Marines

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Service members transitionaling out of the military who need help finding a new career or path can attend a job fair preparation workshop, which will be hosted by Marine Corps Community Services at the Russell Marine and Family Services Center aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, from 1 to 4 p.m., tomorrow.

Photo by Pfc. Nik S. Phongsisattanak

Camp Lejeune offers job fair prep workshop

23 Feb 2012 | Pfc. Nik S. Phongsisattanak Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune

When service members enlist, they dedicate their time to serving while continuously honing skills used in their military occupational specialty. But what happens when their time of service is near the end? Will they be able to find a new career or educational path? But more importantly, will they know how to find and fight for a job during this economic struggle that’s left millions of Americans unemployed?

Luckily, Marines and sailors can find the assistance they need by attending the job fair preparation workshop, which will be hosted by Marine Corps Community Services at the Russell Marine and Family Service Center aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, from 1 to 4 p.m., tomorrow.

“It’s for any service member or family member that is thinking about attending the job fair coming up,” said Lee Tuthill, a transition assistance program specialist with Marine Corps Community Services, MCB Camp Lejeune. “It’s geared for tips pertaining to how to handle yourself in a job fair, which is a different setting from going to a job interview that is one-on-one.”

At the workshop, participants will learn proper etiquette, how to dress for the occasion, research and prepare questions to ask companies that interest them, and learn about different type of resumes.

“You have a shorter period of time to talk to (company representatives),” said Tuthill. “You should do research on the company before you get there, and you should know the positions they have. Employers are looking at whether you care enough to see what their company makes or does.”

The workshop’s purpose to help service members learn how to present themselves professionally and make a good impression.

“A lot of them don’t realize that you just can’t walk up to a company and expect to be hired because you might have the skill set,” said Tuthill. “You have to be able to sell those skills to that employer and make them believe that you meet their expectations.”

The job fair focuses a lot on the military members transitioning out, but there are jobs for family members as well. Participants will be able to look at more than 90 companies, which have also listed their available positions.

For additional assistance, patrons can drop off resumes to be critiqued at the center. They can also come into the center to have their resume printed off on resume paper.

“By coming (to the class), you’re going to get that little bit of extra lessons to make you stand out of the hundreds of people who will attend the job fair,” said Tuthill. “Many of the class participants say that they feel more confident about going to the job fair. Be prepared, that way you have a better shot of actually getting that phone call for the second interview or to get hired.”

Patrons are asked to register for the class due to the limited amount of seats available.


For more information on the workshop, visit mccslejeune.com/jobfair/index.html.