http://www.campusgov.com/ en mmoore@campuscareercenter.com Copyright 2013 2013-06-14T20:54:35-05:00 http://www.campusgov.com/jobblog/fathers_service_inspires_son_to_career_in_military/ http://www.campusgov.com/jobblog/fathers_service_inspires_son_to_career_in_military/#When:19:54:35Z Years ago, when Joe Reiser told his children about serving in the Army at the close of World War II, he may not have realized how great an influence these stories would have. One child, Dan, took his father’s pride of service to heart and now has 23 years of service in the U.S. Air Force. After being stationed in various locations around the world, Col. Dan Reiser has served at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, for the past year. He is the director of staff of the 711 Human Performance Wing, which is involved with medical research, education and consultation. Col. Reiser is in charge of the finances, plans, programs and operations for the wing. As an optometrist he sees patients two times a month when he has time to keep up with his clinical skills. Col. Reiser recalled that his father, who is now 88, loves to talk about serving in the Army in World War II. By the time Joe Reiser went through basic training and made the long ocean voyage to the Phillipines, the war had ended and the peace treaty with Japan had been signed. Joe, who achieved the rank of Sergeant Fourth Class, was assigned to the 365th General Hospital in Batangas and was put on guard duty right away. He recalled that Japanese soldiers were in the area. “Part of them knew the war was over and part of them didn’t,” he recalled. “A lot of prisoners had to be returned to Japan.” Joe was stationed in the Phillipines for about a year and a half before being discharged. He returned to Crawford County where he and wife Virginia raised their family on a farm near Arion. Along with the stories about the Army, Joe had artifacts he had brought home. “In our attic my father had pictures of people in the Phillipines, dressed in their garb from the 1940s, and he had a grass skirt and a Japanese sword he found,” said Col. Reiser, who later received the sword from his father. “The old stuff he had was interesting.” The military influence fit perfectly for Col. Reiser, who graduated from Denison High School in 1982 and from the University of Iowa in 1986. He went on to optometry school at Indiana University, graduating in 1990, the same year he joined the Air Force. “I joined the Air Force partly for educational support and also for patriotism,” Col. Reiser stated. “After the first few years, I decided to stay in and to keep serving my country.” The sense of patriotism, he continued, came from his father and from the inherent patriotism Midwesterners seem to have. “I knew I wanted to go into health care. Joining the Air Force was a way to still serve my country and do health care,” Col. Reiser stated. His first assignment in the Air Force was at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, D.C., and his duties included working in the executive medical clinic in the Pentagon one day a week. Among his patients was former Vice President Dick Cheney, who was then the Secretary of Defense. But working on four-star generals made Col. Reiser more nervous. “Here was a new guy, a new captain, fresh off the farm in Iowa, examining generals who were making major decisions for the military,” he stated. Col. Reiser said he also joined the Air Force to travel. “Denison offered great experiences, but I had been in the same place for 18 years and wanted to see other things,” he stated. After working at the Pentagon for a couple years, Col. Reiser did a residency in hospital optometry in San Antonio, Texas. He then served at Bitberg Air Base in Germany for three years, was stationed at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, served at Hanscomb Air Force Base in Boston, worked in the cadet clinic at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and was stationed in Ramstein, Germany, for five years before being assigned to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. He was also deployed in 2009 to Kosovo where he worked at the NATO headquarters. Col. Reiser and wife Meghan Goeder, who were married in 1991, have two children, Max, age 17, and Bea, age 15. Air Force duty nearly delayed Col. Reiser’s marriage to Meghan. “We became engaged when I had just joined the military. We were planning to get married in May 1991 and I thought I would probably never be deployed,” he commented. But in January 1991 he was deployed to RAF Bicester Air Force Hospital in England to work at one of two portable hospitals that were set up to treat military personnel wounded in Desert Storm. “We were expecting a huge onslaught as we didn’t know what the patient load would be,” he recalled. “We saw a few patients but we didn’t have the injured that had been anticipated.” Alternative wedding dates were considered but Col. Reiser was able to return the states in time to get married in May. As they have been stationed in various parts of the world, Col. Reiser and his family have formed many lasting friendships. He also has met celebrities. While in Ramstein, Germany, he gave movie star Chuck Norris a tour of the base. He also met First Lady Michelle Obama at a dinner. Col. Reiser has been involved in several humanitarian missions, including ones in Surinam, Bolivia and the Aleutian Islands. While in Bolivia, he learned how well the Air Force takes care of its people. His mother, who passed away in 2007, had