Job Fairs - 5 pieces of advice to make your experience successful

By Ron Rutherford, TAOnline.com

Job Fairs are a great place to get 'face time' with an employer and it all seems so easy. It looks like all you have to do is show up; walk down the aisles, locate someone you want to talk to; walk up to the company representative, give your name, a copy of your resume and voila; you’re done. If that's the way you want to approach a Job Fair, your job search will be longer than shorter. Here are 5 ways to make the most of your job fair.

#1 - Have your elevator pitch nailed down

You know what an elevator pitch is right? It's that short, concise speech about yourself you could give on an elevator ride, if someone asks...'tell me about yourself'. Your main elevator pitch should be about 60-seconds long. But, before you even think about giving that pitch, beyond your name, what could you tell me in 10-seconds about yourself that would have me asking, 'tell me more'. You need to get both nailed down before you head to the job fair. You're like a fishermen, your 10-second pitch is our cast. If they bite, use the 60-second pitch to reel them in.

#2 - Research the companies attending the Job Fair

This is kind of like trying to ace a test without studying for it. Come-on! Most job fairs provide a list of which companies are attending. In fact, the job fair WANTS you to see that list. So, take a look at who's there, figure out who you want to talk to, then get to know those companies. Company reps look for candidates who stand out. If you can't discuss company products, locations, etc, you won't get noticed. Here's the thing; you don't need to know everything, but you need to know some things. Prepare notes on each of the companies you plan to visit. Review those notes prior to visiting the company booth. There are plenty of ways to research, and clicking here is one example.

#3 - Bring plenty of resumes

This seems like a 'duh', but you'd be surprised. If you think you’ll only pass out 10 resumes, bring 20; 20 resume bring 30. You can never have too many copies of your resume. Yes it would be nice if they were all on quality resume paper, but a resume on a plain white piece of paper is still better than no resume at all. Be prepared. You only get to make a first impression once.

#4 - Aggressive, yes - Pushy and belligerent, no

It is an employers' market right now and waiting for someone to approach you will only extend your job search. This doesn't mean you should push people out of the way to get to the company rep. Be respectful, but aggressive. Hold your ground and make sure you get your chance to make your pitch. And, once you've got the company reps attention, hold onto it. Ask intelligent questions. Be engaging. Of course that means you’ve done your research (see #2).

#5 - Be rested

Sounds simple right? Too often though we can blow off our need for sleep because spending time with our friends or family sounds like more fun. When you walk into a job fair, you need to be sharp and alert. You need to have the energy to work your way to the front, tell you story to the company rep, and do it over and over again. And, no amount of Red Bull or Monster can make up for some quality 'Z's. Be rested so you’ll have the stamina to perform at your highest level. You don’t necessarily need to be the best, you just need to be at your best.

For a list of current job fairs listed with TAOnline.com, Click Here

New Mexico Congressman aims to put Unemployed Veterans to work in Energy Jobs

Multiple Sources

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5, 2010 – Congressman Harry Teague unveiled new legislation this monthg, aimed at improving employment opportunities for veterans. The Energy Jobs for Veterans Act seeks to establish programs to provide on-the-job training, apprenticeship, real experience, and long-term employment in the energy fields to veterans

Funded by competitive grants, the program would provide an energy employer up to 50%, or up to $20,000, of a veteran's salary for a year of apprenticeship and on-the-job training. The program would be available to employers across multiple energy fields, including energy efficient building, construction and retrofits, renewable electric power, biofuel production, energy efficiency assessment, oil and gas, and nuclear power

"These men and women stood up and fought to protect the freedoms and opportunities that we take for granted today. Yet when our veterans return to civilian life, they are finding it increasingly difficult to find jobs," said Congressman Harry Teague, a member of the U.S. House Committee on Veteran's Affairs. "The bill I've introduced addresses two important issues facing our country – helping our veterans find meaningful, stable employment following their service, while growing New Mexico's energy industries and securing America's energy independence."

The latest survey of veterans unemployment by the Department of Labor shows the number of unemployed Iraq and Afghanistan veterans is now almost the same as the number of service members currently deployed in support of those two wars. When the national unemployment rate hit 9.7% last fall, veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars were unemployed at a rate of 11.3%.

