October 2019 |
Transition-e-news Volume 3 Issue 159 |
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Transition Insight
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Military-Friendly Job Fair October 16, 2019 - Virginia BeachYou're invited to meet with dozens of military-friendly companies at the October 16 Military-Friendly Job Fair at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. Interview with Newport News Shipbuilding, Booz Allen Hamilton, Leidos, Edward Jones, ARServices, U.S. Capitol Police, The GBS Group, Foley Cat, Carter Machinery, LMI Government Consulting, Sentara, and many more! Job fair hours are 9 am to 12 noon with two free employment seminars from 8 am to 9 am. To see the list of participating companies registered-to-date, and to ensure you receive the job fair Employer Directory in advance, pre-register at corporategray.com/jobfairs/412. And if you upload your resume, the participating companies will have early access to your credentials. While especially for transitioning service members and veterans, this job fair is free and open to all job seekers. Corporate Gray Military-Friendly Job Fair - November 22, 2019 - Springfield, VAMeet face-to-face with dozens of hiring companies at the November 22 Military-Friendly Job Fair at the Waterford Reception Center in Springfield, Virginia. Interview with Lockheed Martin, Booz Allen, Leidos, Prince William County Police, OBXTek, ARServices, Preferred Systems Solutions, LMI, Cognosante, National Security Agency, Odyssey Systems Consulting, Institute for Defense Analysis, and many more! Job fair hours are 9 am to 12 noon, with an Employer Panel discussion for job seekers starting at 8 am. To ensure you receive the job fair Employer Directory in advance, pre-register at corporategray.com/jobfairs/411. Be sure to upload your resume so that the participating companies will have early access to your credentials. While especially for transitioning service members and veterans, this job fair is free and open to all job seekers. Military-Friendly Job Fair January 23, 2020 - San Diego, CASave the date to meet with dozens of military-friendly companies at the January 23 Military-Friendly Job Fair being held at the Scottish Rite Center in San Diego, California. Interview with many top employers who are seeking to hire military-experienced candidates! Job fair hours are 9 am to 12 noon, with an Employer Panel discussion for job seekers starting at 8 am. Pre-register now via corporategray.com/jobfairs/424. Be sure to upload your resume so that the participating companies will have early access to your credentials. While especially for transitioning service members and veterans, this job fair is free and open to all job seekers.. FREE U.S. Veterans Magazine Subscription for TAOnline Members!U.S. Veterans Magazine (USVM) Is the premiere resource magazine for transitioning service members, service-disabled veterans, veteran business owners and their spouses and families. USVM is the link between the qualified students, career and business candidates from the ranks of our nation's veteran organizations, educational institutions, corporate America, and the federal government. Subscribe for FREE today! |
12 Ways To Update How You NetworkBy Hannah Morgan - Career Sherpa - Reprinted with permission If you've been reluctant to network or you've tried it and it just wasn't for you, don't give up- update how you network. It is still the best career insurance you can have! Maybe you just need a fresh approach to networking. These 12 updates will help. Given our short attention spans, pressing time commitments and data overload, it has become increasingly difficult to make a lasting and meaningful connection with new contacts. In order to address the scarcity of time and distractions, you'll probably want to try some new ideas and update how you network! Ditch The Old PitchIf you struggle with what to say when someone asks you the question "what do you do?" you aren't alone. Answering this question trips up even the most experienced professionals. But there's a new secret formula that is short and snappy and immediately turns your questioning over to the other person. "I help [who benefits from your work] by [problem you solve]. And what do you do?" For example, this is how a human resources professional may answer the dreaded question: "I help managers at XYZ company hire and keep the best talent by getting the real job requirements and teaching them how to interview for those skills. And what do you do?" For more help with a super short, conversational pitch, check out Micro-Pitch. Scan Instead of SwapWhy not immediately swap your contact information at the next big networking event by using LinkedIn's QR code. Just pull up your code from your phone's LinkedIn app and ask the person to scan it using their LinkedIn app. Not only will this save money on business cards, but the novelty of exchanging contact information this way may make great (or memorable) conversation. Using technology is a fun way to update how you network. Make It RealInstead of opening a conversation with a safe and rather boring question like "what do you do," take it to a more personal level and ask, something like:
