Fair Success
May's career fair could open the door to opporunity for you and your spouse.
By Col. H.W. Buse III, USMC-Ret., Director, TOPS

The TROA Career Fair 2002 is on target for May 1, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Washington, D.C., Convention Center. It is free and open to active duty, former, and retired servicemembers of all grades and their spouses.

Last year, 160 employers participated in the troa career fair. They were struck by the high quality, skill, and demeanor of the job seekers. Feedback showed that each of the participating employers identified more than 40 viable candidates for positions they were trying to fill.

This year, we expect at least 100 participating employers representing a wide variety of professions, to include Department of Defense contractors, federal government agencies, and well-known for-profit companies, associations, and franchises. A complete, updated list of participating employers is on TROA's Web Base, www.troa.org/tops. (Once there, click on "TOPS Career Fair Washington DC 2002" at the top right-hand side of the page.)

Why should you attend TROA Career Fair 2002? First, you may land a job—and may do so more quickly than you ever imagined. Participating employers are familiar with the positive and well-deserved reputations of servicemen and -women. They respect your standards and values, and they want to meet you. Further, many will conduct private, on-the-spot interviews. Those interviews are important and are a precursor to more formal interviews that may well follow.

Second, you'll gain experience and confidence interacting with civilian employers. Third, if you opt to leave a copy of your résumé at the door, it will get to all participating employers.

Once you decide to attend, start thinking about how to prepare. Here are some tips:

• Go to TROA's Web Base (www.troa.org/tops) to find a list of participating employers. Click on the names of those that interest you and review their Web sites. Collect and study background information on those companies, and prepare questions you want to ask their representatives.
• Do a careful self-assessment, and develop an informal but substantive 30-second introduction that tells an employer about your background, employment interests, and how you might add value to his or her organization.
• Go to the career fair with an open mind. You never know what an employer is looking for.
• Bring at least a dozen copies of your networking résumé(s) to distribute.
• Dress and present yourself well.
• Above all else, be yourself and smile. Relax, be natural, and have fun. You not only will meet some quality employers but also will probably run into some old friends as well.

Attending TROA Career Fair 2002, or any other career fair, can be one of the most nonthreatening, enjoyable, and productive transition experiences you will have. Remember, though: Before you attend, fully understand your value to civilian organizations and carefully prepare. Once there, remain upbeat, enthusiastic, and energetic to ensure your success creating job opportunities.

We hope you will help us spread the word about this first-class career fair. We look forward to seeing you there May 1.