been sick and on dialysis for 11 years, so when Col. Reiser came back in April or May of that year to see her before going to Bolivia, he said his goodbyes. When he arrived in Bolivia at the end of May, he received a phone call from his wife that his mother had died. The Air Force was able to fly him out of the jungles of Bolivia to get him to his mother’s funeral in a day and a half. Col. Reiser stated that serving in the Air Force allowed him, as an optometrist, to broaden his scope of responsibility. In Ramstein he was in charge of a large clinic. The areas of family practice medicine, psychiatric care, physical therapy and pediatrics were under his leadership. In 1995 he was named the Armed Forces Junior Optometrist of the Year for the Armed Forces Optometric Society and in 2008 he earned the Optometrist of the Year Award. He also served as president of the Armed Forces Optometric Society, which is the federal services optometric association. The military life has been good for his children, too, Col. Reiser stated, adding that they are typical “military brats.” “They are very resilient as a result of going to four different schools,” he explained. “Because of their travel they have a broader vocabulary and it has taught them to rely on each other more and to learn that family is the constant factor in life.” Read Full Article Blogging, EmployerNews, News 2013-06-14T19:54:35-05:00 http://www.campusgov.com/jobblog/local_marine_says_he_owes_his_military_career_to_geva_theatre/ http://www.campusgov.com/jobblog/local_marine_says_he_owes_his_military_career_to_geva_theatre/#When:11:12:19Z Lance Corporal Johnathon Gonzalez got a standing ovation when he was introduced at the Geva Theatre.  He has been a United States Marine for two years and just returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan where he earned a purple heart.  Gonzalez told the audience at Geva’s Summer Curtain Call that he couldn’t have done it, if it wasn’t for Geva, “Skip I thank you for everything that you’ve done for me, it’s because of you that I’m in this uniform,” said Lance Corporal Gonzalez to Geva’s Director of Education and Artist in Residence, Skip Greer. Gonzales says he was painfully shy as a student at Rush Henrietta.  He joined Geva, at first helping build sets, but later got up the courage to get on stage, “it really gave me the sense of a place to to belong and through that it gave me the confidence to go and do more with my life,” said Lance Corporal Gonzalez, “do something that less than one percent of this country does and that’s join the best fighting force that the U.S. has to offer.” Johnathon’s story serves as a testament to how much of a difference every dollar donated can make in a young person’s life.  “Ticket sales only cover 60% of the cost of producing theatre, let alone the education programs,” said Tom Parrish, Geva Theare’s Executive Director, “so we rely on donations from individuals, corporations, and events like this to pay for those programs.” Read Full Article Blogging, EmployerNews, News 2013-06-10T11:12:19-05:00 http://www.campusgov.com/jobblog/naval_plebes_prep_for_military_careers_in_sunrise/ http://www.campusgov.com/jobblog/naval_plebes_prep_for_military_careers_in_sunrise/#When:11:10:13Z Ever since taking a Tiger Cruise at the age of 15, Nicolas Shyne has wanted to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps and attend the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. “We went on the USS Porter from Norfolk to Fleet Week in Fort Lauderdale,” he said. “That was really interesting just getting to meet the academy graduates, the crew, and doing things around the ship.” Shyne and 15 other teenagers took an extra step toward military careers Friday, when they undertook weapons training at Markham Park gun range in Sunrise with Broward Sheriff’s Sgt. Bill Pennypacker. “We’re giving firearms training to the Navy plebes, as they are called, with the handguns and the rifles before they go into the academy just to get them familiar with how they operate,” Pennypacker said. Shyne, an 18-year-old graduate of Westminster Academy in Fort Lauderdale, admits to being a little apprehensive, but said he feels getting a head start will give him an edge. “You’ve got to have your wits about you [when assembling a rifle],” he said. “There are so many moving parts, but I think it’s better learning how the gun functions so that when we get [to the academy] there’s no unpleasant surprises, or yelling hopefully.” The exercise was part of a picnic organized by the U.S. Naval Academy South Florida Parents Club. “From my perspective as a mom, there’s a little bit of fear and trepidation for what’s ahead,” Annie Shyne said. “There’s a lot of camaraderie with the parents, because their kids are going through the same thing.” Read Full Article Blogging, EmployerNews, News 2013-06-10T11:10:13-05:00 http://www.campusgov.com/jobblog/6_secrets_to_writing_a_great_cover_letter/ http://www.campusgov.com/jobblog/6_secrets_to_writing_a_great_cover_letter/#When:23:19:22Z At best, a cover letter can help a job-seeker stand out from the pack.  