Help! with recruiting presentation

Started by Basically Regs, August 19, 2005, 01:32:49 PM

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Basically Regs

I don't know for sure if this is the right place to put this, but it can be moved. I am just an airman, and my commander just gave me a huge job. I have to do a recruiting time for homeschoolers. She just gave this job to me last night as an order. I really need some ideas. What can I do to take up about an hour, to tell people about CAP? And, I need some hands on activities! Can someone help me?

Matt

PM me later if you're really striving hard for ideas.  Our cadet commander is homeschooled and has put on talks before.  Also, we have a new c/PAO which is quite good with his job.  Let me know and I'll talk with them and send you their emails.


Matt
<a href=mailto:mkopp@ncr.cap.gov> Matthew Kopp</a>, Maj, CAP
Director of Information Technology
<a href=https://www.ncrcap.us.org> North Central Region</a>

Pylon

Quote from: Basically Regs on August 19, 2005, 01:32:49 PM
I don't know for sure if this is the right place to put this, but it can be moved. I am just an airman, and my commander just gave me a huge job. I have to do a recruiting time for homeschoolers. She just gave this job to me last night as an order. I really need some ideas. What can I do to take up about an hour, to tell people about CAP? And, I need some hands on activities! Can someone help me?

Even though you've been given the job of coordinating a recruiting presentation, that doesn't mean that you have to be the one giving the actual talk and answering questions about CAP.  This will be a good leadership experience for you, and treat it like a privilege that your commander thinks highly enough of you to trust you with representing CAP to an outside group of people.

You can certainly coordinate the presentation, by arranging the time and place, as well as making sure the appropriate amount of recruting pamphlets and materials are available and brought, and making the necessary contacts.  However, let me suggest that you rope in a senior-ranking cadet or a young, knowledgeable SM to do the recruiting talk.  They will be able to give a more accurate and in-depth description of CAP because of their lengthy CAP experience, and they will be more able to answer a lot of the questions that you are likely to receive. 

This also doesn't mean that you can't play a part in your recruiting presentation.  Perhaps to keep things interesting, you'd like to open the presentation with a few words and introduce your senior-ranking cadet with a little background info, and introduce yourself, and have some brochures handed out.  Then hand over the presentation to your intended speaker about CAP, while you work a PowerPoint or help hand-out brochures to the crowd.  Then you can always run the Q&A session by informing the group that it is Q&A time, and calling on people to ask your cadet presentor questions.  You can also perhaps do the closing and thank them for their attention, give your contact information, meeting location and times, etc.

That all having been merely a suggestion of one way you could do it, realize that there are many ways you can put this recruiting presentation together.  Because your commander gave you this awesome responsibility means you're the project officer, but that doesn't necessarily mean you have to present things you're not comfortable talking about just yet.  I would definitely utilize other members in your unit who have been in CAP a while and are outstanding members to help you with this presentation. 

You'll find that you never want to do projects by yourself, anyways.  :)
Michael F. Kieloch, Maj, CAP

MIKE

For hands on activities... There are a number of good aerospace activities in the AEX program that you can do... My unit usually does one of the hands on AE activities for our open house... We've done the Alka-Fuji rockets a number of times (We actually have a box with all the materials needed to do this activity readily available.), and a number of others.  Get with your AEO and pick one that your unit can provide resources for.

For your recruitment pitch... You need to provide information about your squadron and what YOU actually do... There is probably a fact sheet (Think I've seen one, I'll look.) out there that covers what CAP is and what CAP does and some brief history... That would be a good starting point but remember... Sell YOUR squadron... What do you do week after week that these prospective cadets would want to do... Also, talk about what keeps you coming to meetings every week... What sold you on joining?

A big problem when it comes to retention (You really should be also thinking about this when you are thinking recruiting.) is you'll recruit someone with the promise of something your unit can't deliver, you loose people in a year that way.  Don't try to pitch the AE or ES missions if all your squadron really does is the Cadet Program.  IMO over selling ES is a particularly bad idea, as you really can't have new members jump right in after joining... Sell them on the stuff they can do right now... Not the stuff that they need to invest six months or more in training and equipment before they even really get started.