These less-often used conversation starters build rapport faster, are more comfortable and most importantly- set you apart. Looking for more conversation starters? Check out these Conversation Starters and Openings Brand YourselfEveryone may not be up to speed with the newest phone technology. This is why you should always have a professional business card on hand. Include your name, job title, phone number, email and the URL for your LinkedIn account. You could take this a step further by adding key skills, industry expertise and maybe even a short pitch. Or for more ideas, check out Business Cards- Get 'Em Now And don't stop there. Chances are your personal email account isn't branded. Customize your email signature with your name, phone number, your desired occupation or skills sets, plus links to your LinkedIn profile and other social networking accounts. 7 Tips to Help You Get A Better Email Signature Meet IRLIn-person, or IRL "in real life" networking, solidifies online connections and relationships. Be bold and take the initiative to ask for a face-to-face meeting or phone call with someone you may only know online. Maybe there is someone in an online group or forum whom you have not connected with yet. Pick up the phone and call them or at least set up a phone conversation! Or, if the person is local, invite them for coffee! Play the HostEither real or imaginary, you can take on the role of the host. Every organization needs volunteers. Ask to be part of the events committee and offer to manage sign-ins at the registration table. This is a great way to force yourself to meet people. If you aren't ready to commit to volunteer, consider playing host at the next meeting or event you attend by introducing someone you've recently met with someone you know. Close With A GiveYou may be familiar with "the ask," which is the way some salespeople close their sales meeting. Instead of focusing on your agenda, needs, wants and requests, listen for the opportunity to give. The give could be a recommendation, tangible gift or just sharing relevant information or resources. Be the ConnectorThe reason most people network is to get, but giving is much more satisfying. Another form of giving is introducing people. Offer to introduce your new connection or even old connection to someone you think they should meet in your network. Fast-Track NetworkingA spinoff of speed dating, speed networking events are popping up in cities everywhere. The idea is that you spend a few minutes with one person and when the time is up you rotate on to meet the next person. The purpose of these events is to meet with as many people one-on-one in a short amount of time as possible. Based on the short exchange, you can determine whom you would like to follow-up with, or not. Connect & LinkBy all means, ask if you can connect on LinkedIn with people you meet at networking events or in person. But rather than send a hasty invite right then and there from your smartphone, a better way to make a memorable impression is to write an invitation to connect that mentions something about your recent conversation.LinkedIn's mobile app makes it challenging for you to customize your invitation to connect. Though it is possible. Stay Top Of MindAs the saying goes, out of sight, out of mind. Don't let this happen to you. After every meeting find a unique way to follow-up with the person you met. Of course a timely thank you goes a long way, but what about giving them a shout out on your favorite social network, or a handwritten thank you with a gift card? Here are more ideas on how to follow-up and nurture your network. Networking Isn't Really About YouThe best way to make someone remember you is to make them feel special or important. Think about the people you've met and still remember today. What is it that you remembered about them? How did they do it? They probably put the focus of the conversation on you. Try it! They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel. – Maya Anjelou Try some of these new ideas and update how you network, you may just enjoy it! |
Real people, events inspire military storylines in NBC show 'This Is Us'By Nikki Wentling | Stars and Stripes - Reprinted with Permission - ©2019 All rights reserved WASHINGTON — The fourth season of the Emmy-winning TV show "This Is Us" has introduced a female Marine, who viewers first see in Afghanistan on a video call with her husband. The tearful call abruptly ends when a superior officer yells out her last name — "Sharp!" The character's name, Cassidy Sharp, is an homage to a real-world Marine: Lance Cpl. Charles "Seth" Sharp, who was killed in Afghanistan on July 2, 2009, as his unit pushed into the Taliban-controlled Helmand province. He was 20 and the first Marine killed in the offensive. Ric Sharp, Seth's father, watched the season premiere of the NBC drama last month, along with 7.7 million other viewers. "It gave me cold chills," Sharp said in an interview with Stars and Stripes. "I teared up. I'm tearing up right now." Cassidy Sharp is an amalgam of real people — her name, gender and experiences all inspired by servicemembers, some killed in action like Shannon Kent and others still alive. The direction for another character this season, Vietnam War veteran Nicky Pearson, was also crafted from real-world stories. The focus on real people and true events in the show's military-centric storylines is largely due to James LaPorta, a Marine Corps veteran and Newsweek reporter who was hired by NBC as a technical consultant for "This Is Us." Using the stories of servicemembers and veterans he knew or wrote about, as well as his own experiences, LaPorta helped the writers shape season four. "Hollywood seems to be optimistic in terms of wanting to get it right," LaPorta said. "But it did seem, for a long time, there were only caricatures of veterans. They were either incredibly heroic or incredibly broken. Everything in the first episode and in following episodes, I can tie to either my own experiences, someone else's or a fact or statistic." New episodes air Tuesdays on NBC and Wednesdays on the Armed Forces Network. Telling his story"This Is Us" follows the lives of three siblings — Kevin, Kate and Randall — and their parents, Jack and Rebecca Pearson. It's primarily based in the present, with flashbacks and flash-forwards. LaPorta, 32, was a fan of the show from its launch in 2016. There was a moment in season two that particularly struck him: when the show's protagonist, Vietnam War veteran Jack Pearson, gave some advice to his son, Randall, near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington. "Jack says he came home from war and was