By Spc. Kimberly Chouinard
Supply Technician, D CO 1-147th AVN.
My first few months in Madison were some of the hardest. I was pregnant, working part-time and going to school full-time.
My employer had to make cutbacks and my job was the first one cut. I was in shock and ashamed. My boyfriend understood the situation but asked the hard question, “Now what?!” I replied, “I do not know.”
At drill, my first sergeant mentioned a program called WERC (Wisconsin Employment Resource Connection). He had printed out job postings on their website and told us that they could help with resumes, mock interviews, education assistance, and find employment.
I had applied and uploaded my resume to so many sites; I figured what’s one more? So that day at drill I checked out their website. I pressed “Contact WERC” under an interesting job. The Monday following drill, I received a welcome e-mail from Mark, a WERC employee, asking for a copy of my resume and personal interest form.
I sent Mark my resume and within in a week he sent me a revised resume. My resume was now professional and more organized. WERC taught me to keep my resume concise since employers take between eight-10 seconds to look at resumes.
I have always enjoyed working in the administrative assistant field. Mark helped me to set professional goals and encouraged me to enroll in classes.
Every week he e-mailed jobs and websites announcements that I otherwise would not have found. He helped answer my questions about job announcements and websites.
Within two weeks, Mark found a part-time administrative assistant position. He gave them my resume, and two weeks later I was hired. I was so excited — it was exactly what I wanted.
It takes hard work and determination to find a job, but it is worth it. The WERC program can improve your resume, interview skills and confident.
If you do not try, you will get nowhere. The WERC office partners with employers who hire service members and other organizations that help veterans find jobs like the Detroit Hiring Fair.
I enjoy my new job very much. The WERC program helped me get my life back on track. My advice to job seekers is, “Don’t give up.”
Are you having a challenge landing that interview? Submitting multiple resumes with no employer contact? The WERC team can assist with your custom resumes and interviewing skills. For more information contact Chaplain (Capt.) Joseph Ledger, Mark Sier or Tiffany Addair at 608-301-8248, or visit their website.
