COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster will announce Monday afternoon that various state agencies will host a virtual career fair for military veterans in the state 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on May 4, 2021.
McMaster was joined at the State House in Columbia by Department of Administration (DoA) Director Marcia Adams and S.C. Secretary of Veterans Affairs (SCVA) William Grimsley in making the announcement.
“South Carolina is a state with a proud military tradition,” McMaster said. “We value our men and women who have served, and we want them to know that they can continue that great tradition of service with a career in state government. I applaud Executive Director Adams and Secretary Grimsley for their agencies’ important collaboration on this effort.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual average in 2020 for the number of unemployed veterans in South Carolina was 10,000. The DoA provides a gateway for job seekers to find and apply for available positions within over 30 state agencies and higher education institutions.
“Hiring initiatives like this one are great opportunities for veterans, but they are equally great opportunities for employers looking for men and women with a deep personal commitment to being a trusted team member, a rare breadth of experiences, a proven ability to operate effectively in very stressful situations, and a preference for working within diverse teams," said Grimsley. "The smartest companies do not hire veterans in order to do veterans a favor; they hire veterans to do themselves a favor.”
Veterans will be able to pre-register for the May 4 virtual career fair online and apply for positions in the fields of
- engineering
- health care
- information technology
- maintenance
- accounting/finance
- security/law enforcement
- human resources
- grant management
Registration allows job applicants the opportunity to review company bios and job vacancies and talk to recruiters on video chat.
Be prepared. The DoA suggests these tips for applicants:
- upload your most recent and up-to-date -- and polished -- resume
- upload a professional head shot
- take time to watch the event training video and the video on preparing your 'Elevator Speech' pitch-promotion before May 4
- remember the virtual career fair will be live online video -- dress and groom for success