Job fair scheduled for Feb. 11

By Barbara Martin, Army Community Services Employment Readiness ProgramJanuary 17, 2014

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FORT JACKSON, S.C. -- Are you looking for a job? Are you sending out numerous resumes and not getting invited for an interview? Did you know that networking is one of the fastest ways to land a job? Approximately 75 percent of jobs are found through personal contacts instead of responding to classified ads or posting resumes on the Internet.

Job fairs are excellent places to learn, network and land a job. Start your networking strategy by attending the Fort Jackson "Hiring Our Heroes" job fair from 10 a m. to 1 p.m., Feb. 11 at the Solomon Center. This event is open to all military personnel, military spouses, veterans and Department of Defense employees.

More than 50 employers who are hiring will be represented. This event will provide the opportunity for job seekers to talk face-to-face with employers. Job seekers are encouraged to bring plenty of copies of their resume. Resumes should be limited to one to two pages. Resumes can even be targeted to a specific career field and a company that you are interested in working for.

Job seekers should create an "elevator speech" or an "infomercial" to use when introducing themselves to employers. An elevator speech tells who you are, what you've done, what you want to do and how you can be a valuable asset. The speech should be about 30 seconds long.

Here is an example: "Hello, I am John Smith, I have four years of plant management experience plus military-related training. I supervise more than 200,000 square feet in industrial and warehouse facilities and eight staff members. I've also implemented an energy savings program that reduced cost by more than $70,000 per year. I would like to talk to you about how my background relates to the work that you do."

Attendees are encouraged to collect business cards or contact info and follow up within 24 to 48 hours with a thank you letter to each of the representatives they spoke with at the job fair.

Preparation and practice can increase success at job fairs. The Army Community Services Employment Readiness Office offers the workshop "How to make a job fair work for you," from 9 to 11 a m., Feb. 3 at the Strom Thurmond Building, Room 222. Participants practice their elevator speech and can learn new ways to network. To register, call 751-4862/5256.