I'll be looking for some more stuff for you.  :)

Mike Johnston

MIKE

Mike Johnston

Basically Regs

Actually I asked her about having someone else do the program. But she thought that I should do the MAJORITY of the teaching. I really like to lead out in stuff, but this just seems a little over my head. Thanks for the recruting stuff, and the fact sheet is great!

MIKE

Just do the best you can with what you got... If it turns out that maybe you don't do so hot, it will show your commander where your strengths and weaknesses are, and that maybe she was expecting to much of you this time around... Then she  knows where you need some guidance for next time.

I noticed you said you were just a C/Amn.  Are you in a small/new squadron by chance... I've seen this kind of stuff happen before with a few small squadrons with pretty much just airmen and a few NCOs with maybe one junior officer.  The kind of seniors who say "He just made C/Amn, lets make him the Cadet Commander." type of thing... Generally placing a lot of responsibility on a few relatively new cadets because that's all they've got.
Mike Johnston

Matt

Well, in a sense, this is actually quite an opportunity.  The best way to learn a skill is to be placed in the position in which you need to know it.  Experience is the best teacher, or so I've been told, for those who are WCA grads.

If you truly want to impress and/or annoy you're cadet commander, ask every possible question.  By doing this you gain knowledge of what your c/CC wants.

Eventually, do some research into CAP and it's missions.  There has been a lot of changing that has occurred in CAP as a whole over a great deal of time.  Explain the past, the current, and the future... SELL CAP.  Make the group you're speaking with want to learn more, and then offer up a meeting as an example....
<a href=mailto:mkopp@ncr.cap.gov> Matthew Kopp</a>, Maj, CAP
Director of Information Technology
<a href=https://www.ncrcap.us.org> North Central Region</a>

Basically Regs

Unfortinatly I am a perfectionist, I know that my CC isn't. He doesn't like me to do alot of things, cause I like to go by the book, and he doesn't. So, I am really nervous. I don't think that the group that they intend to come is going to come, as they want to have the recruting time in the evening, and they are trying to hit the homeschoolers. Since I am one I have a sickening feeling that there won't be a very good response. I was just told what my strengths, and weaknesses are in my training, and it really isn't looking good for the program. I know that most of the kids are airmen, but most of them are at least airman 1st class!

MIKE

What are you saying here?  Are you saying that you are getting all bent out of shape over this because you think it will make you look bad, or the unit look bad?  Or that your putting the effort into this, yet you don't think anyone will even bother to show up?

Also.. When I said airmen I meant cadets in the grades of C/AB through to C/SrA... Not just C/Amn.
Mike Johnston

Xeno

Hmm, How are you getting everyone in one place at the same time? I too was home schooled as a kid, I remember that every Tuesday and Thursday all the local home schoolers would have a meeting, usually at someone's house, or a park, or  bowling alley and I was under the impression that many home schoolers had this type of thing.  If not, then you really need to be talking to the kids and their parents individually BEFORE the event. Even as an airman you should know enough about the program to make an outstanding pitch. Let them know what we are about, throw in some our long history (we've been around for 60 years after all), also don't be afraid to make some notes for yourself and use them during your presentation.

Let me preach on this:
Back when I was an airman, I was asked to serve as the squadron rep for the ARWG CAC by my commander. It was a grueling task, I didn't know anything about CAP regulations at the time. You know what I did? I studied my butt off and learned everything I could. You are in the same position here and your solution is exactly the same as mine was. Knowledge is power my friend. If there is something you don't know, learn it.

