If you are a Veteran and have been online in the past month, you have probably heard about the Veterans Hiring Event in Detroit June 26-28. There will also be a Veteran Open House, a completely free event hosted by VA featuring benefits and services for Veterans. The event will span three days and will have many resources on site for Veterans, such as healthcare enrollment, onsite exams, and information on other benefits and services available to Veterans, families, and survivors. You can learn about these and The National Veterans Small Business Conference here. VA Careers will also have a Booth set up for those eligible for positions supporting the Mental Health Hiring Initiative, so be sure to visit the VA Careers booths #10119 and #517/519
If you are anywhere near Detroit, I hope to see you there. Here are a few career fair tips before we get there.
Preparation: Haircut, shave, clean shoes and matching belt, and of course business attire that fits. Do your homework and know where you are going and how to get there. In addition, the all-important resume. Make sure it is current, has a professional email address, and is available digitally and printed. Nothing fancy is necessary, just organized and in one plain folder.
You are on interview status the second you walk out of your door. The bus, the train, the parking lot, you never know if a recruiter or employer is walking right beside you. Be sure to have a 30 second “elevator speech” that demonstrates your qualifications. I also like to have an 8-10 word mission statement that reminds everyone and me what I do. “Provide Marketing and Advertising expertise that drives quality prospects to www.Vacareers.va.gov ”. That’s mine– what’s yours?
Now that you are in…smile, take a deep breath and remember, you have already accomplished more for our country than most people will their entire lives. Today is a day you will learn more about job searches than you thought you would ever need to know. Your goal today is one of two things. A tentative job offer or becoming an expert on career search resources. Either way will benefit you in the long run.
Thank you for your service and thanks to the “army” required to put this event together to aid Veterans in small business and accessing career resources.
See you in Detroit!
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