European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 29, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Its not easy to brighten up while getting out Bonnie Bartel latino d raw Down is a four letter word but it is also reality. Recently i met Tom who is exiting the military after Only a few years. He enrolled in a tap transition. Assist. Ance program after attending this years annual department of defense Job fair sponsored in conjunction with tap and Acap army Community alumni program at Vogel Weh Germany. Toms problem was he did no to have a clue How to handle himself during a Job interview. The first questions asked of him were 1 a so what can i do for you today and 2 a what do you know about our company a. A Tom was so unprepared All he could do was sit with this bewildered stare much like Gomer Pyle reacting to an entree of Goose gut Pfitz in a haughty three Star French restaurant. A Well Gou Reeece a Tom was Wise to realize there is much to be Learned from transition seminars sponsored free of charge by m in i tary support centers. These workshops teach Many of the Job search skills that civilians in the states pay Mega Bucks to attend. Byron a colonel who is retiring with 28 years service and who is considered confident and polished by All who know him attended the same Job fair As Tom. This sophisticated Man told me it was. Like being was Back at kindergarten. A i did no to want to get off the bus did no to want to join the Long line of others wearing the cookie Cutter Blue or Gray suit essential red tie and carrying the obligatory briefcase like a toy lunch even though he was a recent tap graduate he Felt As if he was a a a charlatans because inside he is still a Blue Suiter who a knows nothing about being a still he was glad he attended because it was an ice breaking first step. At least Tom and Byron looked Good. There Are applicants at Job fairs who have spent maybe $350 for an interview suit and keep on their fam shoes. And a woman once jogged to a fair and had tire sweat to prove it wearing Neon Spande and had a Walkman attached to her head. A an assistant tap manager told of seeing Geh to Lumen at previous Job fairs who had obviously purchased their suits at tapes. Quot the Alexander Label was still sewn on the jacket sleeve a no a dressing for Success in the civilian world Isnit exactly like picking out a Black or Olive drab to shirt with ones Battle dress uniform if there is a single frustration expressed about eur. Rope an Job fairs it comes from officers and senior noncommissioned officers who believe the bulk of jobs offered Are for a wrench Turners Button pushers and truck precisely. In the civilian world mid and upper level Quot managers Are almost invariably promoted from within corporations. Even jobs listed in the retired officer Magazine show primary interest in technicians with hands on experience. Executive billets not filled in House afe Mosti icly going to be secured through utilizing a head Hunter professional placement service or aggressive networking Job fairs can serve As a reality Check that stateside Job availability is probably going to reflect a similar disproportionate number of jobs available to technicians is. Those for High level managers. This is not to say exiting officers and senior cos must lower their goals. They just have to accept that their employment search will take a while. Recently i attended portions of a the acc Day transition seminar at set Tibah a Germany which is Boot deep in drawing Down. I admit i first West to the classes with outdated smug misconceptions about transition assistance classes. Before i attended my attitude was Quot what can they teach me i have panty Hose older than most of the people attending those i discovered that military Job assistance programs encompass far More than the cosmetic Maggie Blackford Sembach a particularly professional tap manager allowed Mei to review curriculum critiques from students in two past sessions. The Only consistent negative criticism was a gee i wish i had known about this course that a understandable. We Are constantly bombarded with vast amounts of information from daily bulletins base newspapers commanders Calls Etc. Not to mention the notoriously inane arts Bab ble speak Quot your Epiglottis Wear it in Good health a unfortunately for transition managers As Well As their prospective clients it is human nature to tune out All information not immediately useful to us personally. Its time to tune anyone exiting the military who is not taking advantage of the excellent transition curriculum is doing a disservice to himself. Bonnie Bartel cat no i a family member living near Kaiserslautern a Germany. A .�1 a. A a. A amps Dave Melancon Suzanne Casares interviews a possible employee for her Texas based company at Kitzing Cne a fair. A by Cindy k1lli0n Washington Bureau i Here san Casy to read Book on Sale for people leaving military service. Called draw Down survival guide naval Institute pres the Book takes a no nonsense approach to getting out. All aspects of a typical transition Are covered the emotional and physical stressor to watch for defining jobs skills writing a re sum As Well As up to Date veterans and draw Down benefits author . Budahn presents facts and advice on How to leave the military painlessly How to find a new Job and How to use veterans benefits. Budahn writes the weekly careens column in the army air Force and Navy times. He also writes for the National business employment weekly on such topics As Job searches re sum writing and other military transition topics. A the nature of my columns requires me to talk to a lot of transition Counselor All Over the country Quot. He said. Quot from those conversations its apparent that most military personnel done to know the fundamentals of a Job search.�?�. All the transition benefits that have become a part of the exit picture have created a a lot of uncertainty and confusion a he said. A this Book clarifies the finer Legal Points of the draw Down Budahn says his Book fills a void since it answers the most common questions in simple terms instead of military jargon. Quot this Book is written in English with an understanding of what troops Are looking for a he said. A unfortunately most government publications Are very dense. They re usually written by lawyers or personnel specialists which Means one has to be a Legal or personnel person to understand in one Section Budahn compares the various exit bonuses. He shows How either the Lump sum or yearly payments would be the better Choice depending on the situation. In another he shows How to translate military acquired Job skills into the civilian workforce Budahn writes about the tax advantages of military pay a How a Dollar in military pay goes farther than a Dollar of civilian pay since military allowances like food clothing and housing Arentt taxable. He explains transition benefits and who can get which ones. He lists addresses and phone numbers of All state veterans affairs offices and most National veterans organizations. Perhaps the most helpful is what he Calls Quot your discharge Day a Day it starts 180 Days before the uniform comes off. That helps keep track of Little decisions that have to be made and paperwork that needs to be processed. Budahn writes Quot action without planning can waste precious weeks with aimless Effort. Planning without action will leave a Veteran with pages filled with wonderful schemes but no draw Down survival guide a publishing House is Psul of the . Naval Institute a private organization of sea service personnel. To order the Book Cah 800 233-8764 or write . Naval Institute customer service operations Center 2062 generals Highway Anna pairs my. 21401-6780. May 29, 1994 sunday Page 7
