NSWCPD Holds Affinity Group Interview Days for Recent and Upcoming College Grads

NSWCPD Holds Affinity Group Interview Days for Recent and Upcoming College Grads

By Joseph Fontanazza

Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division (NSWCPD) held two Affinity Group Interview Days for recent and upcoming college graduates on both April 5 and April 26, 2023.

The prospective NSWCPD personnel made their way to the Navy Yard in Philadelphia to be interviewed by some of the Command's managers, but before that, candidates received a Human Resources briefing from Recruitment Coordinator Victoria Gonzalez, Division overview briefings from Director of Strategic Planning and Investments Glenn Ward and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Dr. Eugene M. (Michael) Golda, and a tour of one of the organization's technical test sites.

"We split up the Affinity Group Interview Day into two different days to accommodate students on spring break, and so I thought the days were fairly successful compared to the difference in outcome from pre-COVID to now, but I'm still happy with the students who were able to participate," Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez has been NSWCPD's recruitment coordinator since 2018 and has led the Affinity Group Day planning since 2019. She was the first point of contact for many of the people who currently work with NSWCPD, so seeing a person go from a potential candidate to a full-time employee with the command is a huge point of pride for Gonzalez.

"I think it's always very rewarding experience. I love to be the first person a candidate meets on their way to working for NSWCPD. I'm sure it's equally as rewarding for recruiters who actually go to schools like Rowan or RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute)," Gonzalez said. "They meet these candidates themselves and then they see them come in for an interview day and then see them get hired. I think no matter where you are in the process of meeting these candidates, it's always very rewarding."

In all, NSWCPD managers interviewed 12 candidates across the two days.

NSWCPD Ship Controls Branch Manager Robert Goglia participated as an interviewer and was complimentary to all involved with the Affinity Group Interview Days.

"The Affinity Day Interviews went well; it's a faster-paced event, and Victoria and the recruiting team set the tone with their energy, rigor, and positive vibes to make this successful! The resumes provided for pre-screening indicated that there would be skilled candidates and the interviews further emphasized this point. All of the candidates that I interacted with demonstrated preparedness and eagerness for employment at NSWCPD," Goglia said.

NSWCPD Engineering Operational Sequencing System (EOSS) Branch Manager John Ayres made sure to sing the praises of the candidates that the recruiting team brought in for interviews.

"I conducted two interviews on the first Affinity Day and was extremely impressed with both candidates. So, I was not disappointed and eager to conduct interviews during the second Affinity Day with another highly qualified, outstanding individual whom I'd be delighted to join my team just like the previous two individuals. All candidates were thoroughly prepared and presented extremely well," Ayres said.

The candidates' enthusiasm and inquisitiveness were shown throughout the day and that was just what NSWCPD Branch Manager Joseph Amato wanted to see from potential new members for his team.

"We met several candidates who were enthusiastic about working hands-on to support Sailors and the Fleet, which is always good to see. We're always looking for motivated and curious individuals that want to turn their interest in the Navy into a career. Our recruitment team is always happy to answer any questions from prospective candidates to help guide them along," Amato said.

With the two Affinity Group Interview Days concluded, NSWCPD Logistics Product Readiness Branch Head Justin Spahr offered some advice for future participants in the event.

"My advice for candidates is to take full advantage of the group interview structure by seeking to understand the employment options available from each interviewer and to be direct about their personal and professional interests. Doing so allows our hiring managers to match Command needs with candidate interests to meet mutual goals," Spahr said.

NSWCPD employs approximately 2,800 civilian engineers, scientists, technicians, and support personnel. The NSWCPD team does the research and development, test and evaluation, acquisition support, and in-service and logistics engineering for the non-nuclear machinery, ship machinery systems, and related equipment and material for Navy surface ships and submarines. NSWCPD is also the lead organization providing cybersecurity for all ship systems.