Legion, Chamber job fair ‘broke the mold’

The American Legion and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce teamed up Feb. 19 to present an employment forum and job fair.

“The relationship between the Legion and the Chamber is one that has been a cornerstone,” said Eric Eversole, president of Hiring Our Heroes. “The American Legion has a long history of serving veterans and their families. The Chamber has a history of serving businesses in those same communities. Together, we look at thoughtful, innovative ways to connect veterans where they are struggling the most.”

Part of the Hiring Our Heroes job fair series, the day’s events were designed to help veterans, servicemembers and their spouses find meaningful careers in the civilian workforce, expand their networks and gain the tools necessary to stand out throughout the hiring process.

“This was a great opportunity for businesses and veterans to connect and explore the meaningful employment opportunities that exist here in the national capital region,” said Eversole. “Sometimes traditional hiring fairs are not enough.”

The first part of the day featured workshops on LinkedIn, personal branding and financial literacy.

Sarah Worley, the Chamber’s Hiring Our Heroes senior manager, shared her LinkedIn expertise with job seekers.

The workshop was designed to help veterans and others maximize their use of the tool, Worley said. “Many people aren’t on the site, and some have never even heard of LinkedIn. It is a challenge because they are missing out on an opportunity to build their personal brands and market themselves on a digital level. In this day and age, it is crucial that they do so.”

A strong emphasis on networking helped less familiar participants understand the benefits of using the website effectively, while more-versed attendees shared other vital resources and tips they learned along the way.

The senior manager said she is always excited to teach the workshop to job seekers looking to gain a competitive edge over their peers. “Now they can really stand out. If recruiters can’t find you on LinkedIn, they won’t even consider you — your resume goes to the no pile. I want every veteran that was at the workshop today to go to the yes pile, because now they know how to create a robust profile,” she said.

Worley believes the job fair/workshop dynamic the Legion and Chamber created really steps outside the box, benefitting frustrated job seekers. The opportunity to polish and use the skills they have been refining during their job searches seemed to tremendously benefit participants.

“Eighty percent of jobs are found through networking,”Worley said. “If today’s attendees take advantage of the resources provided and reach out to our partners — all these people that are committed to their success — they are going to find that next great opportunity.”

Following the morning workshops, attendees were able to mingle with each other and prospective employers during a luncheon.

“This event really gave me a chance to make contacts with people I normally would not have been able to meet,” said job seeker Francisco Browne. “I even got the chance to sit next to the Department of Labor’s assistant secretary during lunch.”

Special guests – including Mike Michaud, the Department of Labor’s assistant secretary, and Verna Jones, the Legion’s executive director – addressed more than 90 job seekers and nearly 20 employers before kicking off the afternoon’s interactive roundtable style job fair.

The smaller roundtables gave prospective employers opportunities to engage attendees in a more personal manner, creating a relaxed atmosphere where veterans felt comfortable practicing their pitches and seeking job opportunities.

“I like that this event took more of a casual approach, as opposed to regular job fairs where there are just lines of tables,” said Browne.