June 2018 |
Transition-e-news Volume 4 Issue 143 |
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Soft Skills: What are they and Why do you need them?
by Barbara Adams, CPRW, CEIP, MFRW, MMRW, MFCA-T You've surely heard the term before and you probably have some idea of what "soft skills" are. Over the past few years, people-oriented soft skills have been a hot topic in the HR community. To be more precise, HR folks talk a lot about the difficulty of finding candidates that possess soft skills along with the requisite "hard" technical knowledge that they need to succeed. Let's give the phrase a solid definition. Soft skills fall into six specific categories: 1. Communications - active listening skills, and the ability to speak and to write with an emphasis on conveying ideas and opinions in a clear, professional, and polite manner. 2. Decision-making and problem-solving - the ability to analyze and make a determination. This category also includes creativity, abstract thinking, and the ability to learn from experience (and from mistakes). 3. Self-management - the initiative required for effective work. Self-management skills include efficiency, a sense of urgency, the ability to adapt, working well under pressure and deadlines, and the ethical standards that govern personal behavior and interactions with others. 4. Teamwork - the ability to work and play well with others. Teamwork strengths include responsibility, accountability, and the ability to share ideas in a way that is positive and encouraging. 5. Professionalism - the characteristics that govern the quality of relationships with customers, peers, and managers. Attributes of professionalism also include the ability to accept direction and the sensitivity demonstrated in difficult business or personal situations. 6. Leadership - capability to see the big picture and to manage change. Leadership traits include the willingness both to lead and to follow and the ability to motivate others. When building your resume the aforementioned soft skills are completely acceptable and I strongly advise your incorporate them throughout your resume to strengthen your value to a potential employer. Barbara Adams, President and CEO of CareerPro Global (CPG), the parent company of www.careerproplus.com and www.militaryresumewriters.com, has been a member of the careers community for the past 20 years. Ms. Adams holds four prestigious industry certifications. CareerPro Global is the only ISO 9001-2008 Certified Career Service in the industry, as well as one of the fastest-growing Military, Federal, and Civilian Resume-Writing and Careers-Coaching companies. The team of Certified Professional Federal and Military Resume Writers at CPG assist thousands of clients in applying for and gaining employment each year. We can help you land your military to civilian job. |
VA hospitals across the country have more than 3,000 unwanted jobsBy NIKKI WENTLING - © STARS AND STRIPES, reprinted with permission All rights reserved WASHINGTON — Thousands of jobs at Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals across the country remain vacant because VA leaders contend they can’t find qualified candidates who want them, an agency report released Thursday revealed. Directors for 140 VA hospitals reported a total of 3,068 staff vacancies that they are struggling to fill because of a severe shortage of candidates, according to an annual VA Office of Inspector General report on staffing problems. For the first time, the report included a breakdown of shortages for each hospital. However, the numbers don’t include all vacancies, but rather the ones the hospitals can’t fill. A lack of qualified candidates is not the only reason that VA directors can’t fill some of their open positions. Most of the hospitals also reported they are unable to offer competitive salaries. Undesirable hours and inflexible schedules were listed as other challenges. High turnover was a problem for about half of the hospitals. “[One] facility stated that when a position had high turnover, it resulted in significant overtime, which resulted in even more turnover,” the report reads. The Atlanta VA Health Care System in Decatur, Ga., reported the most shortages – 89, of which 76 are medical providers. The hospital with the fewest shortages was the West Haven, Conn., campus of the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, which reported only one job opening for a dermatologist. Mental health providers topped the list for the most-needed occupation. Of the 140 hospitals, 98 reported a shortage of psychiatrists and 58 hospitals needed more psychologists. Other in-demand jobs included primary care doctors, human resources staff and police. Congress passed legislation in August last year requiring the IG to report the shortages for each hospital. Each facility director provided the number of shortages as of the beginning of 2018. “There’s no question VA needs to look at its hiring and retention programs nationwide, which is exactly why the committee required this OIG report,” said Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tenn., chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. VA Inspector General Michael Missal said the new data could help inform the VA about how to recruit for its hardest-to-fill jobs. “This report should prompt meaningful discussions at both the local and national level about how to implement, support, and oversee staffing in VA medical centers