Yesterday, I attended the employment fair that was held at our base community center. I had already seen the list of employers that would be there, so I had an idea of who I wanted to talk to.
The day of, I went to the mall to buy a nice work top. I had more than work tops from when I used to volunteer at the clinic. However, I now have a half-sleeve tattoo. I didn’t want to give a bad first impression, so I got a long sleeve top. Thank goodness my old dress pants still fit
My printer broke so I was scrambling around trying to print out copies of my resume. For some reason, things was not going my way: the library’s printing services were down, husband couldn’t access his email at work because the network was down, and the librarian on base left for the day. I was beginning to just give up and not go.
Husband suggested I still go without my resumes. At the last minute, I asked a friend if she could print it out for me. Thank goodness I caught her before she left her house and she printed out more than enough copies.
My husband, thankfully, got off early and watched my little one. When I walked in, I walked straight to the first hospital. We chatted, and one of them even gave me tips for when I apply for a position there.
I visited another employer that involved caring for disabled patients. I was not interested much for this job, but the man was nice and easy to talk to. He also gave me the link to find other healthcare administration jobs in Abilene. I appreciated his extra help.
The next employer I went to was another hospital that is actually very close to my house. This is where I received the most helpful information and is the reason why I left extremely happy. They asked for my resume. I was so happy that I had copies. They said my volunteer work, plus the fact that I’m currently pursuing my masters degree makes me qualified for a number of positions. They gave me their email, told me which position to apply for and to email them if I don’t hear anything. I’m eternally grateful to have met these two women.
***Here is the point that I been trying to make this whole time: A lot of employers will not look past your resume and just see you. You see, I applied for a position at that second hospital before online and never heard from anyone. I was discouraged. My goal for the job fair was to have recruiters MEET ME before even looking at my resume.
I left there with a huge smile on my face. I was so glad I chose to go instead of giving up because of my obstacles in the way.
I will continue to document my struggles and journey to finding a job. This job fair was a step in the right direction.
Kiana From Hawaii 