Posted on Apr 22, 2015
What can I do to prepare for a Military and Spouse Hiring Fair?
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Job Fairs
Cleveland
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 5
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Contact Elizabeth Malkin at RallyPoint, They just ran an incredible event in Boston with the people you would most likely want to have at yours. She should be able to help you with reaching out to some of these folks. The reps from Time/Warner and Sears Holding were fantastic!
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Elizabeth Malkin
GySgt Bryan A. McGown "Gunny", great question and thanks MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca for the shout out. Bob is absolutely right that the best resource that RallyPoint has in this situation are the recruiters that work with the top civilian companies looking to hire transitioning service members and vets.
Joseph Wong, MAJ George Hamilton, LT George Bernloehr, CSM Michael Lynch - what would your best advice be for RallyPoint members who are preparing for job fairs?
Joseph Wong, MAJ George Hamilton, LT George Bernloehr, CSM Michael Lynch - what would your best advice be for RallyPoint members who are preparing for job fairs?
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CSM Michael Lynch
Elizabeth Malkin The best and I believe the most important advice I can give anyone attending jobs fairs is layered. Dress for success- dress like you want an interview or job. Don't wear a ball cap backwards on your head, pants hanging , down torn clothes. Which can also be taken as Dress to Impress. First impressions last-good or bad.
Bring lots of resumes- the last thing you want to tell a recruiter there is that you are out of resumes. Many of them may not be able to hire you right then and there or over the next few months. In the off chance that they can or could in the very near future, no resume means no interview or job offer.
The other important piece is stop at EVERY booth and find out what the company is looking for as well as what they do, again you may not fill their needs right now, but you could in the future (see 2 above again). The other reason to stop at every booth is for a simple reason. If you don't stop because their name doesn't appeal to you or you don't have a clue what they do based on their banner or booth layout, then you may have very well passed up your best opportunity and fit. There is only so much about a company that a banner/booth can show the person at the booth knows everything about the company, if you pass them by, you passed by your next career.
Be confident and leave your ego at the door. You know the saying "check yourself before you wreck yourself". You have done lot in the military and handled a lot of situations more than many civilians, but in the corporate world you are not THE MAN or WOMAN until you prove it to them. Take a step back and realize you bring a lot to the table but arrogance of knowing it all will not work in the corporate atmosphere, accomplishment of the tasks at hand do. Also research what the job pays you are looking at ahead of time. You will have to go lower, do not try to base your wants against your military pay or rank, 85% of the time you will have to start lower. You may have been a BN CDR, but you aren't walking in to a companies CEO position on day one, unless it's your own company. Final thing you can do to help your chances is Network, Network and Network with every recruiter there for the companies that fit what you are looking at, you may get an email for a future opportunity. Did I mention Network? Good luck and happy job fairing.
Bring lots of resumes- the last thing you want to tell a recruiter there is that you are out of resumes. Many of them may not be able to hire you right then and there or over the next few months. In the off chance that they can or could in the very near future, no resume means no interview or job offer.
The other important piece is stop at EVERY booth and find out what the company is looking for as well as what they do, again you may not fill their needs right now, but you could in the future (see 2 above again). The other reason to stop at every booth is for a simple reason. If you don't stop because their name doesn't appeal to you or you don't have a clue what they do based on their banner or booth layout, then you may have very well passed up your best opportunity and fit. There is only so much about a company that a banner/booth can show the person at the booth knows everything about the company, if you pass them by, you passed by your next career.
Be confident and leave your ego at the door. You know the saying "check yourself before you wreck yourself". You have done lot in the military and handled a lot of situations more than many civilians, but in the corporate world you are not THE MAN or WOMAN until you prove it to them. Take a step back and realize you bring a lot to the table but arrogance of knowing it all will not work in the corporate atmosphere, accomplishment of the tasks at hand do. Also research what the job pays you are looking at ahead of time. You will have to go lower, do not try to base your wants against your military pay or rank, 85% of the time you will have to start lower. You may have been a BN CDR, but you aren't walking in to a companies CEO position on day one, unless it's your own company. Final thing you can do to help your chances is Network, Network and Network with every recruiter there for the companies that fit what you are looking at, you may get an email for a future opportunity. Did I mention Network? Good luck and happy job fairing.
