‘Eyes on Jobs’ opens doors; your job to close the deal

  • Published
  • By Chris Calkins
  • 45th SW Public Affairs
It's no secret the job market is pretty tight - and getting tighter - on both the national and local level. But if you are really serious about finding anything from an entry-level to a lucrative place of employment, there is help at the Airman & Family Readiness Center, in the "Eyes on Jobs" program, managed by Mo Cronin, an Employment Readiness Consultant at the center.

Currently, there are 769 local people enrolled in the center's data base, and there are more than 240 employers posting jobs, both at the local and national level, according to Mr. Cronin.

"One of the most important - and most difficult - things we want to make people understand is they need to have realistic expectations when they are looking for jobs in today's employment market," said Mr. Cronin.

"It's no secret jobs are hard to come by, especially here in this market, and it seems to me that people are more concerned with landing a position, than finding a job. What they sometimes don't seem to grasp is that a job often turns into the position they have been looking for all along," he said.

Signing yourself up for the program is as easy as stopping by the center and filling out a one-page application.

"All we really need is a good e-mail and mailing address and you'll be entered into our data base that same day," Mr. Cronin said.

He also made it clear, that with 670-plus names in the program, he does not have the time to "identify specific jobs for specific resumes."

"Whenever we get a job listing from any of our 240-plus employers, I instantly send it out to everyone in our job hunting data base," he said. "And if that particular job is not well suited to your job skills, well ... the delete button seems to work pretty well," he said with a smile.

Mr. Cronin emphasized one of the reasons service members - and members of their families - are attractive to employers is because of the selfless service they have already shown, the dedication and discipline they demonstrated on a daily basis, the diverse work force they have worked in, and the qualifications they have acquired, whether they served for 30 years or 24 months.

"Employers 'get it' when they see someone from the military or a family member applying for jobs within their respective organizations," he said.

"In many cases, they already know they can hire someone they can trust to do the job ... and to do it well."

But he also warned that being "aware" of a position and "landing" it rest solely on the job seeker.

"The program we offer provides great fodder for your job search, but that's really all it boils down to," he said.

"It's still the job seeker's responsibility to be proactive when they get a 'hit" from our e-mails to them. They are the ones who have to apply in a timely manner; fill out all the forms and stay in touch with the employer they are working with. It's a most competitive world; they need to do the home work so they know they are well-prepared in every phase of their job search.

"It's our job to try to give them some really positive leads; it's their job to close the deal," he said.

You can call the Airman & Family Readiness Center at 494-5675.