Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Sarah Christoph | SILVERDALE, Wash. (Feb. 22, 2022) – Kyle Jarvis, a mechanical planner at Trident...... read more read more
SILVERDALE, Wash. (Feb. 22, 2022) – Trident Refit Facility, Bangor (TRFB) is fertile ground for employees looking for new opportunities. If you are looking to move up within a wage grade (WG) or general schedule (GS) position, there is room for growth here. With some effort, employees even have the opportunity to make the transfer from a WG position to a GS position.
“I started working at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS) as a WG1 as a helper mechanic,” said Kyle Jarvis, a mechanical planner at TRFB. “Then I was hired at TRFB on the sail team working on masts, antennas, periscopes, and snorkels, and eventually getting the opportunity to do Trident Planned Equipment Replacement Program (TRIPER) work. I was told to set up shop and make it my own. I really enjoyed my job as a WG.”
Though Jarvis enjoyed his time doing TRIPER work, he eventually ran into a major bump in his WG career path– TRIPER was moved to another shop. But, when one door closes, another one opens. The move was a catalyst for Jarvis to explore new territory and achieve one of his life goals– working as a GS.
“One big reason why I wanted to go to the GS side is because of my dad,” said Jarvis. “He really inspired me to come to the GS side. He retired as a Radioman in the Navy, and then retired at PSNS as an engineer in a GS position. I’ve always aspired to do what he has done.”
Jarvis took the opportunity to explore new territory and began his search for an available GS position to transfer to– a move described by some as challenging or even impossible.
“Even over at PSNS, you are told by others that it is tough to go from WG to GS,” said Jarvis. “A lot of people are given that false information and they accept it. When I first started applying for new jobs I was not getting hired, so I did believe that to be true.”
But Jarvis did not accept defeat. Instead, he looked into what he could do to help accomplish his goal. He cited the Upward Mobility Program, a program designed to provide career growth opportunities to Department of the Navy employees who have potential but do not have the qualification requirements for a position, as one reason for being hired in his current position as well as a rock-solid resume and interview.
“The best advice I could give to anyone who is looking to make this transition is to make sure you have a great resume,” said Jarvis. “It is very easy to make a mistake on a resume. One box that is checked wrong could be the reason you don’t get interviewed, so you need to pay attention to detail. It is also important to have a great interview. There are plenty of ways you can prepare for an interview, like taking classes or doing a mock interview in a mirror.”
Now successful in his GS position, Jarvis reflects on his time as a WG and how the experience aids him in navigating his current job.
“My time as a WG really set me up to apply for my position as a GS,” said Jarvis. “I loved being a mechanic and getting my hands on things and learning new areas of the boat. As a mechanic we would be given paperwork that would give us information like materials, procedures, narratives, and man hour estimates. We would use that paperwork to complete the jobs we were tasked with. Now I am the one who writes all of that paperwork. The first package I wrote was for a snorkel mast, so it went right to my old shop where I learned the ins-and-outs of being a mechanic. It’s kind of crazy how it all ended full-circle.”
Though it may be the end of Jarvis’ time as a WG employee, it is only the beginning of his time as a GS. His successful transition is tangible evidence that TRFB is filled with fertile ground for anyone looking to grow.
| Date Taken: | 02.22.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 03.10.2022 16:12 |
| Story ID: | 416225 |
| Location: | SILVERDALE, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 61 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, When Opportunity Knocks, TRFB Employees Answer, by PO2 Sarah Christoph, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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