13 minute read
VANC Supporting the Community
www.vanc.me “The men and women who serve our Nation deserve our support — Today, Tomorrow, Always —”
VANC Supporting the Community
VANC
Welcome to June. If you look back on the last few months, it sure has been a roller coaster ride. We had the fear associated with this novel coronavirus, followed by the lockdown to flatten the curve, and then the realization that the models do not do an adequate job of preparing for the outcome.
We are saddened by the loss of life. We are frustrated with the clear separation in our society that roughly half of us want to restart our economy and get back to living our lives and half who feel that the danger is not yet over and that we jeopardize their lives. And, while I hope we can all begin to heal as a country, I am also amazed at how life takes away one option and provides several others.
We were disappointed to watch as the plans we made came apart. The Car show cancelled along with training classes, yoga classes, transition programs and hunter safety classes all stopped and have yet to re-start.
But we also found ourselves in a position to help our soldiers and sailors, our airmen and marines in an entirely different way. In partnership with The San Diego Food Bank, The Veterans Association of North County (VANC) and it’s member organization American Legion 760 along with Team Rubicon have found a new way to reach out to our active duty and veteran communities.
Our first food distribution took place on April 10. It was raining so badly that a section of Highway 78 was closed due to flooding. On that day we served over 1000 active duty, veterans and their families in a no touch drive through food distribution. We had great participation from volunteers in rain gear and face masks setting up and distributing food.
Our next event on May 8 was a beautiful sunny day and we were able to serve over 1800 service connected families. We are so pleased to be able to help in a small way to support our mission of being a one stop shop for military and community support. This latest project was never planned to allow us to continue our mission during covid and yet it does.
We have a food distribution planned for every month in 2020. We hope to continue to provide food and friendship to our local military community as long as there is a need.
I hope that all of this will end soon and we can get back to doing what we do in our building with events, activities and classes for our community. But it has been a blessing to us to find purpose in the stay at home world of Covid 19. We appreciate all of the support we have received from our community, our Association Members and partners like the San Diego Food bank. They helped us find purpose and meaning in an otherwise bleak situation.
by Eva M. Stimson
With the support from the Petco Foundation’s Helping Heroes grant, Shelter to Soldier adopted a gorgeous (from the inside-out!) shepherd mix named “Scout” from Labs and More (Labradors, Retrievers and More) Rescue out of San Diego, CA. According to Shelter to Soldier President Graham Bloem, “So far, he’s an all-star in training and has thrived immensely in working with our team. It‘s obvious to our staff that he was destined for a great purpose as he has a special way about him.
Our training regimen has refined wonderful traits of companionship and a renewed confidence in Scout. He’s put himself on the fast track in our program, excelling in his training every day. He’s on target to begin the process of meeting veterans to start handler training, most likely in the summer of 2020.”
From October 5 to October 27, 2019, the Petco Foundation raised funds to support thousands of therapy, service and working animals that have a significant impact on people across the nation. The Petco Foundation places a special emphasis on programs that obtain dogs from shelters to transform them into “Helping Heroes”.
Donations throughout October of last year were collected at Petco stores and online. Shelter to Soldier was selected as a recipient of the campaign, with an added charitable component.
According to Kyrié Bloem, Shelter to Soldier CoFounder and Vice-President, “To maximize their impact this year, the Petco Foundation generously pledged to match up to $20,000 in donations given to Shelter to Soldier through the month of October, 2019, to support our comprehensive work to facilitate dog rescues for our service dog program, and to support our veterans suffering from invisible wounds, such as Post Traumatic Stress (PTS), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and more. It is estimated that 16 veterans lose their lives to suicide every day in the United States, and in 2018 alone, 6317 veterans took their lives.
Shelter to Soldier is committed to making an impact on these devastating statistics by providing hope through the companionship of a psychiatric service dog who provides non-judgmental, 24/7 support and motivation to veterans otherwise debilitated by mental illness.
Hunter
Scout
These veterans sacrificed everything to protect our freedom, and Shelter to Soldier is dedicated to giving back to them, by fulfilling their mission of “Saving Lives, Two at a Time”TM.
