From 9 a.m. to noon Nov. 6, 47 area universities and 56 businesses seeking employees filled the Solomon Center for the Fort Jackson Education and Career Fair looking for the right candidate for their organizations.
It was a one-stop-shop for service members, veterans and Family members seeking higher education or employment.
Soldier for Life partnered with the Education Center and Army Community Service to host the event.
"We have a few hiring events per year," said Carolyn Andrews, Soldier for Life transition services manager.
During a previous fair, 53 job-seekers were offered employment in one day, she said.
To be added to the roster Tuesday, businesses had to have several positions available, Andrews said.
They ranged "all across industries at all levels," she added. "We (had) a really good, diverse array of opportunities."
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the City of Orangeburg, and the Department of Motor Vehicles were just a few participants this year.
Jessica Linnen was one employer representative. She is the employment services and recruitment manager from the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice.
The department was searching for juvenile correctional officers, nurses, psychologists and more.
"We have an array of positions," Linnen said.
"We're always looking to hire veterans," she added. The goal is to "support them … give them a career."
Some post-secondary institutions represented were Midlands Technical College, Liberty University, and the University of South Carolina.
They all want to support Fort Jackson, Andrews said.
Some Fort Jackson businesses were featured, too.
The Exchange was hiring for a number of positions, many in the fast food industry where turnover is high, said Robin Miller, human resources assistant for the Exchange.
She has represented the Exchange at a number of hiring events.
"(Applicants) don't know how to get to us," she said. Career fairs act as a liaison between human resources and job seekers, Miller added.
"It's such a win-win opportunity," MIller said.
It removes barriers for prospective employees. It eases the process of learning about an organization, and it adds a level of connection that goes beyond reading a resume.
The goal is to "even up the playing field," Andrews added, saying the aim is to highlight the talent that servicemen and women and their Family members have to offer.
Job seekers had varied reasons for attending.
Jason Lucas, a Fort Jackson medical instructor was looking for a change in career, hoping to make the leap into transportation.
Nine months from retirement, he said he attended the fair to see what was available.
Jose Rodriguez, newly retired from the Army, was unsure of what he was looking for.
All he knew was that he didn't want an office job; the career fair gave him a chance to find a good fit.
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