Seven Reasons to Attend the Next AUSN Professional Development Seminar

AUSN offers Professional Development Seminars to assist Navy personnel in their career growth with the Navy. Members of AUSN may view and download the materials presented at these seminars. A typical seminar consists of seven parts and follow in the format described below.

Leading off the seminar, Captain Bob Collins, representing Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD), provided an overview of Leadership Continuum training. Topics included the Officer and Enlisted Leadership Development Continuum.

Captain Eric Stilwell, a Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) Instructor, provided an overview of JPME training. With more career tracks requiring JPME Phase I and II, and ultimately Joint Qualified Officer (JQO), it is was no surprise to learn from an “insider” the several ways to obtain qualification.

Captain Bill Emslie discussed getting ready for your promotion selection board. Key points included putting your service record or Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) in order and how your Officer Summary Record (OSR) and Performance Summary Report (PSR) can make or break your career during the 30-45 seconds it goes before the promotion selection board.

Captain Emslie led the group through a mock selection board. Several records were briefed. An inaccurate or incomplete record will not pass muster in the highly competitive promotion/selection process. An AUSN service record review can help.

Captain Larry Weill led the class through the APPLY process emphasizing the need to read and reread the APPLY 5400 note. Important points were the need to register every year and apply when eligible. If the applicants request is not flexible, then the record may not be selected for a billet.

Captain Weill presented some valuable lessons learned regarding Fitness Reports. Some of his key points included proper preparation, six month counseling, proper ranking and effective comments. He discussed common errors which can ruin an otherwise excellent report.

The class engaged in a discussion regarding the OSR/PSR and asked questions on topics covered in the seminar. Take a look at the Professional Development Seminar Calendar for upcoming dates and locations or send an e-mail to bill.emslie@ausn.org and reserve your seat.

Professional Development Seminar

Where do you start if you want to cut to the chase and gain access to Professional Development information that will have the greatest positive impact on your career? After several years of refinement, we can offer you an opportunity to spend one day of your valuable time on the hottest Professional Development topics presented in a very effective seminar. You can attend one of these seminars yet this year. Each time we teach the seminar, the curriculum is updated to give you the latest trends. Today’s version covers some of the most relevant topics you will need in order to stay on top of your career. Here is a short summary of each topic.

Leadership Continuum

The Leadership Training Continuum includes course work established for both officer and enlisted leadership development. This is required for some enlisted advancement and is a definite plus for officers. We will provide the latest course availability and how to apply. Yes, it is good to have this training in your record, but more importantly, you will learn how to become a more effective leader. This is what really counts.

JPME

Joint Professional Military Education is now required for some 0-5 URL Command Billets in FY 2009. Promotion Selection Boards will also start looking for JPME on your Officer Summary Record/Performance Summary Report (OSR/PSR). What does this mean for you? Where do you get JPME training? What are the options? We answer these questions and give you a basic understanding of JPME.

Are You Ready for Your Selection Board?

In this segment, a board-experienced senior officer provides an overview of how to prepare for a Promotion Selection Board and offers insights on how the board thinks. Did you know that your OSR and PSR are what the board views in the promotion selection board “tank?” Errors and omissions in these two documents are considered as a lack of interest. Is this the impression you want to convey during the 30 seconds to two minutes your record is on the screen before the board? Don’t let years of hard work go unnoticed because you did not take the time to make sure your record was accurate and correctly presented. This segment will tell you how to review and correct you record, and maximize your chances of promotion. We will also give you information on how to apply for a board, either as a member or recorder. Both jobs are guaranteed to open your eyes about how the board works.

Simulated Selection Board

Have you ever wondered about the process used to select and recommend eligible officers for promotion? This segment will allow you to participate in a Selection Board simulated by instructors with multiple board experience. You will see what factors are considered by the board, how they are presented in the tank and how the voting process works. Once you have gone through this process, you will be better equipped to look at your record and focus on the areas that need improvement.

APPLY

How does the APPLY process work? What is the schedule? What changes have been made during the past year? Are there any cautions and best practices to be aware of to maximize your chances of selection for a pay billet? The segment will be taught by an instructor who is very familiar with the APPLY process. You will also learn how to become a member of an APPLY board. There is no better way to learn the process than to be part of it.

Effective Fitness Reports

Do you write fitness reports? At a minimum, you should be drafting input for yours. In this segment we will provide best practices for writing fitness reports. We will cover changes made during the past year; discuss what makes a good FITREP, “gotchas” to avoid and what a promotion selection board member looks for in a FITREP. Lots of detail is not always good. The right detail is.

Mentoring Discussion Groups

This segment gives you the opportunity to discuss you own OSR/PSR within a small breakout group of peers and an instructor. We will point out the strengths and weaknesses in your record and provide suggestions on how to improve this very important “snapshot” of your Navy career. The OSR/PSR is the key document that goes before the board. It needs to be complete and accurate. Anything less detracts.

We wrap up the seminar by providing AUSN members a Web link so that you may download all of the materials presented in the class plus a lot more.

You can reach me at bill.emslie@ausn.org.
Bill Emslie, CAPTAIN, USNR - RET