Best Practices for Attracting Top Military Talent.

What Is First-Party Data and Why Is It So Important?

When it comes down to it, a marketing campaign is only as good as the data behind it. Being a premier military marketing company for over 20 years, we have established an expansive audience and a massive reach within the military community, while acquiring more than decades worth of first-party data. Here at VIQTORY, we combine the knowledge of our subject matter experts with the clean and relevant data that only we have access to.

What is first-party data?

So what is first-party data? It’s information that you collect directly from your audience or customers when they interact with your company website. This is done by placing a pixel on the site, which is the tool used to collect the data from behaviors, actions or interests demonstrated across your website. First-party data is also collected through interactions on your social channels, newsletter subscriptions, survey completion, and more.

This information is the go-to tool in any marketer’s work belt. Unlike second and third-party data which are purchased, first-party data is being collected by the company or organization whose website is actually being trafficked. When purchasing 2nd and 3rd-party data, you run the risk of getting inaccurate, outdated information that could cause some immediate bottlenecks in the recruitment process. Simply put, if you’re collecting the data yourself, then you know that it’s clean, accurate, and exclusive to you, making it an invaluable marketing asset now more than ever with the phaseout of Google’s third-party cookies.

Now that you have nice clean marketing data to work with, you can get to know your audience better and get them segmented into appropriate groups based on their activity. When recruiting candidates for open positions it’s important that you personalize the experience and tailor your messaging to a specific audience, ensuring that your marketing budget isn’t being wasted serving ads to the wrong, uninterested individuals.

One of the primary applications for first-party data is for retargeting. Here’s a retargeting example. Say you visit the website for Callaway Golf and browse around looking for a new set of clubs but don’t end up buying anything and go to a different website. If you start to see banner advertisements for golf clubs and related items while you browse other websites, you are being retargeted. It’s safe to say that we’ve all been retargeted, more than a few times. The reason this is so valuable to marketing teams is they are able to learn a user’s behaviors, interests, and tendencies, allowing them to predict the user’s future behaviors and serve them ad accordingly.

For VIQTORY, between our G.I. Jobs, Military Spouse, and Military Friendly brands, we’ve collected the first-party data from our military audience through decades of email newsletter subscriptions, magazine subscriptions, surveys, social interactions, and more. That data is then used as the cornerstone for any and all of our marketing campaigns, regardless of a client’s needs, to help them expand brand awareness, serve digital impressions, and recruit top military talent from the military community.

Fill out the form below if you’re interested in learning more about how you can leverage our first-party data to target our audience of transitioning service members, military spouses, and military veterans.

Your Next Hiring Event – The G.I. Jobs Virtual Job Fair

In 2001, G.I. Jobs was founded by three Navy veterans unified by a common goal, to help connect military veterans with employment, educational, and entrepreneurial opportunities after their service, and for 22 years, G.I. Jobs has been doing just that. Our longstanding publication along with Military Spouse magazine have served as invaluable transition resources for the military community during their transitions to civilian life, providing the necessary tools for professional success.

We’ve seen the world shift faster and faster to a virtual one with so many Americans now working from home, and so many job seekers holding out for remote positions. The solution? Virtual Hiring Events where employers can meet with active job seekers via text/video chat, and get the interview process rolling, all from the comfort of your home office. This is the G.I. Jobs Virtual Job Fair.

The G.I. Jobs Virtual Job Fair is your one-stop shop for your veteran and military spouse hiring initiatives where we bring the talent to you. Our events are hosted by Brazen, a robust virtual event platform that allows us to connect candidates with your recruitment representatives with ease, and with the platform, your next great employee is just a click away. So how exactly does it work?

Well, if you’ve ever attended a job fair in person, it’s not all that different, just more convenient. You will assign a representative(s) from your recruitment team as a booth owner, but instead of sitting behind a table in a convention center with a signup sheet, they will be in the office at a virtual booth with dedicated time to meet with candidates. Who are these candidates? They are military veterans, spouses, and transitioning service members who have expressed interest in new opportunities, have filled out their complete registration profiles, including resumes, and are dressed to impress, eager to meet with you and hear about your opportunities. So instead of a bunch of individuals hovering over your booth in a convention center, vying for your attention and a pen to write their email address on a piece of paper, you know exactly who you are talking to prior to the start of the event.