At worst, it can make a promising candidate seem like an uncreative cut-and-paster. Sadly, the vast majority of cover letters read essentially the same: Retreads of resumes that ramble on while repeating the obvious. Would you read one of these to the end if it were put in front of you? Probably not, and nor would most hiring managers. Of course, the Internet is full of tips and tutorials on writing a cover letter, but few of them give much useful information other than the obvious (“Use good grammar!”). So I got to thinking about what cover letter tips and techniques have served me over the years. I came up with these six golden rules for writing a cover letter somebody will actually want to read. 1) Don’t repeat your resume A lot of people write cover letters as if they were paragraph-form resumes. Fact is, your letter will be stapled (or attached to the same email) as your actual resume, so you can assume that they’ll at least glance at it (and probably with a keener eye than your cover letter). Instead, use your cover letter to show personality, curiosity, and an interest in the field you are applying to work in. My favorite pro tip: Google around for the history of your field or company, and sprinkle some cool historical facts into your cover letter (or even use one as a lead). If I was applying for a job in tech, I might talk about how thrilling it was to see Moore’s law transform technology before my eyes, and how thrilled I am to be a part of this transformation. If I were applying for a job in fashion, I might talk about how much fashion has changed since the 80s (a lot!). Everything has a hidden history. Use it to show expertise and interest. 2) Keep it short Less. Is. More. Three paragraphs, tops. Half a page, tops. Skip lengthy exposition and jump right into something juicy. 3) Address Nobody Sometimes, you don’t know exactly who you should be addressing your letter to. Nix the generic and bland “Dear Hiring Manager” or “To Whom It May Concern”. If you absolutely don’t know who you should be addressing, then don’t address anybody. Instead, just jump right into the body of the letter. Read Full Article Blogging, EmployerNews, News 2013-06-03T23:19:22-05:00 http://www.campusgov.com/jobblog/5_questions_with_carla_jill_stein_career_navy_civilian_worker/ http://www.campusgov.com/jobblog/5_questions_with_carla_jill_stein_career_navy_civilian_worker/#When:23:15:45Z Carla Jill Stein, a career military civilian employee who is married to a retired Navy captain, is a popular public speaker on such subjects as issues facing armed forces families. 1 What are the challenges of military marriages that some may not understand as they plan for one? There are two primary challenges: separation and deployments, no matter how long or for what purpose, are difficult, but can make a marriage stronger. Couples must plan for them together and talk about it as much as possible. I believe that we should not put ourselves between our spouse and the mission. Instead, we can support our spouse by celebrating successes, encouraging during tough days, developing our own skills, establishing new family traditions and praying. 2 What is the toughest part of being a “war bride” as you were during Operation Desert Storm? John and I were married about ten days before he left for Desert Storm. That’s not how we planned it, but that’s how it worked out. For weeks, I stayed glued to CNN. It was new then. I got caught up in the rumors that ran through the media and the public. But, experienced Navy and Marine Corps spouses and friends helped me sort out what was fact and what was not. They kept me grounded, focused, busy and balanced. 3 How important is a sense of humor to a military couple? Being able to laugh at almost anything is helpful in seeing your way through administrative mazes, especially when things just don’t make sense. But, more important than humor is grace — sharing love and mercy! Giving others, including our spouses, the benefit of the doubt, being patient instead of frustrated, and smiling instead of whining are all good habits to practice. I have benefited from the grace of others so many, many times. 4 Are there ways to prepare for retirement from the military that couples might do better than some you have known? Take the time to hear the advice of the experts. Attend the seminars and workshops and use the ideas that make sense to you. Be ready for more change; retirement brings challenges and opportunities you could never predict. Then, grab each other’s hand, hold on to your faith, and prepare for a wild ride. Read Full Article Blogging, EmployerNews, News 2013-06-03T23:15:45-05:00 http://www.campusgov.com/jobblog/words_to_leave_off_your_resume/ http://www.campusgov.com/jobblog/words_to_leave_off_your_resume/#When:21:17:16Z When it comes to looking for a job, what you don’t say can be just as important as what you do say. Here are nine phrases and words to leave off your resume. Try Try simply shows a lack of belief, passion, commitment and confidence — all the qualities you need to succeed in today’s tight job market, according to Brad Hoover, CEO of Grammarly. While try is the most dangerous word that an employee or job seeker can use in the workplace, there are certainly other danger words that also indicate negativity, uncertainty or controversy at work and can also doom your chances of getting (or keeping) a job. Cliches Don’t use common buzzwords such as innovative, team player and results-oriented. These and others are so overused that they’re now seen as cliches and have lost their impact altogether. Rather, list specific accomplishments. Instead of saying you have extensive experience in sales, note that you’ve worked in sales for 10 years, hit your quota the last 12 quarters and note specific deals you’ve closed. “As a hiring manager I want real details of past jobs, such as how many people you supervised or specific ways you helped increase profitability,” says