Congratulations, Robert!
After working with CASY for three months, Robert was hired by Booz Allen Hamilton.
Hiring Challenge: Having spent 26 years as a Combat Arms Soldier, job fields are somewhat limited for me, and many jobs in the area were in the medical field. Additionally, for the El Paso area, most of the employers were looking for Spanish speakers—not having that as an asset was a hindrance. After attending the Army SFL-TAP classes, I was not quite up to speed for the whole resume side of job hunting. What I thought was a good resume (based on the SFL-TAP class) was rather weak and disjointed for job hunting in this area.
Assistance Received: I talked to Amanda Marksmeier, my Employment Specialist, and received assistance with my resume and some job notifications. Most importantly, however, I received a positive attitude about the job search from someone outside my home. Amanda stayed positive and provided that little bit of hope when things just seemed to be spiraling down the toilet. That is really the best assistance possible right there, someone who is able to keep sight of the end of the road.
Results: Thanks to the assistance I got from CASY, I was able to keep plugging along, despite all of the negative results and lack of responses, until I got a job.
Value of Experience: Uplifting. Having an outside source to help keep a positive edge on the job-hunting process made the difference. Trying to find a job as a civilian for the first time was daunting to begin with, but getting shot down or passed over multiple times only added to the negativity associated with the job hunt process. But Amanda was able to drop a note or recommendation at the right time and give me that chance to recognize I could keep doing it, just had to buckle down again and approach it like a mission in the Army.
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