• E-Newsletter

In support of veterans and military spouses looking to advance their careers, the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority is partnering with the Virginia Chamber Foundation and the Virginia Department of Veterans Services to host a Veteran and Military Spouse Career Fair. The free-to-attend event features two days of opportunities for candidates to connect with companies, with in-person sessions between 10:00 am-12:00 pm and 1:00-3:00 p.m. ET on May 11 at the National Museum of the United States Army at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, and a virtual fair taking place from 1:00-4:00 p.m. ET on May 12 via the online meeting portal Brazen. All backgrounds and experience levels are welcome, and attendees do not need to live in Northern Virginia to interview with hiring companies.

• Click here to register for the in-person or virtual Veteran and Military Spouse Career Fair.

During the virtual event, candidates will have the opportunity to network and interview with more than 50 companies and organizations in Northern Virginia, from Fortune 500s to small businesses. Regional employers – including Microsoft, Mandiant and C2 Technologies – are collectively hiring for more than 10,000 positions across a wide variety of sectors including government, IT, finance, defense, renewable energy and healthcare. The in-person event will be attended by 25 companies, as well as veteran career organizations providing valuable resume translation guidance, community services and military spouse career education services.

“We are thrilled to once again invite our nation’s veterans to explore the impactful careers and high quality of life available to them in Northern Virginia’s diverse communities,” said Victor Hoskins, president and CEO of the FCEDA. “Last November’s Veteran and Military Career Fair was a resounding success, with more than 200 veterans attending the in-person event at Fort Belvoir and more than 2,000 online conversations taking place between candidates and our hiring companies.”

Home to nearly 80,000 veterans and their families, as well as a vibrant community of 1,968 veteran-owned firms, Fairfax County is a choice location for both active duty and retired military to successfully transition into the civilian workforce. Northern Virginia’s 27 military bases make for a robust defense industry presence:1,411 companies in the region are actively hiring for a combined 18,199 security clearance jobs and the state’s Virginia Values Veterans (V3) Transition Program provides peer-to-peer support through the transition process and referral services.

“With one of the largest veteran populations in the country, Virginia remains deeply committed to empowering the men and women who answer the call to serve by providing a high quality of life for them, not only while they serve, but as they transition to civilian life,” said Barry DuVal, President & CEO of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce. “One of the most important services we can deliver is to help ensure our transitioning service members, veterans and their spouses find rewarding civilian careers at leading Virginia companies.”

The Veteran and Military Spouse Career Fair is the latest effort by the FCEDA and its partners initiative to attract, retain, retrain and grow talent in Northern Virginia and the second specifically targeted to the active-duty and former military communities. A series of seven virtual career fairs hosted by the FCEDA beginning May 2020 collectively attracted nearly 4,600 attendees and resulted in more than 11,000 completed conversations between job seekers and hiring reps from a wide range of employers.