‘Selling’ the RNZAF to Students
RNZAF Recruiting stand.
Careers Expos, such as the recent Coke Cola sponsored Careers Roadshow, are an excellent opportunity for our recruitment staff to proactively ‘sell’ Air Force careers to intending school leavers. While expos and school careers evenings come in a wide variety of sizes and formats and are held throughout the year, the July/August period is what W/O Geoffrey Theodore says is ‘Expo season’. It’s a particularly busy time for our recruiters at a time when students can see their formal school experience coming to an end and are about to launch themselves into the full-time workforce.
So what do the students want to know about the Air Force? W/O Theodore says recurring themes are to do with how long they might have to stay, what qualifications they can get and how much they get paid. Wellington-based recruiter SGT Matt Cathcart says most students are surprised by the up to 30 trades available in the Air Force. Auckland recruiter CPL Chavelle Ataera agrees and adds that many students think the Air Force is mainly composed of pilots with a scant few support staff. The reality is that there are probably more than 10 support personnel for each pilot.
Expos and school visits are also a chance for trades to help out. A recent example is the annual two day Aoraki Polytech Careers Expo that started on August 2 in Timaru. Christchurch Recruiting team members W/O Sharon Carrick and F/S Jacqueline Doolan-Tindall, were accompanied by nine ‘honorary recruiters’ drawn from Expeditionary Support Squadron (ESS) and Base Woodbourne’s Ground Training Wing (GTW).
LAC Carr discusses career options.
‘The trade displays were of a very high standard,’ said W/O Carrick. ‘Focus at this expo was to promote the Safety and Surface (S&S) and Avionics trades. F/S Brent Baker is passionate about the S&S trade so he designed easily constructed lightweight quad columns.
These acted as double sided poster boards advertising the trade’s requirements and qualifications. They also included some of the lighter sides to RNZAF life such as sport. F/S Baker is hoping to design these for all technical trades. A popular part of the display was the entrance where students were encouraged to don flying clothing, helmets and MK15 life vests.’
Not to be out done, the Avionics trade provided a multi-screen display designed by Avionics Teams at GTW. They also introduced a new initiative – an interactive computer quiz where students and parents could test their skills on questions about enlistment, training and a RNZAF career.
The assistance provided to Recruiting Staff by personnel from visiting units is invaluable and all who attend ‘Stepped Up’ as ‘Recruiters’, W/O Corrick said.