Military spouse job fair being held in NJ

⚫ Hiring Our Heroes hosts a hiring event at Joint Base McGuire-Dix Lakehurst aimed at helping military spouses find jobs

⚫ More than 20 employers will be on hand such as Amazon, Wells Fargo, and FedEx looking to fill positions

⚫ As a bonus, Hiring Our Heroes will offer free, professional headshots to all job seekers.

Through the years, Hiring Our Heroes has worked to connect veterans with meaningful career opportunities at businesses nationwide.

While the rate of unemployment among veterans has drastically decreased over the last 10 years, unfortunately, the rate of military spouse unemployment remains four times the national average.

In fact, according to recent research, 21% of military spouses are unemployed, and even more, identify as underemployed.

In an effort to help spouses find job opportunities, Hiring Our Heroes will be hosting a Military Spouse Hiring Event at Joint Base McGuire-Dix Lakehurst on Thursday, Feb. 9 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“We bring in local and national employers from all over the country to this location to target that military spouse community, and to offset the high unemployment that our spouses face,” said Jakob Coombes, events and engagement manager at Hiring Our Heroes.

One of the main reasons for the high unemployment rate among military spouses is the portability of jobs. Coombes said whenever a military family moves from location to location, and assignment to assignment, oftentimes, the job that they may have at one installation can’t be taken with them when they move.

So, there will be an education piece for those employers that do tap into this community and talk about the importance of hiring from the military spouse community. Coombes said these are highly motivated, highly educated individuals who will bring a lot to the table.

What can job seekers expect to find at the job fair?

More than 20 employers are expected to participate and Coombes said many will be prepared to interview and hire potential employees. They are looking to hire and fill positions.

Some big-name employers that will be at Joint Base include Amazon, FedEx, Verizon, Wells Fargo, Liberty Mutual, Waste Management, and Subpar USA.

Coombes said there will also be local organizations there too, such as local government, U.S. Border patrol and Customs, Trenton Veterans Center, and more.
The event is business attire. Treat it like a traditional hiring event. Come dress to impress.

“I encourage anyone to bring their resumes. Traditionally we say bring one for each employer. With this being a smaller-in-size hiring event, the advantage to that is that you’ll get a lot of face time with each of the companies, each of the reps at the booth,” Coombes said.

As a bonus, Hiring Our Heroes will also be offering free, professional headshots to all job seekers.

Although this event is focused on military spouses, to include veteran spouses, Gold Star spouses, active-duty spouses, Reserve spouses, National Guard spouses, domestic partners, and caregivers, any transitioning service member and veteran is welcome to attend.

Nobody will be turned away.

Jen Ursillo is a reporter and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach her at jennifer.ursillo@townsquaremedia.com

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