Darnell Clarke, author of Employmentology: A Practical Systematic Methodology of Finding Employment by a Hiring Manger. References Available Upon Request When it comes to developing a strong resume, there are many words and phrases which shouldn’t be included in this professional document. One of the most outdated happens to be the phrase: “references available by request,” according to Heather Huhman, founder and president of Come Recommended. You’re not doing yourself a favor by wasting precious space on your resume to include a phrase that is clearly understood by hiring managers and recruiters. If a hiring manager is interested in contacting your references, they will request the information from you. Irrelevant and Outdated Experience “Oftentimes I will see candidates that still have their high school work experience on their resume. This is a huge mistake since it looks like the candidate is reaching for items to include on their resume,” says Patrice Rice, CEO and founder of Patrice & Associates. Instead, include any recent projects that challenged you and include a similar skill set for the position for which you are applying. Objective Candidates should never put an objective on their resume, says Stefanie Carrabba, senior consultant at Eliassen Group. Their objective is to get the job. “It has been my experience that hiring managers simply do not care about a job seeker’s objective,” she says. “What they want to see are your skills and experience.” Responsibilities Include In today’s tough job economy job seekers need resumes that are leaner and cleaner than ever before, so they command the attention of busy hiring personnel. This is why the phrase “responsible for’’ should never occur in a resume. This tired and completely impractical expression is going to be translated into completely average at and will most certainly cause hiring managers to toss the resume aside. Wasting prime resume real estate with basic tasks, duties or responsibilities is a sure way to harm a job search since nobody is interested in reading a career obituary of basic requirements, says Adrienne Tom, founder and certified professional resume writer (CPRW) at Career Impressions. Vague Claims “I was going through a large number of resumes last week for a search project that I am working on and about 75% of the candidates had the phrase ‘transformational leader’ on their resumes. No explanations of how they were transformational or what that meant,” says Kimberly Bishop, founder and CEO of Kimberly Bishop Executive Recruiting. “That phrase is overused and doesn’t specifically mean anything that translates to a specific experience. My recommendation is to remove this from your resume and more specifically describe the skill set.” Read Full Article Blogging, EmployerNews, News 2013-05-30T21:17:16-05:00 http://www.campusgov.com/jobblog/desperate_people_dont_get_new_jobs_try_this_approach_instead/ http://www.campusgov.com/jobblog/desperate_people_dont_get_new_jobs_try_this_approach_instead/#When:21:16:42Z Just like in the world of dating, looking desperate is not going to get you anywhere in your job search. When someone sees the glint of desperation in your eye, they question your motives and you lose credibility in an instant. Sure, there is a correlation of number of job applications and number of interviews you land but what if you could get the ratio down to one interview per application? Or even better, how about getting interviews without applying? Spray’n’pray applications The old school way of applying for jobs is not really working in today’s economy. Employers are inundated with resumes from hopeful jobseekers, sometimes receiving hundreds of applicants for one single position. Employers also tend to get a great deal of open applications that are not related to any particular jobs. This indicates that the applicant is on the desperate side and just wants the employer’s brand on their resume. Recruiters constantly have adverts out for various positions in their field. These adverts will render a number of applications on a daily basis, mainly from candidates adhering to the ‘spray and pray’ methodology. Anyone that sends the same resume and cover letter email to 20 positions in one day will have to be classified as desperate and recruiters run to the hills when they see it. Simply applying for any job that is out there and even for jobs that aren’t out there is not going to be the way forward. All it does is putting the desperate stamp on your resume and yourself. Someone told me to… The typical ‘expert’ advice in a tough market would be to call up the recruiter and/or employer and make sure they read your resume and put you at the top of the pile. In this day and age, this won’t make you stand out and if anything you will only come across as desperate and ascertain your resume goes either to the bottom of the pile or in the trash can. A hiring manager wants enthusiasm from a new employee, not desperation. But shouldn’t I try all means to get a new job? Of course you should try everything, but you only get one chance with each company and you want to make it count. Instead of you applying, imagine being headhunted or even contacted direct by a hiring manager. This would put you you in a much stronger bargaining position which you can leverage from, especially if get a job offer. How to avoid looking desperate Have high standards and only agree to look at jobs that you really want. An interviewer can spot an opportunist jobseeker a mile away. By only