The Next Step: Find the Right Veteran Job
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Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.U.S. Air Force Recruiting Assistant: As a first-year, 100 Cadet, I was appointed to the position of UCLA Recruiting Assistant, which means I go to all recruiting conventions and different events we may have in public. So, a couple of us go to these events in uniform and represent our detachment. As a first-year, I was contracted, which means I received a scholarship and I received enlisted pay, in order to train to become an officer. So, after I graduate in four years, I will commission as a Second Lieutenant. My job entails me to talk about the basics of what ROTC is at a college. It provides the training to become an officer while you’re also having a normal college experience at the same time. And, I’m in charge of helping my commander recruit incoming freshmen and younger.
As a major branch of the United States Armed Forces, the Air Force takes the interviewing and hiring of new employees very seriously. On average, the Air Force hiring process takes about 70 days to fill civilian job openings. The Air Force also hires for military jobs, primarily through recruiters, internal promotion, and the Air Force Academy. Whether applying for Air Force jobs as a civilian or a current member of the military, applicants need to successfully navigate a series of interviews or other forms of assessment. The exact nature of the Air Force interview process typically depends on the status of the job seeker.
Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?U.S. Air Force Recruiting Assistant: It’s a lot of moving around. While your job is secure, you don’t really have to worry about being fired the next day, if you’re doing your job correctly. There is a lot of moving around – you don’t know where you’re going to be next, necessarily. You have to be willing to adapt to different environments, and again, depending on what job you’re in, in the military, in the Air Force, it could be dangerous, depending on the political or social situations you’re in different parts of the world. You have to be willing to adapt and trust that the chain of command and everything you’ve been trained with is going to protect you and allow you to do your job effectively.
Interviewer: What qualities do you look for in an applicant?U.S. Air Force Recruiting Assistant: Hunger is a great thing to look for. There are many young adults that are looking for a way to serve their country, and many of which have talents like I did coming into college, that want to use them for something greater than the private sector. They can use their talents in a way that protect the people they care about and defend the freedoms of this country. Our job is to say there is a way to do that as well as go to a university at the same time. If you’re unable to pay for it, and you’re good enough to earn that position, that job, Air Force ROTC will give you a scholarship to come to university and work in Air Force ROTC towards commissioning as an officer after four years.
In contrast to the evaluation of civilian job seekers, Air Force interviews for military jobs serve mostly as a cursory step in the hiring process, as most applicants become qualified and eligible to work automatically. The interview process for military job seekers thus consists primarily of completing the necessary paperwork, taking tests on information specific to the position, undergoing a battery of physical examinations, and passing a range of drug screenings. Many candidates initiate and complete the Air Force hiring process with the assistance of a recruiter or another valuable inside source, thereby diminishing the need for lengthy interviews.