Back on topic, another good thing to mention is orientation flights if your unit can provide them (ie: has a working airplane/pilot), if not then don't mention it at all. As Lt. Johnston mentioned, ES should be avoided unless you explain that it takes a considerable amount of time to be trained to perform these duties. Invite your audience to one of your squadron meetings, let them see us in action first hand. You can also mention Cadet Encampments, those are blast! What has CAP done for you? It instills leadership traits, responsibility, and teamwork into our young people. We help shape tomorrows leaders.

Man this is one poorly structured post on my part, oh well, maybe it'll give you some ideas.
C/1st Lt. Josh Sims
C/CC SWR-AR-095

121.5 -- If you crash, we will dash...

Basically Regs

This homeschool group has like 200 families in it. So, it is quite large, and there is 2 anyways. But I am really worried that it will make me, and my commander, and my cadet commander look really stupid if no one shows up. Something that I think I should talk about though is the ES stuff. That is just about all that my sq does. So, I don't want to talk about OP rides since I have never done any, and most of the other cadets haven't either. I really wanted to try to stay with the stuff that we kind of know something about. But really all we do is ES stuff. It is fun, but I don't know how exciting people might think that it is. I have done encampment, and that was fun, but I really don't know what I could tell them about it. We got up really early every day, and worked really hard? No one would want to join after telling them that I don't think.

arajca

Quote from: Basically Regs on August 23, 2005, 11:26:32 PM
This homeschool group has like 200 families in it. So, it is quite large, and there is 2 anyways. But I am really worried that it will make me, and my commander, and my cadet commander look really stupid if no one shows up. Something that I think I should talk about though is the ES stuff. That is just about all that my sq does. So, I don't want to talk about OP rides since I have never done any, and most of the other cadets haven't either. I really wanted to try to stay with the stuff that we kind of know something about. But really all we do is ES stuff. It is fun, but I don't know how exciting people might think that it is. I have done encampment, and that was fun, but I really don't know what I could tell them about it. We got up really early every day, and worked really hard? No one would want to join after telling them that I don't think.

I have been running recruiting meetings all summer. Don't worry if no one shows up. That's life. As for making you and your chain look stupid, if no one shows up, who'll know?

To help cover the topics you don't know much about, get ringers. Ask cadets/seniors from neighboring units for help. Most folks love to talk about it, and someone may even have a presentation prepared. If you do, give them a time frame (10-15 minutes is good) to work with. And expect them to run over. Even if they don't give a presentation, they're invaluable for answering questions. Also, it helps show the folks you're speaking to that you prepared and you have broad support. At the begining, introduce your speakers. If you refer a question to a ringer, introduce them by grade, name, and unit, before they address the audience for the first time. At the end, plan mix-and-mingle time. If you haven't introduced any of the ringers by them, make sure you do so before turning the audience lose on them - add their particular subject matter expertness to the intro,i.e.
"To help answer any questions you may have about our Aerospace Education program, Capt John Paul Jones, the Aerospace Education Officer from XYZ squadron is here. Capt Jones, would you stand so the audience can find you with their questions."

When you speak, watch your audience for signs of drifting. If you are talking about the AE program and you start seeing folks twitch, shift in their seats, and look around alot, cut it short and head for the next topic. Of course, you need to plan for a early topic shift ahead of time - even if you don't need it.

If you're going to talk about encampment, read the stuff in the pubs (CAPP 52-?). Elaborate a little, but make sure you bring a sense of excitement about it.

Xeno

Quote from: arajca on August 24, 2005, 02:01:22 AMAs for making you and your chain look stupid, if no one shows up, who'll know?

Exactly, promote the event as much as you can, if people don't show up, well, at least you can rest easy knowing you gave it your all. When my old commander left for the Naval Academy, he told us something thats stuck with me,

Quote from: C/1st Lt. Josh Mann"You get as much out of CAP as you put into CAP."

This is an excellent opportunity for you, give it your all.
C/1st Lt. Josh Sims
C/CC SWR-AR-095

121.5 -- If you crash, we will dash...

Basically Regs

Thanks for all the support. I'll try my best. I just don't want to make the Civil Air Patrol look bad.