By Ginny Estupinian
Green jobs have recently been the buzzword among U.S. policymakers who say they could be one answer to rising unemployment and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Under the Labor Department’s Veterans’ Workforce Investment Program grants are being awarded to various organizations to help veterans enter this growing field.
Through the program, veterans receive skills assessments, individual job counseling, classroom or on-the-job training, skills upgrading and placement assistance. Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis, announced these agency grants with the objective to provide about 3,000 veterans nationwide with training and employment in green jobs.
Participating veterans will be trained for jobs including: residential and commercial solar energy system installation, solar water heater repair, solar energy roofing, and electrical installation and maintenance, and solid wastewater treatment.
At present seventeen groups nationwide, will receive $500,000 in grants to train and find jobs for veterans. Besides California the other states awarded grants include Texas, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Indiana and Arizona. ”This grant will provide our veterans with tools and skills that will ensure they are certified and trained in green jobs,” said Solis, adding that there was great need for such training.
A Two Day Workshop for Ohio Veterans Needing Help Finding Jobs
January 14, 2009
Bu Ginn Estupinian
On January 15th and 16th the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services will be conducting a workshop for veterans transitioning into the civilian workforce. This program is designed to help veterans learn job searching skills and be able to match their military experience with potential employers.
The program will be taking place both days at the AMVETS Post 26 in Mansfield at 1100 W. Fourth St.
The workshop runs from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m.
3 Resources for Veteran Jobs
November 13, 2008
By Ginny Estupinian
In California, the RecruitMilitary Career Fair comes to Concord on Dec. 4 2008, at The Speedway Club at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. It is expected that more than 300 veterans will attend the event, which is intended to help recently returning troops, other veterans and service members, and their spouses find jobs.
Veterans will be able to interview with national, regional and local employers.
This event, which begins at 11 a.m. and runs until 3 p.m.,
Another resource that I came across is Simply Hired (www.SimplyHired.com). This is a comprehensive search engine for jobs, that recently announced a new job search offering for veterans. The filter provides results from Direct Employers Association’s list of over 400 federal contractors and “vet-friendly” employers, who take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment veterans in accordance with Affirmative Action Programs, the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), and the Jobs for Veterans Act. Simply Hirer’s new veteran filter can be found at www.simplyhired.com/veteran.
The last resource is a community center that is offering some great assistance to veterans in the Chicago area. The Albany Park Community Center specializes in assisting military veterans. They help veterans by offering the following free workshops: Resume Writing, Internet Job Search, Interview Skills, and Life Skills. They also give detailed information about the supportive services . For more information please visit them at 3403 W. Lawrence or call them 773-539-3828.
California Veterans Job Fair Nov 13, 2008
October 8, 2008
By Ginny Estupinian
The Workforce services Branch along with the VEC and Work2future is holding a Job Fair for veterans on November 13 2008. The job fair is called,“State of California Honor a Hero, Hire a Vet Job and Resource Fair”.
The program will begin at 10 a.m. and run until 2 p.m. It will take place at the Airport Holiday Inn, located at 1740 North First St. San Jose, CA.
The job fair is free and open to all veterans, National Guard members, reservists returning from active duty, and the public. The job fair has invited 60 employers, 20 service organizations, and government agencies to be on hand with information on employment, benefits, training, education and apprenticeships.
This should be a great opportunity for those individuals living in and around the San Jose California area to check out some employment oppotunities.
Ginny Estupinian
At times it is better to start a business than to find a job that really fits your needs and your goals. Many people have thought about starting their own business but might not have any idea how to do that. As I mentioned before in this blog, disabled veterans have a very hard time finding work. Now there is a new program that is free that will teach disabled veterans the basics of how to start their own business.
The ‘Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities’ (http://whitman.syr.edu/ebv/) is currently accepting applications for summer 2008. This groundbreaking program, designed to assist veterans with disabilities, will offer training in small business start-up and management to servicemen and women injured in the line of duty since 2001. This program is a live program which means you have to go there to learn. However, the program is picking up all the cost including travel, lodging, and the cost of the course. You can get more information by going to the link below.
The participants in this program come from all branches of service and range in age from people in their 20’s to people in their 50”s. The program is being run by some of the nations top business schools including :Syracuse University, UCLA Anderson School of Management, Florida State University’s College of Business, and Mays Business Schoolat Texas A&M. This program is a great opportunity for disabled veterans to make a way for themselves and their families and own their future. This is a free education from some of the best business schools in the nation. According to the program the information that they will teach is both practical and usable.