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GySgt Bryan A. McGown "Gunny"
I need companies at our event who WILL conduct onsite interviews, and offers of employment. I am conducting the training mentioned at the beginning of this thread. Anyone in the area is welcome to attend. I have 40 seats open.
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Invite a few local companies that have successfully hired vets, with lessons learned and what worked for them. June might be a little close to pull this off now, but is a great thought for the future.
I work in the Department of Interior and we attend job fairs all of the time to help applicants understand and successfully use the USAJobs / Hireme websites.
There is also ESGR, Employer Support of Guard and Reserve, to offer great information about preserving your employment rights. They have local volunteers provide briefings throughout the country.
There is also the Heros to Hardhats webgroup you can look into, I am willing to bet they have a sponsor/speaker in the area.
Hope this gave you a few ideas.
I work in the Department of Interior and we attend job fairs all of the time to help applicants understand and successfully use the USAJobs / Hireme websites.
There is also ESGR, Employer Support of Guard and Reserve, to offer great information about preserving your employment rights. They have local volunteers provide briefings throughout the country.
There is also the Heros to Hardhats webgroup you can look into, I am willing to bet they have a sponsor/speaker in the area.
Hope this gave you a few ideas.
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GySgt Bryan A. McGown "Gunny"
Thank you for your comments. I am the Cleveland, Ohio organizer for Hiring Our Heroes, and own GunnyRet Consulting, LLC, where I provide FREE job coaching assistance to Vets and their spouses. I do contingency and retained search with employers. You can get a good idea of my services at http://www.gunnyret.com.
We have had the DMA, NASA, the VA, and DFAS attend our HoH events and if I recall correctly, TSA, FBI, and U.S. Marshalls.
My goal is to have 180 vendors, and more than 500 job seekers at our event.
We have had the DMA, NASA, the VA, and DFAS attend our HoH events and if I recall correctly, TSA, FBI, and U.S. Marshalls.
My goal is to have 180 vendors, and more than 500 job seekers at our event.
GunnyRet Consulting, LLC. | Serving the Global Employment Needs of Veterans and Employers
Welcometo the home page of GunnyRet Consulting, LLC! Please enjoy your visit on this new site. Please bear in mind that this business is a new venture, and as the business develops; so too, will this site.
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CPT John Baskin Sr
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ [login to see] 17
Pre Memorial Day Charity Golf Tournament
Hosted by Noor Mitchell, Meet Celebrity/Veteran golfers and enjoy a day of Golf, competition, and networking while supporting our Mission.
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I serve on a board in northeast Ohio called, NEOVETS.org.
We ARE training HR professionals about Military recruiting strategies, and have several pending applications for northeast Ohio's FIRST-EVER Certified Military Friendly Employer program. We will be issuing a press release this week to announce our very first recipient!
This isn't just a "gimme". Companies MUST apply and provide documentation as evidence of their efforts. Last September we hosted an event attended by about 70 HR professionals. They earned 5.75 CEUs for their attendance.
Check out the site under Strategies and Employer Tools.
Thank you for your question. We are trying to bring Military Families to northeast Ohio to highlight our military friendly employers, world-class healthcare, education opportunities, and yes - even volunteer opportunities in a 23 county region.
We ARE training HR professionals about Military recruiting strategies, and have several pending applications for northeast Ohio's FIRST-EVER Certified Military Friendly Employer program. We will be issuing a press release this week to announce our very first recipient!
This isn't just a "gimme". Companies MUST apply and provide documentation as evidence of their efforts. Last September we hosted an event attended by about 70 HR professionals. They earned 5.75 CEUs for their attendance.
Check out the site under Strategies and Employer Tools.
Thank you for your question. We are trying to bring Military Families to northeast Ohio to highlight our military friendly employers, world-class healthcare, education opportunities, and yes - even volunteer opportunities in a 23 county region.
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GySgt Bryan A. McGown "Gunny"
Our board members are from the Cleveland Clinic, Case Western Reserve University, The Cleveland Chapter of the American Red Cross, myself (GunnyRet Consulting, LLC), Cuyahoga Community College, Bright Side, LLC, and more. Our board members were helpful in passing OH HB 488.
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