Congressman Teague has continually made veterans' issues a top priority, helping to secure advanced appropriations for the VA and introducing legislation aimed at addressing and reducing the impact PTSD and mental health issues have on the lives of returning veterans. He recently lead a bi-partisan group in forming the Invisible Wounds Caucus, to promote awareness of and solutions for the mental health challenges facing our service members and veterans.

Congressman Teague has introduced multiple pieces of legislation to aid Veterans. Click Here to review his progress.

If you have questions or would like more information about any of legislation contact the Congressman here.

Vets group offers idea to speed VA claims

By Rick Maze

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8, 2010 - Veterans could receive disability benefits faster, with fewer errors, if new Veterans Affairs Department employees worked exclusively on simple claims and experienced employees handled everything else, says a Disabled American Veterans official.

John Wilson, DAV's assistant national legislative director, said new employees take too long to process claims and are prone to mistakes. If VA wants to move faster and with more accuracy, he said, new employees should be restricted to processing benefits claims prepared with the help of a veterans service officer from one of the major veterans groups.

More experienced VA workers could handle claims that had not been pre-screened, Wilson said in an interview and in testimony provided to the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Wilson's suggestion comes as VA and Congress grapple with ways to handle an ever-increasing backlog of claims that leaves veterans waiting, on average, 160 days for an initial decision. Making the wait even more painful is the fact that the initial decision is often wrong, and a veteran can spend up to two years appealing a claim.

A recent report by VA's Inspector General found that up to one-quarter of the claims decisions made at a Roanoke, Va., regional office were in error for a variety of reasons, Wilson said.

VA statistics show the overall error rate across the department at about 18 percent.

Wilson said the current claims system has "virtually no in-process quality control that could detect errors before they create undue delays."

VA is working on several pilot programs to speed claims processing; the House and Senate veterans' affairs committees also are working on ideas.

The short-term fix, included in the 2011 budget, is to hire more claims processors — what Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., the House Veterans' Affairs Committee chairman, likes to call the "brute force" method of managing claims

The budget request calls for 4,000 more permanent claims processors in VA, but not all would be completely new; about 1,800 represent the conversion of temporary jobs to permanent positions.

Filner said hiring more people and increasing claims automation may help, but he is holding out for more fundamental changes in the claims process, including the idea of automatically approving some simple claims without delay. He says spot-checking a sample of claims, similar to how the Internal Revenue Service audits only a portion of federal tax returns, would make a far bigger impact on getting money into the hands of veterans faster.

Military OneSource Offers Free Tax Filing

Elaine Wilson,
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 2010 – Defense officials encourage military families to once again take advantage of the free electronic tax filing services offered through Military OneSource.

People can access the H&R Block at Home program by going to militaryonesource.com and clicking on "Tax Filing Services".

More than 200,000 servicemembers filed their tax returns through this resource last year, officials said.

"We have such a mobile force, and you have folks dispersed all over the world. It’s a quick link for the family to link up with the [servicemember]," said Tommy T. Thomas, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy. "It’s a convenience for you to be able to go on that site and file that tax form."

The program is open to active duty, Guard and Reserve servicemembers, regardless of activation status, as well as spouses, dependent children and family members standing in for a deployed servicemember.

Participants can e-file up to three state resident returns for each federal return, Thomas said. However, he added, they should ensure they’re filling through Military OneSource. People who file through H&R Block directly may be charged for services, he cautioned.

The program is set up for basic returns. People who wish to upgrade to the premium program also may incur charges

For tax assistance, filers can call a Military OneSource tax consultant from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. EST, seven-days-a- week, at 800-730-3802.

"That’s a tremendous service,” Thomas said. “We feel it’s important to give our military families the absolute best."

Along with the consultants, people with complicated tax returns can visit a legal assistance office on a military installation for more in-depth advice, he said.

Whether online or on base, people should file early, Thomas advised.

"Don’t run up against the 15 April deadline," he said. "And when you get the return, look at it as the means to secure your family’s finances," whether its paying off debts, adding to a savings account or contributing to a Thrift Savings Plan.