Career Counselor's Corner Segments

[sonarmark]

Here is where you can view the transcripts of the Career Counselor's Corner Segments.

You also want to listen to them separate from the AOTC podcast, you may listen by clicking this link http://www.stickam.com/viewAudioGall...?uId=178405144

If you have a question about a topic or want to suggest one please contact me sonarmark@corpsman.com

Episode #1 --NAVNET (AOTC#82 dtd September 29, 2009)
Episode #2 --3 Complex Programs (AOTC#83 dtd October 14, 2009)
Episode #3 --CMS ID (AOTC #85 dtd November 4, 2009)
Episode #4 --Navy Cool (PREVIEW)

[sonarmark]

Welcome to the Career Counselor’s Corner, this is episode 01 “Navnet”

The purpose of the Career Counselor’s Corner is to provide updated career information for Sailors, enhancing their Naval career and to keep everyone else in the knowledge loop.

The Career Counselor’s Corner is sponsored by corpsman.com and hosted by Sonarmark, facilitating career success, and smooth personnel transitions.

I wanted to take an opportunity to share with you what NAVNET is and What it can do for you?

As a Command Career Counselor, one of my roles is to assist service members with their transition to civilian employment.

NAVNET is a network of Active Duty Members, Veterans and Hiring Managers with over 30,000 members

So, Does NAVNET help?

The Points of contact, will routinely email job openings along with location, required qualifications, and job description, they will also forward resumes at your request to other NAVNET members.

2. With so many members, most companies, especially larger companies friendly to veterans, have someone working there that is a NAVNET member, so you can contact them and request info about available jobs by putting NAVNET in the subject they agree to respond, and you may be able to build a relationship leading to an internal recommendation.

Additionally they host informal breakfast meetings where attendees, get a minute or two introduce themselves, describe their skills and a position they are looking for or one that is available in their company. Attendees are encouraged to meet interested employers or employees after introductions to exchange contact information, the whole process in San Diego takes about an hour and typically has 40 to 50 attendees.

So if you are interested in becoming a member what can you do?

Go to the Corpsman.com forums and search for NAVNET, you will find the Points of contact and if it works for you follow up with your story about your success.

For younger docs it is easy to forget that someday you too will need to find a new career, I am sure NAVNET will be there to assist you.

Oh, did I mention there are no membership fees, paid subscriptions, or services, it's all free.

That’s all for now, carryon shipmates.

If you are on the East coast, contact Loren.Heckelman@cox.net or bgreen1800@aol.com on the west coast contact tjhammons@aol.com

Let them know you are interested in becoming a member and ask them what information they need to add you to the membership list.

I welcome comments and encourage you to add your story about how NAVNET worked for you.

[sonarmark]

Welcome to the Career Counselor’s Corner, this is episode 02 titled “3 complex programs”

The purpose of the Career Counselor’s Corner is to provide updated career information for Sailors, enhancing their Naval career and to keep everyone else in the knowledge loop.

The Career Counselor’s Corner is sponsored by corpsman.com and hosted by Sonarmark, facilitating career success, and smooth personnel transitions.

Here are three complex programs that change often enough that even the best leaders can get confused:

Perform to Serve or PTS,

Sometime ago Commanding Officers had the final authority to allow Sailors to “ship over” or reenlist. Current Force shaping efforts require the Bureau of Naval Personnel to oversee and approve re-enlistments. Perform to serve was originally designed for first term Sailors, however, within the last year it has expanded to include second and third term Sailors. The purpose is to ensure all rates are ideally manned, preventing manpower overages in some ratings and critical shortages in others.

All Sailors with less than 14 years of service are required to submit a PTS application within 12 months of their EAOS or PRD. If a sailor does not want to re-enlist, Counselors can put that information in the application, but they still have to apply. For active duty submissions you are only permitted 6 submission looks between your 12-6 month PTS window, waiting until 7 months prior to your EAOS means that you will only get one single submission look and if the quotas are not there that time, you will be forced to separate.

This just in the PTS program has changed again, Now Sailors can apply for an active duty quota, a reserve quota, or both with the same application. SELRES applications will be considered up to the 3 month mark prior to your EAOS. Quota control is unrelated except by application so getting a Quota for the Navy Reserve will not affect an applicant’s application for an active duty quota.

