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Microsoft, Amazon, General Dynamics, Leidos, Verisign and Smoothstack are among dozens of companies that will participate in a January 27 Cyber + IT Career Fair that the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) is presenting to build awareness of thousands of open tech jobs in Northern Virginia.

The free event will take place online from 1-4 p.m. ET, and attendees do not need to live in Northern Virginia to interview with hiring companies. Candidates can register for free to attend the fair at www.workinnorthernvirginia.com/virtual-career-fairs/.

“IT and cyber companies in Northern Virginia are doing work that is critical to national security and to work seamlessly through the pandemic,” said FCEDA President and CEO Victor Hoskins. “We are honored to use our Fairfax County-funded talent initiative to connect so many businesses through this career fair to the workforce they need to thrive here.” 

Small and medium-sized businesses will also be well-represented at the fair, with several notable minority, woman and veteran-owned companies among the almost 50 businesses offering more than 7,000 open positions. Based in Tysons, woman-owned C2 Technologies will be hiring individuals to join their immersive technology mission, serving defense, aerospace, civilian and commercial clients worldwide. Veteran-owned identity proofing firm ID.me, also located in Tysons, will be hiring for a host of positions, including data science, software, marketing and member support roles.

“As a fast-growing company at the forefront of Northern Virginia’s vibrant IT sector, we’re excited to join this career fair and connect with local and national talent that can help grow our services,” said IT Concepts Talent Acquisition Lead Rodrigo O’Connor.

Home to more than 15,000 technology establishments and accounting for about two-thirds of data center expansion among the nation’s top seven markets in 2020, Northern Virginia has emerged as a powerhouse in the IT sector over the last decade. Northern Virginia’s IT industry expected to add more than 130,000 tech jobs in the next five years, including projected job growth from the opening of Amazon’s HQ2 campus in neighboring Arlington County. With an upsurge in ransomware attacks that have spotlighted the widening IT skills gap as not only a cybersecurity threat (50 percent of IT departments say cybersecurity is their most important investment area), but one of nation’s most significant talent challenges.

The Cyber + IT Virtual Career Fair is part of an ongoing series of career fairs: the latest effort by the FCEDA to attract, retain and retrain talent in Northern Virginia. The series of six virtual career fairs hosted by the FCEDA beginning in May 2020 collectively attracted nearly 3,700 attendees and resulted in more than 9,000 completed conversations between job seekers and hiring reps from a wide range of employers.

“The new year brings with it thousands of opportunities for those seeking jobs in tech,” said Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey C. McKay. “The Board has funded the FCEDA talent initiative to help our companies find the talent they need in Fairfax County in order to grow and thrive here.”

The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority promotes Fairfax County as one of the world’s best locations for business and talent. The FCEDA offers site location and business development assistance, and connections with county and state government agencies, to help companies locate and expand in Fairfax County. The FCEDA created the Work in Northern Virginia talent initiative to build the workforce that businesses need to thrive here. In addition to its headquarters in Tysons, Fairfax County’s largest business district, the FCEDA maintains business investment offices in six important global business centers: Bangalore/Mumbai, Berlin, London, Los Angeles, Seoul and Tel Aviv. Follow the FCEDA on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube. Follow Work in Northern Virginia on Instagram and LinkedIn.

The FCEDA is a member of the Northern Virginia Economic Development Alliance, which promotes and markets Northern Virginia outside the region and conducts activities and events to build the regional business community. Other members of NOVA EDA are the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership, Arlington County, City of Fairfax, City of Falls Church, Fauquier County, Loudoun County, City of Manassas, City of Manassas Park and the Prince William County Department of Economic Development.

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