Job Hunters Turn to DoD's Transportal Web Site

WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES

02.13.2001

Courtesy Story

Defense.gov         

Hanging up the BDUs to head back to civilian life? When Uncle Sam's paychecks stop, you'll most likely need a job. DoD wants to help you find one.

Thousands of people are turning to DoD Transportal, the department's new Web site at www.dodtransportal.org for transition assistance in returning to civilian life.

"Transportal is designed to be the service member's doorway to Internet transition and job assistance information," according to Ollie M. Smith, Transition Assistance Program director in DoD's Office of Educational Opportunity.

"We've gotten very positive feedback from both former service members and private employers," she said. "They're saying it's a good tool for starting the job hunt early and it provides a lot of good references and resources."

"Transportal is intended to complement the assistance provided by military transition assistance program managers," Smith said. "People still need to visit their local transition assistance office for preseparation counseling. This is usually part of their normal outprocessing procedures."

The DoD Transition Assistance Program work with the Labor Department and Department of Veterans Affairs to provide counseling, training, workshops, briefings and guidance on the benefits and services available to veterans. Transportal includes a list of the locations and phone numbers of the 212 Transition Assistance Offices worldwide as well as links to related Web sites.

The site also features a section titled "Your Next Career." It includes a mini-course on conducting a successful job search and writing winning resumes. Another mini-course provides instruction on using the Internet to find a job, how to create electronic resumes and avoid Internet scams.

Transportal provides links to job search Web sites that track up to 1.5 million job listings, to 100 corporate recruiting sites, and to state job Web sites. You can also post your resume for employers to view. A suggested reading list of job search resources is also included.

The DoD site can be particularly helpful to service members stationed overseas, Smith said. "Without easy access to newspapers and other sources of information on job opportunities in the United States, they must rely on the Internet to find and compete for jobs."

Story by Linda D. Kozaryn, American Forces Press Service

• Date Taken: 02.13.2001
• Date Posted: 07.03.2025 22:51
• Story ID: 525728
• Location: WASHINGTON, US