that will result in the highest possible quality of veteran care,” Missal said in a prepared statement. Carolyn Clancy, the executive in charge of VA health care, wrote in a response that the IG report was “very informative” and would support the agency’s staffing plans. She also said the VA was working to create a permanent “manpower office” by May 2019. The VA has made the hiring of mental health professionals an area of focus, VA Press Secretary Curt Cashour said Friday. The VA has hired 467 new mental health providers so far this year, and it’s aiming for a net increase of 1,000 providers by 2019, he said. The VA attempted to hire 1,000 new mental health providers in 2017. The agency hired 900 but lost 945, for an overall decrease. According to the IG report, the Cincinnati VA Medical Center in Ohio and the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston had some of the fewest shortages, with each reporting only four jobs that they were struggling to fill. Second to Decatur, the VA Illiana Health Care System in Danville, Ill., reported the most – 83 shortages, 66 of which were medical professions. The Oklahoma City VA Health Care System reported 69. “Appropriate staffing allows a medical facility to function at its full potential,” IG official Nathan McClafferty said in a statement. “It is critically important that VA medical facilities are properly staffed to ensure veterans are provided the best possible health care.” A House subcommittee is meeting June 21 to discuss the IG report and VA job vacancies in general. The hearing is titled, “More than just filling vacancies: A closer look at VA hiring authorities, recruiting and retention.” “Clinician and other medical facility staff shortages are not unique to VA, but the committee is continuing to look for opportunities to improve the department’s hiring and retention programs,” Roe said. The VA is the second-largest federal agency, with more than 360,000 employees. As of early March, there were 33,642 job vacancies across the VA, including open positions in the health care system, benefits offices and the National Cemetery Administration.
wentling.nikki@stripes.com |
Fort Bragg soldiers to benefit from new trades programBy AMANDA DOLASINSKI - The Fayetteville Observer, N.C - © Stars and Stripes - reprinted with permission Soldiers at Fort Bragg who are leaving service are eligible for a new program that will train them for construction jobs – an industry that has been dealing with a shortage of workers. Through a gift from the Home Depot Foundation, Home Builders Institute has launched a program at Fort Bragg to train soldiers transitioning out of service for jobs in the construction trade. The Home Depot Foundation's $50 million pledge aims to train 20,000 tradesmen by 2028. "This is a great way for them to have careers," said Heather Prill, senior manager of national partnerships for The Home Depot Foundation. "They've done so much for our country. For us to be able to do this one thing to give back is the right thing to do." The Home Depot Foundation has focused on veteran housing issues since 2011. It began researching ways it could expand those initiatives and found the Home Builders Institute – a 50-year-old educational arm for the industry. The Home Builders Institute trains several under-served populations, including veterans, transitioning military, at-risk youth and adults released from prison. Both organizations recognized a growing need for skilled laborers. There are about 158,000 skilled labor job openings across the country, according to national statistics. About 45 percent of businesses struggle to find qualified candidates for jobs. The average age of a plumber is 56, signaling that tradesmen are retiring, but no one is in the pipeline to replace them, Prill said. The Home Builders Institute has already launched a trades program at Fort Stewart, Georgia. The program averages about 120 graduates a year. Fort Bragg's program started in January – and the Home Depot Foundation's pledge guarantees it will remain for at least two years. The organizations said these types of jobs appeal to soldiers because they can work with their hands and in teams. They are also easy for people to launch their own businesses. Program participants will complete 12 weeks of training and earn certification recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor. The program is free for transitioning service members. "Now we're training a pipeline of students," said John Courson, president and CEO of the Home Builders Institution. "The students that finish our training on the military side, we're placing 90 percent in jobs when they graduate from the service." The program at Fort Bragg started with carpentry, but other trades will be added as instructors join, Courson said. Those trades could include masonry, plumbing, electric and heating, ventilation and air conditioning. Courson said soldiers are eligible to participate in the program without using GI benefits, so they can earn certification and continue their education with other benefits later. Soldiers who complete the program can work through the Home Builders Institution for job placement in North Carolina or any of the other 43 states in its network, Courson said. Graduates have reported jobs paying between $30,000 and $55,000, he said. "We want to make sure when they train with us, they're job ready," he said. ___
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