Working a job fair p1 - Military Transition - Military Times EDGE

Walking into a MilitaryStars job fair, it’s hard not to feel good about yourself. As the doors to the hotel ballroom fly open and a few hundred job seekers surge forward, recruiters from two dozen employers rise to their feet and break into applause, celebrating your military service.

Soon they’re handing out pens and lanyards emblazoned with corporate logos — it’s just not a job fair until someone gives you a squishy ball shaped like a hand grenade. Then the lines form at display booths as candidates queue up for the two- to three-minute greetings that are the core of the fair experience.

Job fairs are serious business. The bigger events attract thousands of people eager for a chance to meet face to face with multiple employers and make a quick pitch in the hopes of landing an interview. Virtually every major employer in the private sector has some program of job fair participation, and many federal agencies make appearances.

A number of companies stage job fairs aimed specifically at matching former military personnel with military-friendly companies. MilitaryStars in Sarasota, Fla., for example, will host two dozen job fairs nationwide this year. Each fair will bring 300 to 500 job seekers in touch with 15 to 20 employers from a broad range of industries.

For many candidates, job fairs represent a first chance to glimpse the face behind the mask. “They have been sending out a ton of résumés and not getting any feedback, not getting a chance to talk to anybody,” said MilitaryStars managing partner Todd Hecht. “The most valuable part of the process for them is the face-to-face interaction.”

Shannon Dowdell experienced that human touch at a May 2008 hiring conference produced by Orion International for former military personnel. “I learned just what the expectations are in the real world, what it is like to do a real interview for an actual career,” said Dowdell, a former nuclear electronics technician who left the Navy in March 2007 as a petty officer second class. “Having never conducted an interview or put together a résumé, that experience was golden.”

And it paid off. The conference landed Dowdell a job as a top drive technician with Canrig Field Service, an oil services company in Houston.

Air Force Lt. Col. Steve Hill, a mission commander with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, likewise benefited from face time at a January fair sponsored by Columbia, Md.-based Transition Careers. By the end of the month, four employers had contacted him for further information to move the employment process along.

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Research is your friend

Preparation is key to success at any job fair, experts agree.

Organizers will offer a list of participating companies in advance, and the savvy seeker should comb those lists for likely matches.

“The smart guys and gals will look at the jobs that are posted [on company Web sites and online job boards], just to see the types of things that are available, and then get a 30-second elevator pitch developed for each company,” said Larry Slagel, senior vice president of Loveland, Ohio-based Recruit Military, which has five to 10 “opportunity expos” a month. “Your 30-second pitch should connect your military experience to the jobs they are offering.”

For the most interesting companies, Slagel recommended going beyond the customized pitch to produce customized paper. “It helps to have a different résumé for each type of position, within reason. If you are open to sales, you need a résumé that reflects your sales experience. If you are looking to a leadership position, your résumé should highlight that.”

Keep an open mind

Preparation can give you an edge by leading you to companies others may overlook.

“Everybody will rush to the big defense contractors, but there may be great private companies no one looks at just because they have not heard of the name,” Hecht said. “If you do your research, you can find those companies.”

So long as there is time, the experts say, it pays to talk to everyone.

That’s how Hill found an unexpected lead at the Transition Careers event. “There was one company that I didn’t think would be a good match, just based on looking at their materials ahead of time,” he said. “But I talked to them and they seemed quite interested. They are one of the companies I have been in contact with by e-mail and phone.”

Don’t “make quick judgments about a company without even talking to people,” Slagel said. Looking for an IT job? Grocery chains need tech workers just as much as many IT-based operations. “This may be a Fortune 100 company, and they may need IT support just like any other big company.”

To grab those opportunities, job seekers need to have their nuts and bolts in order. Craft a solid résumé and bring 25 or 30 copies on the big day. Bring copies of references with contact information and a separate sheet detailing all the things not spelled out on your résumé: a short bio of your tour, for example, with accolades and achievements.

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Time it right

In a room full of suits, with a few hundred people vying for recruiters’ attention, it’s crucial to strategize your time. Slagel recommended starting small and working up.

“People look at Lockheed Martin and they go to that big line and wait,” he said. As minutes pass, tension mounts. “Instead of going to your No. 1 pick right away, go network with some other companies; use it as a chance to rehearse your pitch. Then around lunchtime, when the line has gone down, go and talk to those other contacts. When people do that they end up doing really well, because it’s not as nerve-wracking.”

And confidence can have a big impact on employers seeking more than just technical skills.

“Personality wins out a lot of times in these events,” Hecht said. “Companies are looking for cultural fit, they are looking for people with good personality. That means that even if you have stood in line for 15 or 20 minutes to talk to that employer, you still need to be on the top of your game.”

Pitch it strong

In the crucial three-minute interview, candidates are expected to deliver a concise bio, highlighting their achievements that align most closely with the needs of the employer.

“Generally the employer will ask the first question: What kind of work are you looking for? What do you do?” Hecht said. “That would definitely be the place to use a condensed infomercial about yourself, an introduction to what you have done in your career. It should be a brief introduction.”

Time permitting, it helps to probe. “This can be a time to ask questions about what the work environment is. It’s good to ask what the hiring managers themselves like about the company. Well thought-out questions show interest,” Hecht said.

Don’t give up

Even with the right attitude, not every interview will be a winner. That’s OK. Sometimes a candidate still can find a way in the door.

“The thing you should impress upon the recruiter is that you are open to their helping you network,” Slagel said. Ask for advice. Request that they circulate your résumé within the company. “People in the veteran community are really willing to help each other, but you have to ask them.”

If all goes very well, a candidate can score an interview or even get an offer that day, Hecht said. Often a candidate will be invited on site for follow-up interviews with other executives, and to meet the team.

As for the squishy hand grenades and novelty key chains ... don’t get your hopes up.

“You have these multibillion-dollar Fortune 100 companies,” Slagel said, “and they hand out the cheapest damn pens in the world.”

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Fairs vs. conferences

Job fairs expose candidates to a range of industries and employers, which can be helpful if you are flexible in terms of industry or geography. But that broad view can also lead job seekers down a few dead ends.

You might be able to get a quicker hit with less stress at a hiring conference such as those held by military job placement firms Orion International or Bradley-Morris.

In these smaller venues, preregistered candidates might meet with three to five prescreened employers whose needs align with the service members’ talents.

“A candidate can’t handle eight to 12 interviews in a day. That’s a pretty long day for anybody,” said Bill Scott, vice president of marketing at Bradley-Morris.

At a hiring conference, you’ll meet for 30 to 45 minutes with a potential supervisor or someone higher up the chain. You’ll likely encounter a conversational interview, as opposed to delivering a quick presentation.

To succeed in this setting, Scott said, have in mind three or four situational scenarios that illustrate your ability to deliver a certain type of performance. “Depending on the question that is asked, you can reference these scenarios in your head and talk about the aspect of performance that relates to the question.”

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What to wear

Ask the fair organizers what kind of attire is expected. When in doubt, it’s never wrong to go more formal: a dark business suit for both men and women.

“I was on the higher end of the dress code, but I would never say a suit and tie is overdressed for an interview,” said Shannon Dowdell, a former Navy petty officer second class who landed a job through a hiring conference.

It’s also acceptable to wear your uniform, and many service members do, especially at job fairs on base.