Career Resource Fair provides new opportunities to local Veterans
Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital hosted a career resource on April 14 for area Veterans and staff.
The event was held at Hines VA’s main hospital campus. It included resume workshops, interview preparation and a panel discussion. Attendees also learned how to navigate USAJobs.gov, a U.S. government website that lists available federal positions nationwide.
“We want attendees to have the foundation to best showcase themselves for future success in the government,” said Anna Mizzie, a human resource specialist at Hines VA. “We want them to know what is best when applying and during the interview process to have their greatest opportunity for professional development.”
Among the attendees was Shamya Rivers, a 21-year-old Army Veteran, and current College of DuPage student.
“I need a job,” she said. “It’s been a struggle for me ever since I separated from the Army.”
Rivers explained that she attended mandatory career lectures when leaving the military, but they didn’t provide the skills she needed.
“They go over some stuff, but they don’t really go over it in detail, especially for people like me who went in right after high school, who are really young and don’t have any experience,” she said. “I don’t know how to do a proper interview. That’s why I’m at Hines to get the help I need.”
In addition to the career-focused seminars, the fair featured whole health events designed to help attendees manage stress, and promote physical and emotional wellness.”
“Whole health is about work-life balance and work-life integration,” said Dr. Irena Persky, Hines VA Whole Health service chief. “It’s really important to pause and think about what is meaningful to us. What speaks to our strengths professionally and the type of career where we would thrive? Not just survive nine to five, but really thrive.”
James Doelling, the hospital’s Director, praised the event’s success.
“We are committed to serving the entire person at Hines VA Hospital,” Doelling said. “This career resource fair is a great opportunity for us to provide valuable tools for others to grow personally and professionally. We look forward to continuing to support their success.”
According to Mizzi, Hines VA will host a hiring fair on April 22 for police officers from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. A second hiring fair will be held on April 27 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. for housekeeping aides and pharmacy technicians. The hospital hopes to continue hosting career resource events in the future.
Qualifying Veterans can also enroll in the Vocational Rehabilitation Service, a long-term, paid program to help Veterans develop skills and find employment. To learn more, call 708-202-2959.