Thursday, April 24, 2008

Job fair opportunities vary

Resume ready?

There are several, upcoming local job fairs in the area.

Family and Morale Welfare and Recreation Command, in conjunction with USO of Metropolitan Washington and Joint Employment Transition Services present Military Spouse Job Fair and Expo Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Fort Belvoir Officers’ Club. The event has limited seating, so, early registration is recommended by calling 703 805-4277/4590 or e-mailing .

“This job fair and exposition is mutually beneficial to both employers and employees,” said Patti Wells, Employment Readiness Program Manager at FMWRC. “It connects military spouses with many employers by bringing them together in one place. It gives military spouses the opportunity to meet and interview with employers immediately and help to establish a relationship.”

Corporate partners from the Army Spouse Employment Program will be present to meet and interview candidates for available positions within their corporations, Wells said. The ASEP program is comprised of fortune 500 companies and federal agencies.

As an alternative to a traditional career fair, military spouses will experience social networking tools, learn valuable skills and have the option to attend classes on stress management, volunteering, how to manage money, how to get a federal job and have their resumes reviewed before being interviewed for positions.

Job fairs can sometimes be intimidating because hundreds of people gather in one room to compete for the same positions. To alleviate tension, raffles and prizes will be conducted throughout the day.

“More than 35 exhibits, including a variety of employers from associations, home-based businesses, federal and private-sector agencies, will be there,” Wells said.
This job fair is free, including breakfast and lunch. Registration and breakfast starts at 7:30 a.m.

Designed to empower military spouses through information, motivation and skill development leading to sound career choices, the program includes presentations on federal jobs, self-employment and alternative careers.

Breakout sessions include: Maximizing Your Education Benefits, 10 Steps for Federal Employment, Career Choices for Military Spouse, Your Winning Image, Evaluating Benefit Plans, The Ins & Outs of Volunteering, Writing An Effective Resume, Stress Management and Franchising 101.

The day will also include a “mini job fair” with national and local employers, information on home-based businesses and representatives from the Small Business Administration. 
Attendance is free to military spouses. More information is available through http://www.usometrodc.org.

The RecruitMilitary-DOL Career Fair, a free hiring event for veterans, personnel who are transitioning from active duty, Reserves, Guard, and military spouses presented by RecruitMilitary, the President’s National Hire Veterans Committee, the American Legion, and the Military Spouse Corporate Career Network is in Landover, Md., at FedEx Field, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 1.
More information and job-seeker registration is available through http://www.recruitmilitary.com. The event is free.
At the career fair, a team of veteran-friendly organizations will conduct one-on-one interviews with the job seekers - organizations that include corporate employers, law-enforcement agencies and other government employers, educational institutions, veterans’ service agencies, and veterans associations.

Already expected to participate include Augusta Aerospace Corporation; DeVry University; L-3 GSI; Lear Siegler Services; Loomis; the Military Spouse Corporate Career Network; MVM; Oldcastle Architectural Products Group; Terremark Worldwide; the U.S. Border Patrol and the Veterans Benefits Administration.

The Joint Employment Transition Services and the USO of Metropolitan Washington also host a job fair May 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Fort Belvoir Officers’ Club, 5500 Schulz Circle.
Dozens of employers, including area police and fire departments, federal agencies, health care agencies, defense and government contractors, are participating to discuss job openings with candidates. All military ID card holders are eligible to attend. People who attend should bring resumes, be prepared for on-site interviews and not bring children. 

Additional information is available from Dawn Fincham, 703 805-2464, ; or Cassie Camp, 703 696-0958, .