Interested in what kinds of jobs and skills you can pick up by joining the Virginia Air National Guard?
Virginia Air National Guard recruiters and airmen are hosting a Facebook Live event on Sunday, Nov. 8 for potential recruits to learn more about available career options.
As with many things, the COVID-19 pandemic has altered the way recruiters engage with potential new recruits. They can’t visit high schools and job fairs quite like they used to, so efforts have gone virtual.
“The mission hasn’t stopped because of the pandemic; we still need people in these critical career fields to get it done,” said Master Sgt. Kevin Singleton, VaANG recruiting flight chief, in a news release. “While we can’t go into places to present these opportunities the way we want to, we want people to know we’re still here and we’re still working to help them find the job they want in the Air National Guard.”
The virtual event is to spread the word about available part- and full-time jobs. There will be a recruiter present for general questions, but the focus of the event is to shed some light on specific career paths within the Virginia Air National Guard.
Participants can tune in to hear from a panel of current Guard Airmen who work in a variety of critical and high-need career fields, including a munitions expert, a crew chief with expertise on jet mechanics, and structural engineers and contractors.
The Virginia Air National Guard is distinct from the Air Force in a few ways.
“It’s primarily a part-time, reserve component. The big draw is to serve in your local community,” said Tech. Sgt. Lucretia Cunningham, a public affairs specialist with the 192ND Wing of the Virginia Air National Guard. “These are people who live in Virginia — and sometimes even work other full-time jobs in Virginia — who want to serve their community. It’s like a local version of the Air Force.”
More than 1,200 Virginia Air National Guard Airmen are assigned to the 192nd Wing at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton and the Virginia National Guard Sergeant Bob Slaughter Headquarters at Defense Supply Center Richmond.
When asked if coordinating this event has been challenging, Cunningham said like all the other changes that COVID-19 has brought about, it’s not necessarily difficult, it’s just a little different.
And although it may be a little challenging to prepare for an event without knowing how many attendees there may be, it’s nothing VaANG professionals can’t handle with a little creativity and innovation, Cunningham added.
Check out the Facebook Live event on Sunday, Nov. 8 from 2 to 4 p.m., and be prepared with questions you would ask about a prospective employer. This is a good opportunity to get some insight on what the work culture and environment is like, and whether it would be a good career match for you.
For more information, visit the VaANG website or Facebook page.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Tech. Sgt. Lucretia Cunningham is a former WYDaily reporter.
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