Veterans and their dependents are being encouraged to attend a military jobs fair at Fort Knox Thursday. The Hardin County military post is hosting about 70 organizations that are looking to hire veterans and their spouses.
Jake Hutchings is director of the group Civilianjobs.com, which is overseeing the event. He says veterans should be prepared to explain how their military service can translate into success at a corporate workforce.
“How do you take that 15-year, 20-year career—or even a five-year career with a deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan--and compartmentalize that down to two minutes of, ‘hey, this is what I’ve done in the service, these are the skills I’ve learned, and this is the value I bring to your organization’? So if there’s a veteran out there listening, that’s the first place to start.”
Hutchings says many civilian employers have come to appreciate the leadership and technical skills many veterans possess. Hutchings is himself a veteran, and says employers are seeking out veterans out of respect, not pity.
“There have been experiences and difficulties that every veteran has had to deal with in their own way. Yet, corporate America realizes this, and I think we’re at a turning point now—at least with what I’ve seen from the organizations that I deal with—that there’s no stigma attached to a veteran.”
The jobs fair is being held Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Saber and Quill officer’s club at Ft. Knox.
While veterans are urged to register in advance of the event, spouses can sign up at the jobs fair.
A link to the registration page is here.
