Base offers job fair to ease civilian transition
By Joey Pitchford
Published in News on October 5, 2016 10:03 AM
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News-Argus/SETH COMBS
Goldsboro City HR Tech Carley Davis speaks with a potential applicant at the job fair in Heritage Hall of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base on Tuesday morning.
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base sought to alleviate the stress of transitioning from military service to civilian life as well as provide opportunities for military spouses through a job fair Tuesday morning.
An estimated 57 companies, both local and national, set up inside Heritage Hall on base to present airmen and their spouses with opportunities outside of the military.
Representatives from the City of Goldsboro, Goldsboro Police Department, Cherry Hospital and other local businesses set up shop next to such institutions as the FBI, East Carolina University and Waffle House.
Lee Wright, a community readiness consultant who organized the job fair, said that the event was a good way to help people enter the workforce after spending time in the military.
"It helps transitioning members, veterans and spouses find employment," she said. "We have administrative jobs, high-tech jobs, a lot of different options here."
Job fairs are as helpful for the employers as they are for potential employees. The Goldsboro Police Department frequently attends them, and had a booth set up on base.
Housing officer Michael Rivers said that veterans naturally have skills which make them good police officers.
"I think, in my opinion, military people are suited for police work," he said. "They have skills that go hand-in-hand."
Gang officer Walt Howard agreed, and said that the department wanted to extend its recruiting.
"We're doing job fairs all over, trying to reach as wide a group of people as possible. We're just trying to recruit motivated people who are interested in protecting the people of Wayne County."
Senior Master Sgt. Mike Infante has spent 35 years in military service, including 12 years active duty. While he isn't interested in moving away from Goldsboro, he said it was just about time for him to move on from the Air Force and find his way in civilian life.
Infante said that he wanted to find a job that would prioritize the unique skills he gained from his time in the service.
"I'm interested in something that takes into account my years of management and supervisory experience," he said. "I want to show companies that, yeah, you can go to college and get whatever degree you want, but there are some things you can't know until you're out there doing it. I'm not someone you'll need to train up."
Infante said he was interested in AAR Corps, an aerospace/aviation support company which builds shelters for the military and has a base of operations in Goldsboro. The company had representatives at the job fair, and they said that transitioning military members made for great additions to their work force.
"[Veterans] absolutely are great for us," said AAR Human Resources specialist Linda Armstrong, "Because we do work with the military, and because we're located right here, they come in knowing exactly what we need. They have the skills we need."