off-balance for a long time. He tells Randall, 'You're going to find balance again, lose it and find it again,' " LaPorta said. "And that ... I needed to hear that right at that moment. "I know it's fictional, it's just a story. I get all that. But in that show, everything is taken from a real-life thing." In season three, writers introduced a plot involving the Vietnam War. LaPorta took notice of its historical accuracy and discovered NBC had hired Tim O'Brien as a consultant. O'Brien, a novelist, wrote "The Things They Carried," a collection of stories inspired by his own experiences in the Vietnam War. LaPorta, who reports on national security and the Department of Defense for Newsweek, wrote a story about O'Brien's involvement in the show. Following their interview, "This Is Us" creator Dan Fogelman extended an open invitation for LaPorta to visit the set. Months later, while reporting in California, LaPorta stopped by. At that point, writers were planning for the fourth season. They were pondering another military storyline, acknowledging the popularity of their focus on the Vietnam War. LaPorta, who was an infantryman in Afghanistan, was brought into the writer's room. What was supposed to be a 15-minute conversation about his military service turned into two hours. "There were tissues all over the place; it was really a long therapy session," LaPorta said. "I laid out part of my story, and out of that was born Cassidy." 'Getting it right'Season four of "This Is Us" premiered Sept. 24, and the fourth episode airs this week. What viewers have seen from Cassidy Sharp (played by Jennifer Morrison) and Nicky Pearson (Griffin Dunne) has been rooted in reality. In the first episode, Cassidy, back in the U.S. and struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, experiences a flashback and strikes her young son. LaPorta has a similar story, though he didn't hit anyone. A few years ago, his son, about 3 at the time, was jumping up and down to a song — "Ho Hey" by the Lumineers — and LaPorta was transported back to Afghanistan, where he watched a 5-year-old Afghan boy jump on an IED. In episode three, Nicky's experience at a vet center also contained similarities to LaPorta's history. In the opening montage to the episode, viewers see Nicky form a bond with his counselor and make strides with his sobriety — just to see it fall apart when his counselor is transferred to another facility. LaPorta sought therapy when he returned from a 2009 deployment to Afghanistan. He built a rapport with a counselor at Parris Island in South Carolina and was "devastated" when the doctor accepted a job elsewhere. LaPorta described watching that montage as a "gut punch," like he was watching himself. "I felt like I was being abandoned and starting at square one with my own issues," LaPorta said. "I didn't want to have to tell my story again. I quit therapy for a long time. That's what happens with Nicky — that frustration." The details are real, too. One of the show writers noticed LaPorta nervously tap his chair, and they wrote that in as an aspect of Nicky's character. Cassidy's unit is LaPorta's — Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment. And there are the small things that make the show accurate to real life, such as military-approved hairstyles, a correctly placed insignia, Afghan men with dyed beards and an allusion to Veteran Treatment Court. "Since the first episode, I've been inundated with messages and emails from fellow Marines and Gold Star families," said LaPorta, who lives in Delray Beach, Fla. "Servicemembers and veterans are really appreciative of just getting it right." 'They're not forgotten'Though Cassidy's arc is inspired by LaPorta's story, and her name is Seth Sharp's, writers decided to make the character a female Marine. About the time the season was being written, Shannon Kent was in the news. Navy Chief Petty Officer Shannon Mary Kent, part of a small, secretive cryptologic intelligence community, was killed Jan. 16 by a suicide bomber at a restaurant in the Syrian city of Manbij. The 35-year-old mother of two was the first female U.S. servicemember killed in Syria since the U.S.-led coalition's campaign against Islamic State began there in late 2014. LaPorta wrote about Kent for Newsweek and took notice of the public's surprise at a woman participating in a high-level, classified mission. "It seemed like, to the average American reader, it was sort of shocking. And that stood out to me as a problem," LaPorta said. "That means there's an under-representation of women and women serving in war." Kent was part of the inspiration for Cassidy Sharp, as were two female Marines that LaPorta served alongside. Both served as human intelligence collectors, which was Cassidy Sharp's job. Viewers watch in the first episode as Sharp pushes an Afghan woman for intelligence on a terrorist. During the scene, Sharp calls to another servicemember, "Lasher." That name is an homage too. Lance Cpl. Jeremy Lasher, who served with LaPorta and Seth Sharp, was killed July 23, 2009, in Garmsir, Afghanistan. He was 27. Before the new season aired, LaPorta called the families of people to whom "This Is Us" paid tribute. Seth Sharp's father encouraged everyone he knew to watch. "I wanted everyone that I knew to watch it — family, friends, people in the area," Ric Sharp said. "I was proud and just excited to know that his name is being remembered. I'm a firm believer that when you say their names, they're not forgotten." LaPorta wanted to warn Sharp's family of one moment in the show when Cassidy Sharp returns to the U.S. and exits a cab to be greeted by her friends and family. In the background, a neighbor holds a hand-written sign that reads, "Welcome back Sharp." "It dawned on me that, 'Oh, Sharp never got that,' " LaPorta said. "That's something his family didn't get to experience."
wentling.nikki@stripes.com |
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