Additionally, GENDET Sailors are not longer authorized to submit PTS applications.

The second program is the Selective Reenlistment Bonus program, the latest message restored some SRBs and in the case of corpsman, there are now 15 NECs vice 2 on the previous message that may receive an SRB. Before you skip to your command career counselor ask yourself “how far are you from your EAOS?” The reason this matters is because the new message stipulates that regardless of your eligibility, if your SRB submission is not submitted to BUPERS at least 35 days in advance of your re-enlistment date, that bonus is forfeited. In rare cases waivers can be submitted, but why risk it. See your command career counselor 45 days or more prior to your anticipated re-enlistment date.

Lastly, “the mother of all confusion” the New GI Bill, the Chief has done a fine job of keeping you up to date with this one. However, there are so many things to understand that one person cannot know it all. So here are a few things you may not have considered.

Since it is taking several months just to get a certificate of eligibility, the sooner you elect the new GI Bill the sooner you can use it at the educational institution of your choice. You must elect the new program in order to use it. If you are separating soon, you want to go to the VA’s online application system called VONAPP (V O N A P P) and signup for an account while you are still on active duty. Use the Form 22-1990 to elect the new GI Bill, this may enable you to have your certificate of eligibility before you actually need it.

The benefits of the new program include the possibility to transfer benefits to dependents, getting your $1200 buy-in from the old program back, someday, and of course it pays a bit better, that is, whenever it starts to pay.

But before you exercise your google fingers and complete your VONAPP you may want to determine whether the new GI Bill is right for you. If you want to get your Pilot’s license, Project Management Certification, or use it in other professional training, the old program may suit your needs better.

So, get smart and then make an informed decision.

Got a question for the Career Counselor’s Corner? Email me sonarmark@corpsman.com

That’s the latest update, shipmates

Thanks for your attention and carry on.

[sonarmark]

Welcome to the Career Counselor’s Corner, this is episode 03 titled “CMS-ID”

The purpose of the Career Counselor’s Corner is to provide updated career information for Sailors enhancing their Naval career and to keep everyone else in the knowledge loop.

The Career Counselor’s Corner is sponsored by corpsman.com and hosted by Sonarmark, facilitating career success, and smooth personnel transitions.

In the spirit of Halloween let’s talk about a spooky mysterious program called CMS-ID.

Really it is not as complex as it seems, CMS-ID stands for “Career Management System – Interactive Detailing”

In the civilian sector if you want a job, you need to find a job announcement, in the Navy if you want to find a billet; you need to find CMS-ID which is essentially where job announcements are located.

So, let’s walk you through getting orders step-by-step

Step – 1 When should you do this?

A recent change located in NAVADMIN 249/09 reduced the orders negotiation window to 9 to 7 months. So, you have three opportunities or three months to pick before the detailer is permitted to pick for you.

Step 2 – Find and Apply for a job

CMS-ID lists available jobs or billets that Sailors can apply for. All available jobs are posted, if it is not posted it is generally not available. There a few jobs that have special screening requirements or are not a high enough priority to get posted. If for example they placed 10 unimportant jobs in Australia, no one would apply for more challenging assignments. In general, if you don’t see on CMS ID you cannot apply for it.

Previously when you wanted to apply for a job you had to visit your career counselor or speak with a detailer directly. Now CMS-ID allows you to independently apply for jobs, though you may benefit from meeting with your career counselor as they can use the comments field to help make you more competitive.

Step 3 – Command Review

This Step allows commands to review candidates and rank how well a Sailor fits a specific job on a ship. It allows the command to have some input, however, names and identifiable information are withheld so commands cannot choose based on a hookup. The information the command will see for example is eval computations and recommendations, prt scores, wafare designators, necs, and platform types, career history.

The command ranks Sailors with a best fit, least fit and somewhere in between.

Step 4 – Detailer Scrub

Detailers validate requisitions, eligibility, and using the input provided by commands, if they chose to provide it, detailers make the decisions about which Sailor gets which set of orders.

Step 5 – Getting orders

Obviously, waiting for orders can be stressful but there are many factors that can affect how long before you get “orders in hand”. Perhaps you could use that time productively and scout out your next location or if you are currently in the same area visit your next command. Be sure to go in the uniform of the day with an inspection ready haircut and meet your prospective chief or supervisor and if possible the Command Master Chief. You are sure to be assigned a sponsor quicker if you are able to visit.

