for eight months, but he has already proven himself to be a seasoned recruiter and a valuable asset to his command. His recruiting strategy is simple: just be himself.
“I try to find the comedy in everything,” said Oberholzer. “I think it’s the easiest way to relate to applicants. When you are yourself, it’s easier to make that connection.”
Oberholzer is currently recruiting out of his hometown of St. Petersburg, Florida, but was born and raised in Durban, South Africa. His family moved to America in 2006 after he graduated high school.
“My accent gives me an edge, “said Oberholzer. “It gives me an opportunity to tell my story. While the applicant is trying to figure out whose Navy I belong to, I tell them how great the U.S. Navy is.”
Oberholzer does not confine himself to this recruiting office. He views every place he goes-from restaurants to shopping plazas-as his office.
“I enjoy watching the confusion on people’s faces when I’m out looking for applicants and I ask them if they are here to join the Navy,” said Oberholzer. “They look around to see if they are in a recruiting office and not a pizza parlor or wherever. Their reply is always something like, ‘No, bro, I’m just here to get a burrito.’ It’s a great icebreaker.”
Getting them talking is just the first part; seeing if they qualify for special programs is another. The requirements for a nuclear field applicant have grown more than 50% over the past year. Finding an applicant who qualifies for the nuclear program is tough, but Oberholzer signed up three last month and has one more on deck this month.
“Last month I signed three nukes: one was a senior from Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC); one was a garbage collector; and the other was prior service,” said Oberholzer. “I look for the quiet seniors in the presentations and the applicants who come to the station with their parents or guardians.”
Oberholzer first decided to pursue recruiting because he wanted a change of pace and to change people’s lives. He also wanted to get some weekend time with his wife and kids.
“I have met a lot of people, mostly high school students, while mentoring in the community,” said Oberholzer. “Most of these kids have grown up without father figures, and I feel like the Navy is the best way to ensure they have a leg up on life and the best start.”
For Oberholzer, the hardest part of recruiting is not finding people who want to join, it’s the paperwork.
“The hardest thing about recruiting is trying to fit all of the menial tasking and paperwork into a single 10-hour day,” said Oberholzer. “Time management is the hardest thing about recruiting.”
Oberholzer’s comedy and humor strategy works for him because that’s who he is, but that may not be the case for all recruiters. He had a bit of advice to give for recruiters trying to find their way.
“Just be yourself,” said Oberholzer. “Don’t change your language or oversell; that makes the applicants feel as if you are pushing them into it. If they are qualified to be a nuke, I tell them they are crazy for not taking the opportunity the Navy is giving them.”
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: | 12.06.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 12.06.2019 15:00 |
| Story ID: | 354595 |
| Location: | ST. PETERSBURG, FL, US |
| Web Views: | 124 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Just Be Yourself, by CPO Kathleen Gorby, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT