Photo By Jennifer Scales | Job seekers listen as Christopher Buck, assistant manager of the call center at the...... read more read more
Story and photos by Jennifer Scales
VA Nebraska-Western Iowa HCS Public Affairs Officer
Savina Collazo was amongst the nearly 200 prospective employees who attended the quarterly Veterans Affairs Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System Career Fair, June 1 at the Omaha VA Medical Center.
Collazo expressed the sentiments of many of those seeking employment with the VA. “It’s important to be able to shake hands and ask questions in person. With fairs like this, you get a broader sense and good insight into the potential for both employee and employer,” Collazo said, who was seeking information in the human resources and finance aspects of the organization.
For one job seeker, it was all about giving back. JoLynn ‘Jo’ Gelnette of northwestern Omaha, just wanted to be able to be here and do something in some way to provide service to Veterans. “The VA saved the life of my father-in-law, John Gelnette, an Air Force Veteran,” Gelnette began. “He was told by an outside facility that he had one year left to live---when we brought him to the VA, he was able to live another five years. Coming here is the least I can do compared to what was done for us.”
Isaac Ortiz, another applicant who is also a Navy Veteran, wants to bring his management experience to the VA team. “I was a law enforcement officer in the Navy so I would like to work with the police department here in the VA, but I just want to get my foot in the door for right now,” Ortiz said.
As they piled in for information and finding the right fit for their beginning or continuing career, job seekers were told of current vacancies which included health technicians, security specialists, housekeeping aids, physicians and human resource specialists. Future vacancies include social workers, transportation assistants, nurses, animal caretakers and nursing assistants.
Human resource specialist-recruiter Beth Kelly stated that applicants may still apply on line for jobs posted. “In events like this though, management and the applicant get to meet in person, whereby each can put a face with a name. The applicant may get an inspiration for becoming a part of the VA,” Kelly said.
Service line managers and representative of the VA were also on hand looking for that ‘right person’.
“A person must want to do the job, first of all,” James Moore, supervisor of Environmental Management Services said. “Then they need to be self-motivated, patient, willing to interact with Veterans, and all the while keep it going. Unlike some staff, we work in all areas of the facility which includes offices and patient rooms alike.”
Veterans Transportation Services, a more recent addition to the VA service line, had representatives present who were just as willing to share with the public their hiring vacancies. Mobility manager from Grand Island, Scott Sharp, said it was not just drivers VTS needs. “We require transportation coordinators, assistant travel clerks, and transportation coordinators,” Sharp said.
“We employ a lot of Veterans and sometimes they forget they are also entitled to VA health care,” Stacy DuFault, chief of eligibility enrollment said at the career fair. “I’m providing information to these potential applicants so that they don’t forget we can take care of them, while they are taking care of others.”
The next VA NWIHCS career fair is scheduled for September 2018.
However, individuals who were unable to attend may still check out job options by logging into www.USAJOBS.gov for the latest vacancies.
| Date Taken: | 06.01.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 06.05.2018 16:39 |
| Story ID: | 279699 |
| Location: | OMAHA, NEBRASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 175 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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