Since 2012, the Petco Foundation has invested more than $14 million to support the life-changing work of all helping heroes. These Helping Heroes not only safeguard the military and support wounded U.S. veterans, but they also rescue people during disasters, help provide independence, comfort the sick and even benefit children learning to read.
To contribute to Shelter to Soldier’s mission, visit www.sheltertosoldier.org to make a tax-deductible donation.
Shelter to Soldier is a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that adopts dogs from local shelters and trains them to become psychiatric service dogs for post-9/11 combat veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress (PTS), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and/or other psychological injuries.
Shelter to Soldier Co Founder, Graham Bloem is the recipient of the American Red Cross Real Heroes Award, 10News Leadership Award, CBS8 News Change It Up Award, Honeywell Life Safety Award, and the 2016 Waggy Award. Additionally, Shelter to Soldier is a gold participant of GuideStar and accredited by the Patriot’s Initiative.
To learn more about veteran-support services provided by STS, call 760-870-5338 for a confidential interview regarding eligibility.
The Petco Foundation invites the public to join them to celebrate and support the transformative impact that therapy, service, and working animals have on individuals and communities around the world. With a goal to raise more than $2.5 million in Petco stores and online, the Helping Heroes campaign supports the incredible work of organizations that help animals who save and improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of people each and every day.
These helping heroes safeguard our military, rescue people impacted by disasters, give independence, comfort the sick, and help children learn to read. The transition from military service to civilian life can be a difficult one, especially when it comes to your career.
That’s why a growing number of veterans choose to forge their own path and become entrepreneurs after leaving the Armed Forces.
While starting a business comes with numerous challenges, former service members do have one distinct advantage: the veteran community.
“The strength and power of veteran entrepreneurs comes from other veteran entrepreneurs”
Unlike most highly competitive entrepreneurial environments, veteran entrepreneurs share information much more easily.
If you or someone you know is a veteran looking to start a business, please feel free to contact Vicki Garcia.
Vicki is the Co-Founder of Operation Vetrepreneur & President of Marketing Impressions, a 33+ -year- old marketing consulting firm. If you want support for starting up a business, email her at vicki@veteransinbiz.com.
For advice, tips and programs you can read Vicki’s monthly column at Homeland Magazine or visit www.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine and click on the banner:
WHAT’S NEXT
Transition to Civilian Life By Eve Nasby
How to Ace the Interview
Palms sweating you rise to shake the hand of the one who has just interviewed you. As you leave the interview your mind races as it recalls the questions and your answers. Your thoughts turn against you as you wonder, “Did I ramble?” “Did I even answer the question?” Sadly, your fears are confirmed when the “Thanks but no thanks” letter arrives from the company.
What if someone had slipped you the questions and the answers a week before the interview? Would you memorize and rehearse your answers? You bet you would, and land the job!
This month we have the answers you’ve been looking for to the questions you most likely will be asked in your next interview. By the way, we will tell you at the end of the article where you can find 92 additional answers to the questions you may be asked.
Paul Falcone (www.PaulFalconeHR.com) is a nationally recognized Human Resources expert and prolific Author and has spent decades interviewing thousands of people. One of his best-selling books highlights ideal questions for interviewers to ask you. He also highlights theright answers to expect in a good candidate. Interested?
What if you knew not only what questions were going to be asked in your next interview, but you also knew the right answers? Is it like cheating? Well, we think of it as being resourceful.
There are numerous books on job-finding and interviewing available, but Paul Falcone’s 96Great Interview Questions to Ask Before You Hire (HarperCollins Leadership and AMACOM Books, 3rd edition, 2018) has been a go-to resource for corporate recruiters, headhunters, and operational leaders for over twenty years.
What is the trick to the book’s success? Make candidates feel comfortable making themselves vulnerable, transparent, and open to the employer’s career guidance. After all, interviewing works two ways—the match between individual personality and corporate culture is critical for long-term hiring success.
The same goes for candidates, especially those transitioning from the military to the private sector: be honest and true to yourself because people tend to hire in their own image. In short, if they like you and can relate to you, you’ll gain a big leg up in the hiring process.
