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Social Networking in Your Job Search at Military Transition Classes

As a veteran-owned company, ClearedJobs.Net is committed to supporting transitioning military.

One way we do this is by presenting Social Networking in Your Job Search and providing lunch to military transition classes at bases around the metro DC area.

A recent article by Tim Cherry of the Fort Belvoir web site quotes Chrissa Dockendorf, ClearedJobs.Net military transition liaison, from her presentation at Fort Belvoir.

Soldiers and civilians received job market advice during the Army Career Alumni Program career day Jan. 23 in the Barden Education Center.

The ACAP sponsored event is hosted monthly and provides participants with image consultation, social networking tips and job search insight.

Recruiters and employers represented private and public sector businesses, such as, the Environmental Protection Agency and Verizon Federal Network.

The experts provided practical tips toward dressing more professionally and maintaining presentable social media web pages along with additional advice on how to increase their competitiveness in the job market.

“It was very informative with a variety of opinions and experiences as far as federal and government contracting positions,” said Maj. Andre Watson, Headquarters, Department of the Army, G-1 Management Branch and Integrated Personnel and Pay System chief. “The employers were very open and honest and they assured us that there are jobs out in the market.”

ACAP leadership divided the event into three separate portions: Dress for Success, Social Networking and Your Job Search, and an employer panel.

Sophio Barone, image consultant and clothing designer, provided insight into interview attire from colors and jewelry to proper grooming. Barone stressed that first impressions are a crucial factor in obtaining a job.

Chrissa Dockendorf, Cleared Jobs.Net, military transition liaison, led the group through a discussion on social media.

Dockendorf said websites such as Facebook and LinkedIn are great locations to network with potential employers and colleagues.

She encouraged people to be mindful of posts and pictures concerning things such as foul language or grammar errors in writing. This could scare off managers and human resources personnel. Dockendorf’s discussion also touched on privacy settings, customizing social media pages and finding job postings on Twitter.

“Social media can help you land or lose a job,” Dockendorf said. “You have to make sure you’re putting your best foot forward.”

The employer panel featured a question and answer session with business representatives.

The representatives opened the panel by introducing themselves and offering success tips in landing jobs. Participants then asked employers questions ranging from filling out questionnaires to keywords recruiters look for when reading through applications.

Employers encouraged the group, among other things, to be truthful, research the company and make their resumes reflect the jobs for which they are applying.

“All the information they provided is good to get you in a professional mindset and give you a path toward where you want to go,” said Sgt. 1st Class Anita Gulatt, 3200th Strategic Intelligence Group, senior human resources noncommissioned officer-in-charge, speaking about the career day offerings.

The career day is a supplement to the recently modified ACAP program. The Department of Defense, the Department of Veteran Affairs and the Department of Labor partnered to expand transition services to lower the unemployment rate of the nation’s Soldiers. Effective Nov. 21, 2012, under the VOW (Veterans Opportunity to Work Act) to Hire Heroes Act, Public Law 12-56 ACT, the new commanders program mandates that all servicemembers begin ACAP no later than 12 months prior to their transition date, providing more time and learning opportunities to prepare for life after the Army.

Joline Miller, ACAP installation liaison officer, said the career day provides participants an opportunity to gain information and tips from recruiters before an interview or job fair.

“These are the same recruiters that you will see at job fairs,” Miller said. “They have connections.”

Gulatt, who is preparing for retirement, attended the career day to gather information for her post-Army career job-search. She hopes to work in the “human resources and administration arena.” She said the career day is especially beneficial for young Soldiers transitioning out of the Army.

“If the only job they had was the military, this will give them insight on how to translate those skills into the civilian world,” Gulatt said.