Have a topic suggestion? Email sonarmark@corpsman.com, want to see the transcript? Search the forums for the word “corner”.

Well, Shipmates, until next week, turn two.

PS you can find a link to CMS ID by logging into Navy Knowledge online. Or click here https://www.cmsid.navy.mil/

[sonarmark]

Welcome to the Career Counselor’s Corner, this is episode 04 titled “Navy Cool”

The purpose of the Career Counselor’s Corner is to provide updated career information for Sailors enhancing their Naval career and to keep everyone else in the knowledge loop.

The Career Counselor’s Corner is sponsored by corpsman.com and hosted by Sonarmark, facilitating career success, and smooth personnel transitions.

What is Navy COOL? Most Sailors would say well, I know it’s cool and it is, but it stands for “Credentialing Opportunities On-Line”

What does it do? Officially, Navy COOL is a continuously developing product for both Active and Reserve (less IRR), it outlines the path, work, training and experience required to achieve civilian credentials which best map to Navy ratings, jobs, designators, and occupations or collateral duties.

So, what does it do again?

Well, in the Navy we have warfare designators, Master Training specialist, and Fleet Marine Force Warfare Specialist these and others designations are meant to mark a particular level of knowledge and professionalism. For example, if you teach or train any subject you could call yourself and instructor, but to be an MTS Instructor, you have to demonstrate knowledge and professionalism as an instructor and be approved by a certifying official like CNET.

In the civilian world they do not call them “Warfare Designations” instead they call them certifications.

The problem with most navy designators is most of the civilian employers have no idea the difference in a HM2 with FMF and one without. But they all know what a "CPA" is or a "CNA" or a "MSCE" especially if they are trying to hire someone with a related skill. If your choice was to hire an accountant(degree only) or a Certified Public Accountant (degree with certification) which would you choose?

So the Navy is paying the fees to get rate related certifications, they fund many certifications for corpsman like:
Certified Medical Assistant (CMA)
ACSM Health/Fitness Instructor (HFI)
National Board Dental Hygiene Exam (NBDHE)
Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT)
Phlebotomy Technician (PBT(ASCP))

I can not tell what all those are but corpsman have more certifications available that the Navy will pay for than most ratings.

Go to www.cool.navy.mil for the entire list

The buttons to the right of the certification show different funding streams including the GIBILL, (note: that the new GI Bill may not pay for certifications the same as the old) where you see the blue and white oval with "$ Navy" the Navy Cool program has agreed that it will fund that certification for anyone in that rate.

Remember you must have a year left till your EAOS in order to use Navy Cool. You should also consider the Credentialing agency's requirements to ensure you can meet them before you apply, sometimes they can be challenging.

I am currently, CHS-IV and a CAS which probably cost the Navy a discounted rate of about 3-4 grand.



According, to the Career Counselors Symposium, over 19,000 certifications were earned last year.

https://www.cool.navy.mil/

If you need help or have questions start by asking your career counselor, if they can't help search the forums as corpsman.com for the transcript and if you still can’t get an answer contact me sonarmark@corpsman.com and I’ll cover your six shipmate.
See ya next week

[sonarmark]

Welcome to the Career Counselor’s Corner, this is episode 05 titled “Transferring the Post 9/11 GI Bill”

The purpose of the Career Counselor’s Corner is to provide updated career information for Sailors enhancing their Naval career and to keep everyone else in the knowledge loop.

The Career Counselor’s Corner is sponsored by corpsman.com and hosted by Sonarmark, facilitating career success, and smooth personnel transitions.

There are three GI Bill Programs currently in use, 1. the MGIB, 2. The Post 9/11 GI Bill, and 3. The transfer of the POST 9/11 GI Bill.

We’ve discussed the first two programs in depth, so today we will focus on the third and most complex program the transfer of benefits to your dependents.

I call it a separate program because it is, think of the GI Bill as a enlistment incentive, and the ability to transfer it as a Re-enlistment incentive or retention tool, that means it requires an addition services agreement to use the benefits. For most of you, it requires an additional 4 years of service, however, if you are at you 19 year mark now, you may not need as much. See NAVADMIN 203/09 for more information.