As an added benefit to you, we provide this registration data to exhibitors prior to the event, allowing you to search the database for individuals who fit your criteria. Explore work history, military and otherwise, education level, and certifications/clearances levels that only come with military employment. You can then reach out to these individuals to drive them to your website, educate them about your open opportunities, and even invite them to come chat at your booth. The best part is that these chats happen in a one-on-one fashion. There is no chatroom format which means there aren’t potentially hundreds of job seekers fighting for your attention and yelling their credentials at you, but instead, you choose who you talk to and when.

Candidates will join the Job Fair event with resumes “in-hand,” ready to answer your questions. When they enter the event they will see your “booth,” along with the other companies participating in the event. Right off the bat, they’ll be able to see your company logo and a brief description of what you are looking for in an employee. They can even see what open positions you are trying to fill, and if they like what they see, they can enter your booth.

When you have a successful chat, Brazen makes the follow-up process as simple as can be. Once a chat ends you will be directed to a “Next Steps,” screen with a dropdown menu where you can move candidates through your pipeline with the click of a button by either scheduling a follow-up, scheduling an interview, or determining that the candidate is not a fit. This intimate platform enables you to more effectively get to know and vet potential employees. Another bonus for employer and school booths is the ability to not only schedule chats ahead of time but also conduct multiple chats simultaneously. Each chat that takes place is scheduled for a default 10-minute window. Representatives however have the ability to extend that window by increments of 1, 3, and 5 minutes to allow extra time to connect with attendees.

Save your organization both time and money by including virtual events in your recruitment strategies. Not only are we advocates for members of the military community, but VIQTORY / G.I. Jobs provides a holistic marketing approach that allows you and your team to connect effectively with this audience composed of individuals with the experience, training, certifications, and work ethics to keep your organization functioning with maximum efficiency.

Don’t cast a wide net, but instead, build your own pond. Stop wasting time and effort casting a wider and wider net trying to fill your open acquisitions, but instead, build your own pond of qualified individuals who are ready to work now. Or better yet, let us build it for you. One of the biggest time wasters for any talent acquisition team is the time it takes to find quality candidates who are interested in your open positions. That already tall order has become even more of an ordeal with so many people holding out for remote positions. We are thankful to say that our audience members are actively seeking out their next careers and are ready to get to work.

Set Up A Veteran Recruitment Strategy Call

How The Veteran Community at Viqtory is Honoring 9/11

Everyone remembers exactly where they were on September 11, 20 years ago.

The veterans and military spouses at Viqtory pay special tribute to everyone affected by the Sept. 11 attacks.

Where were you on 9/11? Those that lived through it, even as small children, remember exactly where we were the day of the September 11 attacks. In some way, everyone was affected by it.

Even though it’s been 20 years, our nation still feels the pain of that horrific day. Yes, we are more resilient because of it, and yes, we do continue to march forward. But September 11 is a day we pause, acknowledge and reflect on how it has molded us into who we are today.

For VIQTORY, it set the course for our employees to be together as a team to continue to serve military families each and every day since December 2001. We all have our own special ways we honor those lost in the tragedy.

We asked our veteran community how they were impacted by 9/11 and how they plan to honor the day with their families. We wanted to share their responses with you:

Mike Asper / Art Director / U.S. Marine Corps Veteran

Mike shared that he was in Monessen High School in Mrs. Mrlack’s 10th grade geometry class. He said, “It was a catalyst that influenced my decision to enlist in the Marine Corps, which was one of the most life-changing decisions I’ve made.” In the Marine Corps, Mike’s position was a 3531 Motor Vehicle Operator. He said that he typically drove the trucks on convoys throughout Iraq, other times operating the radio or manning the machine gun.

This September marks the 20th year since the attack, are you doing anything to honor 9/11?

“I believe the best way to honor the victims of 9/11 is to prevent something like this from happening again. I try my best to educate myself—and any others willing to listen—of the reasons why 9/11 happened, and support anyone that will champion and fight for non-interventionist foreign policy.”

How do you honor the day as a family?

“We live less than two hours away from the Flight 93 National Memorial, but have never actually visited it. I plan on changing that this year and attending the annual observance this September 11th.”

