The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District hosted its first ever career week for current employees, June 7-10, 2021.
“This forum will provide opportunities for the entire workforce to learn more about the district, pick up some tips on career development, and learn skills to help you make the most out of your career here in the Louisville District,” said Louisville District Commander Col. Eric Crispino. “The comprehensive agenda was developed to include division and office overviews from district senior leaders, sessions to provide valuable career tips, input on resume and interview skills, a CPAC (Civilian Personnel Advisory Center) question and answer panel, and a variety of other sessions on diverse topics relevant to the workforce.”
The virtual event was organized and led by Brandon Brummett, Louisville District outreach coordinator.
“This is a great opportunity to find out what specific offices do, what disciplines they hire, any training or requirements that may be needed for those positions, as well as current and upcoming vacancies,” Brummett said. “It’s a great opportunity to see everything the Louisville District does, and if you are thinking about making a career switch, this will give you some options to look at.”
The idea of hosting a career week came out of a strategic planning session last year after feedback from the Federal Employee Viewpoint survey and Command Climate surveys the district could better provide information on career opportunities to the workforce.
“This is an amazing place for opportunities, and there is so much in the Louisville District to do,” Crispino said during his opening remarks of the event. “This will help broaden your horizon and show you the full array of career opportunities.”
Several sessions had more than 100 employees online participating in the discussions and asking questions. One of the most well-attended sessions was the senior leader panel, where district leaders provided resume and interview tips.
“You interview every day for your next job,” said John Bock, Engineering Division chief.
Deputy District Engineer Linda Murphy also provided insight into what she takes into consideration when hiring new employees.
“The three things I take into consideration is the resume, interview and first-hand knowledge of that employee’s work,” Murphy said.
The Great Lakes and Ohio River Division directors Mr. Stephen Durrett, Programs Director, and Mr. Joseph Savage, Business Director, also joined the event and shared their personal career tips.
“You really need to have mentors,” Durrett said. “It doesn’t have to be formal and you can have more than one as I had several during my career.”
Savage reinforced the sentiment.
“Mentorship is absolutely critical,” Savage said. “You should take advantage of many of them throughout your career and listen to what they have to say. Seek out the wisdom that those folks have.”
Durrett also emphasized the importance of having actual face-time and gaining experience from those type of interactions. According to Durrett, although the region is being more flexible with telework after the last 15 months of this new virtual environment there are advantages of being in-person in the workplace.
“I will tell you that face-time is extremely important in your career. It is important in learning how to interact with people,” Durrett said. “You need to get that visibility out there.”
Other sessions included office briefings, a CPAC question and answer panel, diversity initiatives and an interpersonal skills/emotional intelligence discussion.