To transfer you must:
Have completed 6 years of service and have another 4 years in you ESR (Electronic Service Record) when you elect, being short of 4 years, even by a month can result in disapproval.

HYT waivers, Short Term Extensions, and early re-enlistments are permitted by waiver between now and Dec 31st only. These programs will allow you to increase your service agreement so you can apply for transferability, but they are labor intensive on the Career Counselor and only available until 31 Dec. With the holidays approaching, you are running out of time, quick.

So what if, you run out of time? Well, at your next regularly scheduled reenlistment you should re-enlist for at least 4 years and then apply for transferability as soon as it is reflected in your ESR.

Don’t wait if you have the required time, after you have retired or separated you will no longer be permitted to option to apply for transferability.

What do you get?

Spouses and children have distinctly different benefits under the transferability option.

Spouses can use benefits after the service member has completed 6 years of service and obligated for 4 more years. If the service member is on active duty the spouse will not get the $1000 book fee, or the BAH, they will simply have their tuition paid. Spouses are required to uses the benefits within 15 years of your separation or retirement.

Children can use benefits after the service member has completed 10 years of service they are entitled to tuition, $1000 in book fees per year and E5 BAH w/dependents for the area you live in. Children’s benefits do not expire but they must be used prior to age 26.

So what’s the long and short of it? Someone once told me “If you don’t know, you better ask somebody” contact your career counselor or me at sonarmark@corpsman.com for more information

Additionally, if you check out the transcripts available in the forums at corpsman.com, I will post some links to help you help yourself.

Well shipmates, now that you know, it’s back to the show. Take it away Chief!

Additional Links:

Subject: GI Bill Transferability deadlines

Leaders,

Please ensure maximum distribution. This is very important! On December 31, the Post 9-11 GI Bill Transfer Eligibility Benefits (TEB) exception to policies granted by NAVADMIN 203/09 will expire.

There are approximately 83,000 enlisted and 27,000 officers eligible for Transfer Eligibly of Benefits (TEB) however there have been only about 9,300 approved applications. Our Sailors could miss a golden opportunity by not obligating for the required service for their TEB before Dec 31st.

The VA's web site
http://www.gibill.va.gov/GI_Bill_Info/CH33/Post-911.htm or http://www.gibill.va.gov/GI_Bill_Info/CH33/Transfer.htm and PERS-81's web site http://www.npc.navy.mil/CareerInfo/EnlistedCareerProgression/Reenlistmen
ts_Extensions/POST+911+GI+Bill+OBLISERV.htm can provide all of the details.

The TEB application is an easy process, I have done it, and it took less than 10 minutes to accomplish! The are two basic steps to transfer your Post 9-11 GI Bill educational benefits:

Step one:
Verify your family is in DEERS and your EAOS is 4 or more years from your application date. The VA will verify the amount of obligated service the applicant currently has against the Enlisted Master File with BUPERS-26, so the Sailor must check their Electronic Service Record and verify that their EOAS is 4 years beyond the application date, and their dependents are in DEERS.

Second step:
Complete TEB application at https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/TEB. Check back in a couple of days to ensure it has been approved

When your Sailor is ready to use their benefits, they will have to go to http://www.gibill.va.gov/ and follow the instructions to receive their benefits

Sailors could lose valuable time for using their benefits. For example:
On 20 Dec 2009 GM2 Sailor decides to apply for his Transfer Eligibility Benefits, GM2 Sailor's current EAOS is Dec 2011, so 24 additional months are required to be eligible to transfer his benefits. He talks to his Chief, reviews NAVADMIN 203/09, and realizes that he can reenlist for the 4 years required, and his EAOS would move to Dec 2013. However GM2 Sailor decides with the holidays, he will wait until Jan 4th to obtain the required obligated service and process the application. The exceptions to policy that were authorized by NAVADMIN 203/09 expired on
31 Dec 2009. So instead of reenlisting and his family taking advantage of his GI Bill, GM2 Sailor will have to wait until December of 2011, 1 year before his EAOS, to be able to reenlist. He will then have an EAOS of Dec 2015. This equates to a difference of 2 years that his family will not be able to take advantage of his benefits.

The closer we get to the 31 Dec 2009 deadline, the more applications that will be submitted. Do not wait to the last minute and risk missing the deadline, this is worth far to much for you or your Sailors not to take advantage of.