Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton held a career symposium for military women in transition at the Pacific Views Events Center here, Oct.9.

More than 200 Marines and Sailors participated in the event, which focused on the unique needs of military women in transition and their career development through workshops and classes.

“This symposium showed us that there are an abundance of opportunities for women in the civilian sector and that we can continue to make a difference when we transition,” said Master Sgt. Patricia Dupree, communications operations chief with Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

The event included a career image workshop, a class on entrepreneurship, a panel discussion and the Veteran Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship program. The V-WISE program itself was presented by Syracuse University and taught the participants how to start their own businesses.

“It’s a very competitive job market out there and a there’s a different corporate culture. It’s important for military women to know how to market themselves as civilian professionals so that they can get the jobs that they want,” said Megan Harless, a lecturer at the symposium. “Information is power.”

Professionals from different industries ranging from information technology to engineering participated in the panel discussion to talk about networking, employment and mentorship opportunities. 

“As of 2013 there were 184,700 female veterans in the state, making California the second state with the most female veterans,” said Kristen Newsome, lead event coordinator. “However, statistics from the department of veteran’s affairs show that many women still don’t identify themselves as veterans to their employers, so they sometimes might not receive the benefits.”

“The course taught them how to access those benefits,” Newsome added.

Finally, the course provided lessons on behavioral health and wellness, with unique lessons for women suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and other emotional and mental issues.

For more information on the career development seminar for military women in transition and for future events, please contact Kristen Newsome at 760-725-9478.