Unlocking Opportunities: The Benefits of Military Community Career Fairs

For employers looking to recruit quality job candidates, there’s no better place to start than career fairs — especially when targeting highly skilled and technical workers like members of the military community. There are about 9.6 million working-age veterans in the United States and 200,000 members of the military transitioning to civilian roles each year. Career fairs give your organization the chance to meet these qualified workers face-to-face and help them take the next step in their careers.
But why are career fairs so important, and how can your company benefit from participating? We’ll cover these questions and more.
Benefits of Career Fairs for Employers
With 77% of employers struggling to find qualified candidates to fill full-time positions, career fairs pose an advantageous way to reach new talent. These events offer:
Access to Skilled Workers
Veterans and transitioning military personnel often possess specialized skills, including leadership, problem-solving, adaptability, and technical expertise. Career fairs provide direct access to this talent pool, allowing employers to tap into a workforce with diverse experience.
You should come to events ready to interact with candidates who possess skills in maintenance, operations, management, logistics, medical services, human resources, and more. Military career events offer access to a broad range of skill sets applicable to every major industry including manufacturing, law enforcement, retail, engineering, and beyond.
Enhanced Diversity
Hiring veterans contributes to workforce diversity. Veterans bring unique perspectives from their military service, enriching the company culture and fostering an inclusive work environment, which can improve innovation and team performance.
Outside of experiential diversity, the military community is consistently growing more ethnically diverse. Nearly 75% of veterans are White, 12% are Black, 8% are ethnically Hispanic, and 7% identify with more than one race, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This is a positive shift from 2011 data, resulting in a group that brings hundreds of different experiences and cultures to the table.
Increased Brand Visibility
Participation in veteran-focused career fairs raises a company’s visibility and enhances its reputation as a veteran-friendly employer. This not only attracts members of this community but also strengthens relationships with military organizations and advocacy groups that support transitioning personnel.
Varied Candidate Skills
At military career fairs, you’re not limited to a specific skill set or style of role. Instead, your business will be able to connect with a greater variety of candidates at a single event, making it easier to fill all your open vacancies.
Diversified Military Backgrounds
Every single transitioning military member has a story, meaning each individual has a deep wealth of knowledge and experience that can benefit your company. By learning about people’s military backgrounds and how they fit into your organization, you can build a strong talent pipeline that will serve both you and the veteran workforce for years to come.
First Access to Transitioning Military Members
Career events allow you to connect with job candidates interested in immediate and future vacancies before competitors can reach out to them. For example, career fairs held at military bases provide your organization access to people in the early stage of transition, allowing you to hold important conversations and build interest before other companies can.
Influence Over Skill Sets
Most military community members have critical skills but a limited understanding of the sheer multitude of career options available to them. By participating in career events, employers can sway very skilled and experienced workers to consider their organizations, painting a clear picture of how those skills would be used in a given role.
Virtual vs. In-Person Fairs: How To Prepare for Both
Before setting up your booth or sprucing up your online presentation, there are a few action steps you can take to help either type of job fair go smoothly:
- Research demographics: Know who you’re about to talk to so you can better understand the military community and its specific identifiers. RecruitMilitary provides registered candidate demographics in our client dashboard, providing employers with key information to better communicate with job candidates. By researching how those demographics fit into your company, you can have more deliberate conversations about open roles.
- Keep an open mind: Translatable skills may not be readily apparent in previous work experience titles. Know the key disciplines you’re looking for in candidates and be prepared to ask unconventional questions to better decipher how previous military roles have prepared individuals for civilian ones. Many veterans have the experience but lack the title you’d expect.
Now, let’s look at pre-event preparations for both virtual and in-person career fairs.
Virtual Career Fairs
Virtual fairs are a way to interact with qualified workers from all over the country, making it easy to connect no matter where your company is located. For remote career events, complete the following steps for a great candidate experience:
- Create content: Customize your virtual booth, create frequently asked question templates, set up waiting and private chat rooms, and prepare downloadable brochures, videos, and other digital materials to engage potential candidates. Update your company’s website and social media profiles with relevant information and images, as candidates will likely research the company before or during the event.
- Train recruiters: Prepare your recruiters to engage through video calls, live chat, and email follow-ups so they can answer questions and intentionally interact with everyone virtually. They should be comfortable with virtual communication to make a positive first impression.
- Test technology: Ensure all technology platforms are working properly, including video conferencing software, chat functions, and the virtual fair interface. Conduct test runs to familiarize recruiters with the virtual job fair platform.
In-Person Career Fairs
These job fairs can be held in several locations, from military bases to stadiums and entertainment complexes. They draw people from all military branches under one roof, making them fruitful opportunities to fill job openings. Here are a few tips to prepare your team:
- Prepare marketing materials: Bring physical materials like brochures, business cards, and promotional items that showcase your company and job opportunities. Ensure your branding is consistent so it feels familiar and trustworthy to people stopping at your booth.
- Plan logistics thoughtfully: Arrange transportation, set up a visually appealing booth, and ensure all necessary equipment (laptops, display stands, etc.) is available. Confirm recruiting event details like location, schedule, and parking so you don’t have to scramble or stress out the day of.
- Brief recruiters: Prepare recruiters to answer in-depth questions about the company, roles, and benefits and speak on military-specific concerns and queries. Meeting with job candidates face to face allows your team to make an immediate, positive impact, helping your company stick in attendees’ minds when they start applying.
Maximizing Your Career Fair Participation
Making the most of every career fair takes a strategic approach, especially when targeting the veteran audience and their spouses. These individuals are taking a huge step and want to ensure their families are well taken care of as they choose different career paths — and you can provide that peace of mind. You can try these approaches to strengthen your performance:
Embrace Transferable Skills
Clearly communicate how military skills — such as technical skills, leadership, teamwork, discipline, and problem-solving — align with the job opportunity you’re offering. Veterans may not immediately see how their military experience translates to civilian jobs, so help bridge the gap.
Employers should remain open-minded and listen for questions outside of job titles and work experience. When talking with a job seeker, be willing to ask about their experience in multiple ways. For example: “Do you have project management experience?” vs. “Do you have experience managing timelines, budgets, and personnel considerations to finish a project?”
Highlight Veteran-Friendly Initiatives
Showcase your commitment to hiring veterans by promoting veteran support programs, employee resource groups (ERGs), and mentorship initiatives. If your company has earned veteran-friendly awards or certifications, make sure to emphasize these.
Understand Military Resumes
While the military community is extremely talented and experienced, veterans’ resumes and previous titles probably won’t look like the typical ones you’re familiar with. Train your recruiters to listen for transferable skills and ask clarifying follow-up questions. This helps them better identify how a veteran’s skills fit into your job openings.
Partner With RecruitMilitary for Career Fair Success
Our hiring events have generated over 100,000 expected job offers for veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses. By partnering with us, we can help connect you to skilled talent that you might not otherwise have access to.
Contact our team to learn more about our military career fairs and other career services so your company can find skilled workers in your area and make an impactful impression.