Veterans’ hiring event draws 35 companies and over 550 job seekers
Veterans’ hiring event draws 35 companies and over 550 job seekers
They say you only get what you ask for.According to Ted Hacker, that maxim also holds true for veteran employment.Hacker, the co-founder, along with retired Sergeant Major of the Army Jack L. Tilley, is president and COO of the American Freedom Foundation.Hacker said, "The Warriors to Workforce program stemmed out of a partnership between Tilley, the American Freedom Foundation and the Association of the United States Army."Hacker also said the program, that is designed to occur in conjunction with the Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting in Washington, resulted in 35 companies and approximately 550 veterans attending over the course of its three-day run.It was made up of personal and professional development workshops (12 different ones, held every 90 minutes for three days) intended to assist transitioning service members, veterans and spouses in the transition process.This was the event’s second year.Workshop topics included everything from resume advice and interview psychology and tips to presentation skills, branding and more.The event also included an on-site job fair.Army Col. Virvitine Sharpe, who attended the fair, said that she was interested in local job offerings, since she might be leaving the service soon.Sharpe said she was optimistic that real jobs could come out of the job fair because an agency she spoke with emphasized current vacancies in its ranks, thus demonstrating their seriousness about the hiring process, and said she’d recommend the event to others."It seemed like the companies got a lot of good leads for potential hires, and that’s the main objective: to get veterans hired, and to teach them as much as we can about the issues that they’re going to face when they transition," Hacker said.Hacker imparted two pieces of advice for job-seeking veterans who might have missed out on the event.First, he said, attend as many hiring events as is humanly possible.Next, he advised, cultivate relationships with companies who have a reputation for being military friendly and which have the capability and desire to hire veterans."Outreach is key," he said.The rest, he said, comes down to impressions.He stressed the importance of knowing one’s resume and presentations and understanding "the art of interviewing."Adding, "They need to learn those things, and then they’ll be prepared to stand up for that job."