The Difference Between Military Career Conferences and Job Fairs for Veterans

To veterans transitioning from the military, navigating the waters of the civilian job sector can be intimidating and confusing. Job applications, resume writing, and interview preparation are all arguably major pieces of the job search process, yet one of the activities that can offer the most success in finding a job after the military is the Hiring Conference or Job Fair.

While a hiring conference and a job fair may seem synonymous, they are very different. Read on to learn more about the difference between a military hiring conference and a military job fair, and how a military hiring conference at Orion Talent can help your successful military to civilian job transition.

Job fairs for veterans, or career fairs as they are commonly called, are usually hosted by a major organization, like a city's Chamber of Commerce, for example. Most often set up in the form of different booths, they feature a number of different companies from a variety of industries. Potential employees participating in the job fair visit the different "booths," or companies, dropping off their resume for increased visibility on open positions.

A military hiring conference with Orion Talent is a pre-designed event where you can interview with Fortune 500 corporations with open positions and a desire to hire military. These companies value the unique skills and experiences that military service members and veterans offer, and are prepared to interview veteran job seekers at the event, often extending an offer soon after. Orion Talent's hiring conferences are by invitation only, giving veterans a chance to interview for positions that have been carefully selected for their background, skills, and preferences.

The military hiring conferences are held over two days. On the first day, veterans participate in interview preparation, attend briefings on the companies and positions offered, and are given the opportunity to network with both the interviewing employers and other military job seekers. The second day is filled with pre-arranged interviews with interested companies for positions that have been chosen based on veterans' skills and experiences.

For veterans looking for a job after the military, an Orion Talent hiring conference is a great way to interview with multiple companies and positions in one location, increasing the chances of an offer sooner than expected.

"To give you some statistics, for officers that attend a hiring conference, out of 50 officers that may attend, with 25 companies in attendance, at least 80 to 85 percent of those who attend have follow-up interviews coming out of the event," explains Orion Officer Recruiter and Senior Partner Bob Berkholz in an article from Military.com, The Skinny on Hiring Conferences.

Find out more about Orion Talent's Hiring Conferences, see how to prepare for a Military Hiring Conference or read what other veterans say about Orion Hiring Conferences.