FORT DRUM, NY (November 13, 2024) — More than 100 Department of Defense Soldiers, family members and civilians met with employers and representatives from industry and academia on November 13 during the Career and Education Fair at The Peak.

While many soldiers attended in their service uniforms, Cpl. Eric Bolling walked into the career fair wearing a suit, resume in tow.

An intelligence analyst with the 7th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI), Bolling said he hopes to pursue a career in cybersecurity after separating from the Army.

“I’m currently going to school in cyber security and looking for an internship in that or intelligence,” he said.

Bolling said he is at the Fort Drum Transition Assistance Program (TAP) office in Clark Hall every week to prepare for his next career move.

“The TAP program is amazing,” he said. “I’m at all the workshops and classes. They’ve made it almost resilient because they provide so many resources for whatever you want to do.”

Bolling said he found a semiconductor company at the career fair that interested him, but attended mostly to practice meeting with hiring representatives.

“Honestly, I just came here to get my feet wet,” he said. “I love the interview process and also the hiring process because when it comes to deciding which company is best for you, it has to be a win-win.”

Maj. Lindsay Widdicombe, with the 10th Mountain Division (LI) G-1, is six months into retirement and attended the fair to explore career options in human resources.

“All I’ve been focused on is federal jobs, so this really opened my eyes to see that there’s more to it than that and that I can translate my HR profession into a broader spectrum of civilian jobs of HR,” she said.

He also discovered employment opportunities locally, in upstate New York and out of state.

“There were organizations advocating for their own states, talking about how they can help with job placement that matches your career goals, skill sets and salary,” Widdicombe said.

As part of a dual military family with children, Widdicombe said she would prefer to stay in the area. Her husband has been stationed twice at Fort Drum and they have been assigned here for the past four years.

“My husband will be transitioning out of the military probably about eight months after I am,” she said. “We’ve loved every part of New York, so we’d like to stay here and have some stability.”

She also loves her work in human resources, which is why she wants to pursue that career field when she leaves the Army.

“As an Army HR professional, I can activate, empower and assist Soldiers when they need help,” said Widdicombe. “Whether I continue this on the federal side or the civilian side, I still want to provide that assistance and help improve people’s lives.”

Widdicombe has completed the TAP process but is continuing to take other courses while looking for a job.

“There’s an advanced resume writing course and a LinkedIn course that I’m planning to take because now the world is digital and it’s a very popular place to find jobs,” she said.

Widdicombe said she is optimistic about finding the right job, but thinking about the time crunch can be worrying.

“I’m a planner,” she said. “So if I don’t feel like I have a plan right now, because I don’t have a solid job lined up, it can make me a little anxious. But the career fair kind of settled me down a little bit, knowing there’s a lot of jobs out there.”

Widdicombe said this was the first career fair he’s attended at Fort Drum, and if he doesn’t lock down a job before the next one, he’ll be sure to return.

Amanda Wells, transition services specialist, said TAP hosts quarterly career fairs in February, May, August and November. Combining efforts with the Fort Drum Education Center twice a year gives Soldiers and family members access to information about educational opportunities.

“Education is one of our avenues during the TAP process,” Wells said. “Some service members and spouses plan to continue their education when they leave the service. So this is a way to help them continue their professional development as they transition to civilian life.”

Service members and spouses can register for a free Career Equity Preparation Workshop through the Transition Assistance Program.

“Advisors can help them develop their pitch or pitch and detail what positions each company is hiring for,” Wells said. “The workshop also helps to build the overall confidence of the participants.”

To learn more about this workshop and other TAP courses, call (315) 772-3434 or 772-3286 or visit the TAP Office in Clark Hall in Room C2-14.