BREMERTON, Wash. –
The Command Career Center is ready to help Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Center employees take their careers to the next level. Located at the Olympic Lodge Training Center, on Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton, the Career Center is a command sponsored program that assists workers with things like résumé writing, creating Individual Development Plans, and preparing for interviews.
The Career Center goal is to help workers chart out their careers by finding and taking advantage of opportunities for professional development.
“Part of my job is to help people know what’s available to them and how they can use it,” said Heidi Anderson, Command Career Counselor lead. “Many people come to our offices feeling overwhelmed. They feel like many parts of their jobs are outside the scope of what they can control. We help them understand the things they can control.”
Anderson and her staff work with shipyard employees to help them establish professional goals and connect them with the resources and knowledge they need to accomplish their career goals.
PSNS & IMF employees are able schedule appointments during work hours with their supervisor’s approval. Shipyard workers on both swing and graveyard shifts can also schedule appointments with advance notice. All appointments are scheduled around work availability.
Anderson and her team can provide their assistance to anyone in the shipyard, regardless of where they are located. Workers can schedule appointments and have someone from the Career Center come to their offices.
“Employees can come to our office or we can go to them,” explained Anderson. “We meet people where they are and help turn their ideas into initiatives.”
For employees without Internet access, the Career Center can provide equipment during these sessions to help give them access to job resources and help them gain familiarity and experience with equipment they may not have regular access to.
“I cannot guarantee success, but I can provide the resources that will help employees take ownership of their careers,” said Anderson. “Things like mock interviews and résumé help eliminate a lot of the uncertainty and fear that can hold people back. A lot of the time the most important thing is eliminating the mental blocks people place on themselves.”
The Career Center is available to everyone who works at PSNS & IMF, from mechanics on the deck plates to people who work in offices.
“The career center is for everyone,” said Rozy Castellanos, career counselor. “We are here to assist our leaders as well as their workers.”
While many workers take advantage of the opportunity to use the Career Center, some may feel uncomfortable asking their supervisor for help making an appointment. For those employees, it is easy to confidentially make an appointment on the team’s SharePoint site to meet privately.
For more information, call 360-627-6262, or visit the center’s SharePoint page.