The program is taking applications now so check it out at: http://www.whitman.syr.edu/ebv/
By Ginny Estupinian
Whenever you are doing a job search it is often tempting to only apply for those jobs that are being offered by large companies believing that they are the best ones. In fact when you are talking with your friends often a lot of people will ask what company you are applying to. Isn’t it true, that if you tell them a name that they don’t recognize it makes you feel like you made a mistake?
The hard facts show that today some of your best prospects for finding a job are with small companies and not with the big well established corporations. In fact you might be safer working for a small company that is able to be flexible in a changing economy. Often big corporations have a hard time adjusting to changes in the market place quickly. As a result they may hire for a position that is no longer viable and you may soon find yourself out of work. The reason is that large companies sometimes take a while to respond to market forces but when they do a lot of people pay the price all of the sudden.
Recently, I came across this situation with a friend who was looking for work. She saw a job posting on Monster.com for a position she was interested in with Hewlett Packard. The position was offering a nice salary doing a job that she was a perfect match for. She submitted her resume and was soon afterward contacted for an interview. The interview went well and at the end of the interview she was told that she would have to attend one more interview before a formal offer would be presented. So she left happy and hopeful for the future. A week went by and nothing happen. No phone call, no letter…nothing. Wondering what had happened she called only to find out that the whole department had been downsized and moved out of the area. She later received an informal email stating that the position was no longer available.
This story may read like an unlikely scenario but it is not. There are a lot of changes occurring in the economy now and the rules of the game are changing. This makes it very difficult for anyone trying to find work that is not aware.
I can understand that some folks may say well isn’t it safer to work for a large company since they have more resources and can better survive during tough times. Yes, and No. Some large companies that are involved in businesses that thrive whether or not the economy is doing well (like entertainment) are the exception. However, some large companies like many of the automakers today are not a safe option. In recent months the newspapers have been reporting about the downsizing and selling off of assets by companies like Ford motors (they just sold off Jaguar and Land Rover).
Another thing to consider is that when you are dealing with a small company often you are dealing with the decision maker of that company. This usually means that they make decisions faster and don’t waste time in having you jump through hoops. There are some reports that show that you can actually make more money with a small company and have better opportunities to advance your career with a small company. This is especially true with workers who are in their 50’s. We often hear of age discrimination occurring with larger organizations that may have concerns about the possibility of an older worker nearing retirement. The opposite is true with a lot of small companies. They are excited about the possibility of having someone with many years of experience working for them.
So consider all possibilities and take a second look at those small companies you might be pleasantly surprised.
A Veterans Guide to Researching That Next Job
May 8, 2008
By Ginny Estupinian
When most people look for work they begin by checking out the job postings either on-line or in a newspaper. Most of the time the most important thing that a job seeker is looking for is what is the amount the job will pay. The second thing is usually what is the job description. There is nothing wrong about this approach, but you might be able to improve the quality of the job you are getting, and avoid unexpected surprises by doing a little more research.
One thing to consider is who the employer is? There is nothing worse than finding a job and then discovering that the employer is going out of business. This is especially important if you are considering moving to a new area for that job. Then there is the surprise of finding a job that is just awful. The only reason that the job is available is that nobody wants to work there.
There are a few simple things that you can do in order to give yourself the best possible chance of matching with a good employer.
- Pull up the company’s website
You can learn a lot about a company by what is on their website. Often companies will put news articles about the company on the site. These articles can tell you what is important to the company and a little bit about their culture. You can also learn about the history of the company and their values. This information is good to incorporate into your interview. It shows that you did your research. On some sites the bio’s of key employees are located and you can learn a lot about who makes up this company and where they came from. All this will give you a good gut feeling about who they are.
- Use search engines
One of the best ways to search is by using www.dogpile.com this site will compile information from all the other search engines. So instead of looking through each search engine this one will take out the duplicates and give you the most relevant information. Another good source is the Better Business Bureau in the city where the company is located. When you call ask them for a reference and see what type of reputation the company has established with them. The service is free to the public and they will tell you if there have been any complaints and what they were about.
- Search the local newspaper.
Another easy thing to do is go on-line to the local newspaper and search past articles using the company’s name. While there do a search by using the name of the President of the company. When you find an article read to see what they are known for. In some cases you might discover that the company has a charity that they regularly sponsor. You might even find that the company was involved in some type of problems. Basically, you are looking for both good news and bad to help you make a good decision and avoid the surprises.
