3 Key Ideas to Maximizing Your Efforts at Job Fair.
March 20, 2008
By Ginny Estupinian
On March 19th from 11:00am to 3:00pm , the Miami Herald is hosting the Recruit Military Career Fair at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. This is but one event that is being produced across the country in an effort to help veterans connect with employers. These job fairs are a great way to find out what employers are looking for, and a way to meet the people that make the hiring decision. Here are a few things to keep in mind when attending a job fair.
First, take a look at the event to see the list of employers that you might be interested in talking to. Before the event try to pull up information on the internet about these companies so that you walk in knowing something about what they do and what they stand for. You can get this information on the company website or simply Google the company name and see what appears. Another idea is to search the local paper website and look for articles that have been written about the company. By having this information in advance you will know what questions to ask as well as have comments to make concerning the company that might help you distinguish yourself from all the applicants.
Second, have your “elevator speech” ready and if at all possible change it up so that it fits to the companies that you are interested in. In a previous post I wrote about how to develop an opening speech that I called the “elevator Speech”. If you have not read it please scroll down and take a look. Now, assuming that you have the speech ready tailor it so that the person that you meet takes notice of you. In other words, you want to make sure the company you are interested in actually has a position available that you can do. For example, you do not want to begin to talk about an entry level position if after doing your research you find that they are not looking for entry level candidates. However, just because this particular company does not have any openings in what you are interested in does not mean that the person you are talking to can’t help you. Remember that these folks know other folks that do the same thing at other businesses. So by having your speech ready you can ask them to refer you to someone they know that is looking for people with your qualifications. You could simply say, “I know that your company is not presently looking for ____ but would you know of anyone else that you feel I should talk to that could have use for someone like me”. You will be surprised how many times people will say “yes”, and give you a referral that you would not otherwise get or know about simply because you asked.
Third, take the time to write down who you talked to and something about them on the business card or flyer that was handed to you. You are going to talk to a lot of people and at the end of the day it will all be a blur. Take the time as soon as you finish speaking with them to jot down some key points so you will remember later. Then follow up with a phone call or note the very next day. Some studies out there have suggested that only 5% of people ever follow up. That means that vast majority simply hope that their resume will be enough for them to be called in for an interview. You can push yourself ahead of the pack by simply taking the time to call them at their office, and thank them for taking the time to speak with you. At the same time you can emphasis that you are still very interested in having the opportunity to interview formally with them.
New Survey Shows That 25% of Veterans Are Dealing with PTSD.
March 19, 2008
By Ginny Estupinian
Recently, the Central Connecticut State University Center for Public Policy and Social Research completed a survey of returning state troops. The survey clearly demonstrated that at least ¼ of those returning veterans met the criteria for being diagnosed for post-traumatic stress disorder. Some of the problems that these returning veterans cited as most troubling included, problems with their spouse and partners, and difficulties “connecting emotionally with family”. The survey further showed that about 19% of the respondents met the criteria that they are at risk for traumatic brain injury. It is believed that the experiences of Connecticut veterans are similar to other veterans around the country. In fact, the Defense Department formed a task force in 2007 and found that about 38% of soldiers reported some mental health concerns in the months after returning from deployment. The Defense Department report showed that the mental health concerns were as much as 49% higher for those veterans who had served as part of the National Guard.
If there is one thing that is indicative of these reports it is the sheer size of the need for mental health services that exists for returning veterans. We must remember that this is only a sample of the totality of mental issues that veterans are dealing with nationwide. The harsh reality is that our current system, in its present state, is not capable of tackling all these needs. More funding and research needs to be funneled to this very important issue. The value of these reports lies in begin able to bring to the forefront the gravity of the situation and allow for better understanding of what veterans are dealing with.
In a previous posting I discussed how law enforcement in some parts of the country are now looking at the disrupted behavior by veterans. By having an understanding that a veteran may be facing some mental health challenges it is allowing for emergency services to more effectively handle situations rather than assume that it is a criminal manner.
A bit of good news was announced this week by the Veterans Medical Center in Wichita Kansas. The center is expanding its mental health department to accommodate the increase in post traumatic stress disorders by expanding its facility and the mental health staff.
Ginny Estupinian
I am very happy to read a report by the Associated Press that in Holyoke Massachusetts, police and emergency support personnel, are being trained to identify when erratic or defiant behavior maybe a result of untreated trauma. The trauma that I am speaking about here stems from lingering survival instincts or hidden brain injuries that our veterans experience after serving in a combat zone. Unless people have had the opportunity to be properly trained to understand and identify post-traumatic stress disorder, they do not fully understand what these returning veterans are dealing with. The last thing we as a people should do is have the criminal justice system deal with the problem. The studies done on this subject clearly show that this is a mental health issue not a criminal issue. In fact the American Psychiatric Association in 1980 pointed out that they began to recognize the connection between conflicts with police and post-traumatic stress disorder. Until now only mental health professionals were the ones to receive this training, but as of today, it appears that some officials in Massachusetts have taken the first steps to begin to address the situation properly. Let’s hope that this trend will continue and other agencies around the country will follow in course.
Mileage reimbursements are increased starting Feb 1 2008
February 2, 2008
The St Cloud Times of Minnesota as well as other newspapers are reporting that veterans who drive to VA medical centers for care will see an increase in their mileage reimbursements starting Feb 1, 2008. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reimburses veterans for their travel to obtain treatment at medical centers across the county. The department’s old reimbursement rate of 11 cents per mile, was set back in 1977 when the average price of gas was only 60 cents per gallon. The rate will now be 28.5 cents per mile. Ginny Estupinian
