Ryan Morton RESUME REVIEW -- Sgt. Maj. Ricky Orange, of the Mobilization Readiness Battalion, talks to Uneeda Brewer-Frazier, Oxford Group Consulting and coaching firm representative, about resume tips and job hunting strategies at the technical workshop portion of the Ultimate Warrior Technical Workshop and Career Fair, July 29.

A two-day Ultimate Warrior Workshop and Career Fair at Timmermann Center last week had veterans and family members honing resumes, interview skills and going one-on-one with potential employers offering new careers.

"The career fair was definitely a success," Lt. Col. Cynthia Palinski, the Ultimate Warrior Workshop and Career Fair officer in charge, said "We had 487 people come to the workshops and 788 came to the career fair."

The July 29 - 30 event complemented the Chief of the Army Reserve, Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz’s Employer Partnership Initiative. The vision of the program is to develop a collaborative effort to sustain a viable operational Army Reserve, capable of caring for Soldiers and their families, and provide employers with a no-cost link to highly skilled and talented Army Reserve Soldiers.

"We had a wide variety of federal and private sector employers," Palinski said. "All of the companies had to supply information showing that they had available positions, so it was not just advertisement, but legitimate employment opportunities."

Like any Army operation, potential employees and family members from all branches of the services planned , rehearsed and executed their mission to secure a career position from one of the more than 70 potential employers from around the country.

As a result, many of the people who attended the fair received some good leads and future interviews. Now, event organizers will track the effectiveness of the job fair with follow-up phone calls to veterans and companies to see how many positions were actually filled.

One Navy noncommissioned officer brought some humor to the event after meeting with a potential future federal employer. "I’m wanted by the IRS," Petty Officer Daniel Kelly said. "I have a private interview with them set up so I am being considered for a job."

Another Army National Guard job candidate, who recently completed a tour of duty in Iraq, walked away with three employment possibilities.

"I’ve got leads for an auditor position at the VA in Hudson County, a budget analyst position at Fort Monmouth, and a senior auditor position at McGuire AFB," said Capt. Michael Panzera, a certified public accountant who served with the New Jersey National Guard’s 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

On the private sector side of the career fair, a Best Buy department store representative reported they were looking to fill positions for technicians, management and engineering at two of their soon to be opened stores in Jersey City and Eatontown.

"We would definitely go out of our way for them," said Lauren Maslihan, of Best Buy, "because that's what they do every day for us."

Inside four of Timmermann Center’s crowded conference classrooms, job candidates seeking positions in law enforcement, education and engineering mingled with such agencies and firms as the Fire Department of New York, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Comcast, Lockheed Martin, and Borgata Hotel and Casino. These employers were collecting resumes from applicants and talking to those interested in available positions.

Before job candidates even met potential employers, many of them started the fair the previous day by attending various workshops to have a resume review; attend coaching for interviews; dressing for success, and career counseling.

Several experts from the Garden State Council Society of Human Resources Management, the Army Career and Alumni Program, and the Tip of the Arrow Foundation, of Boonton Township, provided veterans with inside tips for landing a job. Many of the experts were volunteers at the job fair.

Carl Blum and Bob Deissig from Tip of the Arrow even gave a mock interview presentation on what to do and not-to-do during the job interview. They also provided the job seekers pointers and ideas on how to present and sell themselves to prospective employers using their military experiences.

"We had a lot of volunteers that gave one-on-one support," said Palinski. "It was great that we were able to shuttle Soldiers over to the computer lab so they could make on-the-spot changes to their resumes with a knowledgeable counselor/coach present."

Thirty prizes were raffled off to lucky participants looking to make career changes by showing for the workshop.

Prizes included cookware, shirts, a five-day cruise, a weekend vacation at a Trump casino in Atlantic City, and private sessions with professional career counselors.

Event organizers were happy that the workshop offered military personnel the opportunity to showcase their dependability, having worked under military discipline for years and have special training on their resumes. But, it was the confidence that added the final touch.

The event also included educational organizations’ representatives who discussed veterans’ benefits provided in the new GI Bill.

They were from: Caldwell College, Caldwell; Centenary College, Hackettstown; Rutgers University, New Brunswick; Essex County College; and the University of Phoenix, Philadelphia. "There were federal agencies, civilian corporations, universities, one-on-one counselors, and resume reviewers – I think everyone did an excellent job," said Palinski. "We really wanted this fair to be a one-stop-shop and I think we achieved that goal."

For more information about the United States Army Reserve Employer Partnership Initiative visit their website.

Read the Post Online for Aug. 7, 2009.