- Talk to Employees.
One of the best sources of information are current employees or even past employees of the company. Who better to tell you the good, the bad, and the ugly of the company? But what if you don’t know anyone at the company? Then talk to the receptionist. These folks usually know more about what is going on about everything and are willing to share if you treat them nicely. One way to score points with a receptionist is to talk to them when they hit the slow point in their day. In most cases this will be between 10:45am and 11:30am in the morning. By that time most of the morning urgent calls have already come in. When you talk to them tell them that you are considering working for the company and would appreciate knowing more about the company. Let them know that you value their comments and will keep it confidential. Many times the information you get from this source will be more valuable and complete than anything else you do.
By Ginny Estupinian
It is sad to note that there are many reports showing that veterans do not always find their jobs waiting for them when they return from active duty. The problem appears to be larger than the government statistics reveal according to a report by the Government Accountability Office.
This does not mean that there are not any federal laws on the books to penalize employers who do this. Rather what is happening is that at times veterans are dealing with government delays, bureaucratic shuffling and other red tape. For example, a Defense Department survey issued last fall showed that 77 percent of returning soldiers had job trouble but did not seek any help in 2006. The report went on to show that almost 11,000 soldiers were not promptly rehired and that more than 22, 000 lost their workplace sonority.
Most of these cases are investigated and pursued by the Department of Labor but it takes a lot of time. Some indications show that it can take about up to eight months for a case to reach the office of special counsel or the Justice Department for possible litigation.
This problem is not limited to small companies and on the contrary this problem crosses all businesses. For example, in the early part of April the Department of Justice said it was suing Wal-Mart alleging that it failed to reinstate a cashier who was an Air Force reservist. The department was also suing United Parcel Service charging that it eliminated the job of another Air Force reservist while he was on active duty in Iraq in 2003.
Some states have begun to add state enforcement laws to the federal laws in an effort to strengthen and decrease the amount of red tape. However, this is the exception rather than the rule. The truth is that laws will only be part of the solution the real change has to come from the voice of the country.
This nation has the ability to make great changes and cause social change when it comes together as one for a common cause. Just look at how the nation has come together to address natural disasters and raise money to find cures for major diseases. As a nation it is now time that all of us stand for those that risk their lives in service to this country and insist that it is not alright for companies to give away the jobs of our heroes. As a people we have insisted on companies cleaning the environment and producing healthier foods. It is now time that we insist that they take care of the jobs of our veterans.
By Ginny Estupinian
Previously in this blog I have talked about the importance of using all your contacts to network and help you in finding a job. As we discussed the power of the group comes from ability that a network has to leverage your reach in the community and thereby multiply your efforts.
Today, I would like to introduce another way that you can use the power of networking. For years now, many business groups have met once a month in cities around the country to share leads as well as ideas with each other. These networking groups are sometimes run by national companies such as Le Tips and Business International. Basically they meet once a week, to once a month for about two hours, and share ideas and leads with each other. A lot of the groups limit the number of people that can join and have yearly and monthly dues to belong. Despite the fees these groups are in demand. Why? Because the members get benefits and results from belonging. Business people that meet regularly are able to not only exchange leads, but also ideas and get encouragement. These meetings are also powerful because the members are all business owners. The fact is that one business owner can understand the success and frustration of another business owner.
So what does this have to do with veterans you may ask? Well, you can take this same idea and use it by forming your own veteran’s roundtable. This group does not have to be big and complicated, and can be as small as two or three veterans. The benefit of having a group made up of only veterans is that you would relate better to each other due to having the same backgrounds and similar experiences.
The purpose of this meeting could be to talk about issues, assisting each other in finding jobs, providing business leads and opportunities, and basically being a sounding board for each other. The meetings can be held at a local Starbucks, a restaurant or anywhere where you feel comfortable to host the meeting given the size of your group.
To set up the group simply pick a date every month that all the members agree to. This could be as simple as the second Tuesday of every month. Next choose a time that will work for everyone. For example, one of the business groups that I mentioned above meets in the early morning for breakfast and the other usually meets in the evening hours after the close of business. The bottom line is that it is totally up to you. The importance is that you keep it consistent each and every month.
After having the roundtable for a few months you will discover the power and importance that having this meeting will have on each of the members. Do not be surprise if the group continues to grow and more people want to join your group.