applying for the right roles for you, you will save time and effort for the ones that really count. Furthermore, recruiters and employers will respect your integrity and remember you for the next opportunity they have that is more relevant to your preferences. Do whatever it takes for the recruiter or employer to contact you instead of vice versa. There are a number of ways you can work on your branding, start getting active online, give talks in your field and raise your profile. Employers and recruiters will be all over you like ducks on a june bug. Read Full Article Blogging, EmployerNews, News 2013-05-30T21:16:42-05:00 http://www.campusgov.com/jobblog/how_to_prepare_for_a_job_interview/ http://www.campusgov.com/jobblog/how_to_prepare_for_a_job_interview/#When:22:47:52Z Do you have a job interview on your schedule? Review tips and advice on how to prepare for an interview so you can ace the interview and make a terrific impression on the interviewer. Here are tips on analyzing the job and making sure the hiring manager knows why you’re a good match, researching the company, practice interviewing, what to wear and what to bring to the interview, how to impress during the interview, and how to follow up. Analyze the Job An important part of interview preparation is to take the time to analyze the job posting, or job description, if you have it. Analyze what the company is seeking in a candidate. Make a list of the skills, knowledge, professional and personal qualities that are required by the employer and are critical for success in the job. Make a Match When you have created a list of the qualifications for the job, make a list of your assets and match them to the job requirements. Create a list of up to 10 assets, including skills, certifications, experiences, professional qualifications and abilities, computer skills, and knowledge bases ready to share with the interviewer. Be sure your assets correlate directly with the skills and abilities required by the company. Review your list, and the job requirements, prior to the interview so you’re ready to share them during the interview. You’ll be ready to answer job specific interview questions designed to determine if you have the knowledge and skills needed to perform the job. Read Full Article Blogging, EmployerNews, News 2013-05-28T22:47:52-05:00 http://www.campusgov.com/jobblog/successful_job_search_networking/ http://www.campusgov.com/jobblog/successful_job_search_networking/#When:22:46:54Z How to Use Job Search Networking to Find a Job Even though job search networking is one of the most successful ways to find a new job, it can sound intimidating and sometimes seems a little bit scary. It doesn’t have to be.  My father ended up in a conversation on an airplane with someone who was looking for an aeronautical engineering job.  My dad happened to be in the same field and ended up assisting the person in getting a new job.  Sometimes, that’s all it takes.  I’ve been offered jobs on more than one occasion simply because a friend or acquaintance knew my background and skills. Informal Job Search Networking Try job search networking, it really does work.  At at least 60% - some report even higher statistics - of all jobs are found by networking.  Develop contacts - friends, family, neighbors, college alumni, people in associations - anyone who might help generate information and job leads.  You can take a direct approach and ask for job leads or try a less formal approach and ask for information and advice.  Contact everyone you know. You may be surprised by the people they know.  Make yourself pick up the phone and call.  It helps to assign yourself a quota of calls to be made each day. The more phone calls you make the easier it will become. Email is a perfectly acceptable way to network as well.  Keep your message brief and to the point and be sure to check your spelling, grammar, and punctuation. If you are attending a holiday gathering or any other type of party, it is appropriate to mention in casual conversation that you are seeking employment.  Accept all the invitations you receive - you never know where or when you might meet someone who can provide job search assistance!  My stepson was not only offered a co-op position by one of my friends that he met at a birthday party at our house, he was also remembered a year later when the company was hiring.  Formal Job Search Networking Formal networking works too - try going to a business social or an association meeting or event.  You’ll find that many of the participants have the same goals you do and will be glad to exchange business cards.  If you’re shy, volunteer to work at the registration table where you can greet people as they come in or bring a friend to walk around the room with you - there’s security in numbers. Read Full Article Blogging, EmployerNews, News 2013-05-28T22:46:54-05:00 http://www.campusgov.com/jobblog/holiday_weekend_networking/ http://www.campusgov.com/jobblog/holiday_weekend_networking/#When:22:45:45Z If you’re getting ready to relax and to enjoy Memorial Day weekend with family and friends, plan ahead and, in addition to getting ready for a holiday weekend party or other social event, consider how you might integrate job search networking into your upcoming events. You never know who you might meet who can help you with your job search. It’s not as hard as you might think - it’s just a matter of mentioning your job search at the appropriate time. Read Full Article Blogging, EmployerNews, News 2013-05-28T22:45:45-05:00