It all typically begins with a telephone screen. The most important question to be prepared for is, “What
are you looking for at this point in your career as you transition into the private sector, and
what’s important to you?” The question is so broad that it can be difficult to master on the spot, but it’s important that you practice this one in the mirror. For example, you might want to respond as follows:
Dave Grundies “At this point, I’m doing my best to learn about what’s available, what advantages I might have in certain fields or roles, and how I can make the biggest impact. I know that the three ‘biggies’ are role, company, and industry, but I’ve come to realize that industry is in many ways the most critical because the strongest industries will create the most opportunity. I researched the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook (www.bls.gov/ooh) to identify the dominant and fastest growing positions by industry between 2018 and 2028, and it really opened my eyes as to the growth prospects out there.
That’s what got me excited about this opportunity— healthcare and biotech (in this example) seem to have the strongest need for someone with my cybersecurity background, which is why getting into this field is my primary focus.”
Wow—Your 30-second answer just told the employer a lot about you: your key goal, your method of researching a solution, and your level of ambition. Not bad for an initial opener!
Assuming you get invited to an in-person or Zoom interview, let’s move on to another challenging question that may likely come your way: “What makes you stand out as a rarity among your peers?” Many job applicants shy away from this one by sitting back in their seats, collapsing their shoulders, and looking down. My best recommendation: smile, sit up at the front of your
chair, and acknowledge the interviewer, possibly with a bit of humor:
Well, that’s hard to answer because there’s just so much to choose from! It’s actually a really good question, and I would humbly offer that I was always extremely focused on my career while in the military. I think my superiors would say I was an excellent and selfless team player, and I consistently put the good of the unit above everything else. I’d like to think that these very same traits will serve me well as I transition into my first full-time job in the private sector.
Again, an excellent answer that lends itself well to encouraging the interviewer to ask you some type of “behavioral interview” follow-up question that might sound something like this: “That’s a great answer, Paul. Can you give me an example of a time when you demonstrated that kind of selfless leadership in putting the team’s needs above your own? Also, what is it about you that makes you value teamwork and selflessness so much?”
You can likewise expect a follow-up question that sounds something like this: “Paul, I don’t like asking candidates what their greatest weaknesses are, but it’s an important issue in terms of self-awareness. I’ll ask it this way: What would your most respected superior/
critic say that you need to work on, especially when transitioning into the private sector for your first full-time role?” A wise answer might sound like this:
“My favorite boss is someone who I admire immensely, and I have an annual review from him that I’d be happy to share with you when the timing’s right. I think he’d say that I’m focused, driven, and committed to what I do. But he’ll also say that I’m probably a bit too serious at times and maybe that I need to lighten up a bit. It’s not that I don’t have a good sense of humor or enjoy a good solid laugh with everyone else. . . It’s just that I sometimes worry about things that are a bit too far down the road.
I’m always thinking about things in three- to fiveyear increments, and he’d say that I need to enjoy the moment a bit more and not be too concerned about things too far down the road. I’ve always thought it a strength, but he taught me that a strength taken too far to the extreme can actually become a weakness. But he was a great mentor and coach, and I hope we’ll always stay connected.”
This is a wise answer because it’s real, sincere, and humble. Whatever your response to a question like this, make it your own. No employer is looking to hire a perfect candidate—there’s no such thing. And there’s no such thing as a perfect job, either. But in this example, for instance, you spoke about a three- to five-year plan, which helps the interviewer understand the timeframe you’ll likely be committed to in terms or remaining with the company.
Okay, here’s a bonus question: “What do you know
about our organization, and why do you feel
you might want to work here?” Make sure you’ve researched the organization’s web page, LinkedIn page, Glassdoor, and Google to ensure you can answer the basics, which include:
- Date established / founded - Revenue (in millions or billions) - # of Employees (local vs. international) - Primary Product Line - Key Competitors - Publicly traded vs. privately held
With those basics in hand, you’ll be all set-in terms of asking smart questions when invited to do so toward the end of the interview. Well prepared is well armed. Now just have fun, smile a lot, and be yourself. Putting your best foot forward during the interview may be easier than you think!
Would you like to see more common interview questions and ideas for crafting your own great answers? You can find a copy of Paul’s book here:
https://amzn.to/3fI8pnL
Happy reading and as always, if you need help with your career transition, connect with Eve on LinkedIn.
