The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, despite the name, is not in fact a government agency but the wealthiest lobbying entity in the nation, representing the interests of business before Congress. Currently, the chamber is undertaking an initiative to spur the hiring of veterans, sponsoring an ambitious nationwide series of job fairs called Hire Our Heroes.
Launched in March 2011, this program has already produced more than 300 events in 49 states (one wonders what that holdout 50th is!) plus Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. Over 10,000 veterans have already been hooked up with jobs.
This looks to be a great way to contact employers who need workers with the qualities and skills of today’s military personnel. Here is a rundown, taken from the Chamber’s website, of all the job fairs to be held in the next two months (a fuller list, continuing 12 months into the future, can be found at www.uschamber.com):
September 18, 2012 – Indianapolis, IN
September 19, 2012 – McAlester, OK
September 19, 2012 – Fort Carson, CO – Wounded Warrior Event
September 20, 2012 – Cincinnati, OH
September 20, 2012 – Camp Pendleton, CA
September 21, 2012 – Nashville, TN
September 25, 2012 – Baton Rouge, LA
September 25, 2012 – West Palm Beach, FL
September 26, 2012 – Casper, WY
September 27, 2012 – Tucson, AZ
September 27, 2012 – Spartanburg, SC
September 27, 2012 – Sierra Vista, AZ
September 27, 2012 – Chicago, IL
September 27, 2012 – Shreveport, LA
September 27, 2012 – Yuma, AZ
September 27, 2012 – Chester, WV
September 27, 2012 – Nogales, AZ
September 29, 2012 – Coeur d’Alene, ID
October 2, 2012 – Norfolk, NE
October 2, 2012 – Easton, MD
October 2, 2012 – Rocky Mount, NC
October 3, 2012 – Yankton, SD
October 3, 2012 – Philadelphia, PA
October 4, 2012 – Baltimore, MD
October 4, 2012 – Los Angeles, CA
October 4, 2012 – Tampa, FL
October 10, 2012 – Lake City, FL
October 10, 2012 – Las Cruces, NM
October 11, 2012 – Rochester, MN
October 11, 2012 – Kansas City, MO
October 11, 2012 – Romney, WV
October 11, 2012 – Chicago, IL
October 11, 2012 – Camp Pendleton – Military Spouse Event
October 11, 2012 – Ocean City, NJ
October 12, 2012 – Akron, OH
October 12, 2012 – Bozeman, MT
October 16, 2012 – Bedford, MA
October 18, 2012 – Middleton, MA
October 18, 2012 – Pittsburgh, PA
October 18, 2012 – Glendale, AZ
October 19, 2012 – Lawton, OK
October 23, 2012 – Hopkinsville, KY
October 23, 2012 – Bossier City, LA
October 23, 2012 – MacDill AFB, FL – Military Spouse Event
October 23, 2012 – Fort Riley, KS
October 24, 2012 – Fort Belvoir Wounded Warrior Event
October 25, 2012 – Fort Collins, CO
October 25, 2012 – Greenwood, SC
October 25, 2012 – Atlanta, GA
October 27, 2012 – Ellensburg, WA
October 27, 2012 – Jefferson City, MO
October 30, 2012 – Lancaster, SC
October 31, 2012 – Camp Lejeune Wounded Warrior Event
October 31, 2012 – Concord, CA
November 1, 2012 – Fort Sill, OK – Military Spouse Event
November 1, 2012 – Fort Carson, CO Wounded Warrior Event
November 1, 2012 – Jacksonville, FL
November 1, 2012 – Kingsport, TN
November 1, 2012 – Philadelphia, PA
November 2, 2012 – Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, DC
November 3, 2012 – Kona, HI
November 7, 2012 – Sierra Vista, AZ
November 7, 2012 – Naperville, IL
November 7, 2012 – Phoenix, AZ
November 7, 2012 – Prescott, AZ
November 7, 2012 – Nogales, AZ
November 7, 2012 – Phoenix, AZ
November 7, 2012 – Naperville, IL
November 7, 2012 – Prescott, AZ
November 7, 2012 – Nogales, AZ
November 7, 2012 – Casa Grande, AZ
November 7, 2012 – Flagstaff, AZ
November 7, 2012 – Yuma, AZ
November 7, 2012 – Tulsa, OK
November 8, 2012 – Salt Lake City, UT
November 8, 2012 – Seattle, WA
November 8, 2012 – Burlington, VT
November 8, 2012 – Virginia Beach, VA
November 8, 2012 – Cartersville, GA
November 8, 2012 – Oak Forest, IL
November 9, 2012 – Anchorage, AK
November 9, 2012 – St. Louis, MO
November 9, 2012 – Warwick, RI
November 12, 2012 – Alexandria/Ft. Polk, LA
November 13, 2012 – Portland, OR
November 13, 2012 – San Antonio, TX
November 14, 2012 – Huntington Beach, CA
November 14, 2012 – Brunswick, ME
November 14, 2012 – Harrisburg, PA
Chances are, at some point in the next year there will be a Hiring Our Heroes job fair near you! Be sure to show up, it’s guaranteed to be a great opportunity. Thank you for your service to our country.
Karen Smith, a former newspaper reporter, hopes to bring her blog readers the latest information on pursuing an online business degree, as well as up-to-date, informed advice on everything from careers to parenting to health and more. Karen welcomes your comments below!