Over the past year, CIRI’s Human Resources (HR) department launched new initiatives targeted at encouraging increased shareholder and descendant job hire and engaging the next generation of shareholders. As 2015 draws to a close, HR staff are already gearing up for a new year focused on improving existing programs, like Take the Next Generation to Work Day and CIRI’s annual Job Fair, and creating additional job-development opportunities.
Whether you’re just entering the workforce or have years of experience under your belt, CIRI features a number of employment resources that can help you take the next step in your career.
Summer Internship Program
Photo by Jason Moore.
“It’s exciting to get through the first year of this program and see that it went very well, and how great it turned out for our interns,” says CIRI shareholder Darla Graham, manager for CIRI Shareholder Employment Programs. Four of the six interns who participated in CIRI’s first summer Internship program have landed positions with CIRI subsidiaries North Wind Group and CIRI Services Corporation (CSC), in CIRI’s IT department and at Alyeska Pipeline. The other two interns have returned to school to finish their degrees.
Although this year’s internship program was extremely successful, Graham sees room for improvement. CIRI’s 2016 summer internship will offer opportunities in additional CIRI departments and with CIRI subsidiaries.
A community service component will also be added to next year’s internship, offering participants the chance to volunteer in one of CIRI’s villages. “It’s a way to expose our young shareholders and descendants to the region and connect them with the work CIRI does and how it relates to the people we serve,” Graham says.
The application period for this paid summer internship opens in February, but Graham invites any interested and eligible CIRI shareholder or descendant to contact her with questions at dgraham@ciri.com. “We’ve already got a lot of interest,” she says.
For more information on the summer internship program, visit ciri.com/internship.
Take the Next Generation to Work Day
On Monday, January 18, 2016, CIRI youth are invited to spend the day at CIRI learning about the company, what it does and the career opportunities it offers. TNGW Day participants will also lunch with former CIRI interns to learn more about the summer internship program and to encourage them to apply for an internship when they are eligible.
“Next year we’re trying to tie the two programs together a little more,” Graham says.
CIRI HR is making other improvements to TNGW Day. “This year, we received feedback that participants would really enjoy and benefit from a cultural component,” Graham says, “so we’re going to have someone from the Alaska Native Heritage Center come and talk to them about the different Alaska Native cultures.”
The biggest change, though, will come in the afternoon of TNGW Day. While participants got to briefly visit every CIRI department this year, next year participants will instead choose a specific department where they’ll spend quality time learning about the work that department does.
Next year’s TNGW Day will also start a little later—at 10 a.m. To learn more about this opportunity and how to apply, visit ciri.com/nextgen.
Job and Resource Fair
number of employers, including other Alaska Native corporations. Photo by Joel Irwin.
For the last three years, CIRI has held a Job and Resource Fair meant to connect CIRI shareholders and confirmed, registered descendants to employment opportunities with CIRI, its affiliated entities, other Alaska Native corporations and private employers in the Cook Inlet region. CIRI continues the tradition on January 29, 2016, with a few minor tweaks.
“The real change is location,” Graham says. “The Job Fair will be here, at the Fireweed Business Center, on the first floor, and it’s a great opportunity not only to explore and apply for jobs but to see the building if you haven’t had the chance yet.”
Instead of holding the usual Resume Development Workshop, hosted by Cook Inlet Tribal Council (CITC), next year’s Job Fair attendees will have access to a bank of computers where they can work on and print out their resumes. CITC representatives will also be on-hand to answer questions and offer resume advice.
More on the fourth annual CIRI Shareholder Job and Resource Fair can be found at ciri.com/jobfair.
Additional opportunities
“If you’re interested in summer employment, now is a great time to apply with CIRI Alaska Tourism Corporation,” says Graham. Shareholders are encouraged to apply for a variety of seasonal jobs. CIRI is also working with both CATC and The CIRI Foundation (TCF) to encourage TCF scholarship recipients and other college students to apply for summer tourism jobs. “What a great way to spend a summer between semesters!”
Apply for CATC jobs at www.ciritourism.com/employment.
CIRI HR has several other exciting shareholder and descendant employment programs in the works. Keep an eye out for upcoming opportunities. Until then, visit ciri.com/careers to check out current openings with CIRI and its subsidiaries.