Greg Hough / Senior Account Manager / U.S. Marine Corps

Greg remembers that he was on leave with his family in Pittsburgh “at Dave and Busters in the Waterfront of all places.” During his time in the marines he was a Motor-T – a truck driver. Like many who joined before the attack he knew when those planes hit that he would be going to combat at some point somewhere. He said, “I joined the Marines in March of 2000 during peacetime and knew that my future was going to change immediately, which it did. I served two combat tours in Iraq with the 3rd Battalion 5th Marine regiment.”

This September marks the 20th year since the attack, are you doing anything to honor 9/11?

“Typically something at school with other veterans and their families in the community. On a few different occasions, I have volunteered to speak at my kid’s school to give a veteran’s perspective and would be happy to do so again.”

Rachel Pitts / Manager of Client Success / Military Spouse

Rachel was in her 10th grade computer class. She said, “This was before cell phones were smart and I consider myself fortunate to have been able to witness that historic event on live news from the classroom tv…I remember thinking it was fake at first–like some sort of childish denial that a person would intentionally commit such a heinous act.” In 2001, Rachel’s father had just retired from the U.S. Marine Corps. For that reason, she wasn’t concerned at the time that he would be sent to war, but she remembers many of her friends had active duty parents or family members.

Rachel is currently a military spouse, married to an active duty Marine whose MOS is a heavy equipment engineer, currently working as an instructor teaching Marines and Soldiers basic engineering and equipment repair.

She reflected on how it impacted her, “I will never forget the swell of patriotism and pride for the bravery of the NYFD and NYPD and the passengers on the flight that took down the terrorists before it could reach the Pentagon for months and years following 9/11/2001. The “Never Forget” posts get shared less and less each year, but I still cry every time I read the voicemail transcript that Brian Sweeney left to his wife while on flight 175. Probably because I’m married to a man who has been deployed during this war and it’s easy to visualize myself receiving that same message. I’m not sure if the events of that day changed me, I think they more so shaped me into who I am today. I continue to hold the deepest respect for our military, police officers and firefighters. Anyone willing to give their life to save another’s–and not let power sway their judgements–is a hero in my book.”

This September marks the 20th year since the attack, are you doing anything to honor 9/11?

““We may host a BBQ with friends and invite everyone to wear red, white and blue and play patriotic-themed games. Nearly every person in my husband’s unit–and in all branches, really–joined the service in a time of war. I can’t think of a better way to honor those who both lost and gave their lives on that day and in the 20 years since than by surrounding myself with the ones who signed up to continue to defend our nation.”

How do you honor the day as a family?

“My oldest kid is 5 this year, so I bought a children’s book called “Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey” about a retired fireboat that was called upon to help battle the flames of 9/11/2001. It’s age-appropriate and will help start the conversation around why people choose to do bad things, but also why people choose to do good.”

Darryl Williams / Sr Director of Client Operations / U.S. Army

At the time of the event, Darryl Williams was serving as a Staff Sergeant (E-6). “I was at the Education Center on Fort Leonard Wood when I remember going down to the counselors’ office and noticing that planes had impacted the World Trade Center. Immediately I received telephone calls to stand up force protection as once it was declared a terrorist attack forces were stood up for protection from other attacks…Professionally, it changed the effects of my military career for the next 16 years. From transitioning from a military policeman to the world of recruiting, the attack of 9/11 impacted the rest of my military career in various ways.”

This September marks the 20th year since the attack, are you doing anything to honor 9/11?

“Reflection and honoring the men and women who lost their lives that day and who have fought for the last 20 years in the Global War on Terrorism.”

Rich McCormack / President, Government Solutions / U.S. Navy

Many might be able to relate to Rich’s experience. He reflected that, “Prior to 9/11, terrorism and wars, at least since the Civil War, had happend outside of the US, so for me, 9/11 made me feel vunerable and unsafe living everyday life. The silver lining in 9/11 was the immense patriotism and coming together of the country. Every house had an American flag hanging and it seemed as if everyone had a new appreciation for what it meant to be an American.”

At the time of the tragedy, Rich was living in Sewickley PA. He and Chris Hale were trying to raise money to start Victory Media. He said, “That day I was home working, when my wife told me to turn on the television and I saw the horrors of planes flying into buildings. It was all very confusing at first, for we originally were told that a small aircraft had crashed in the twin towers, but quickly thereafter, realized we were being attacked when the second plane hit the other tower. I also remember how blue and perfect the sky was that day, as if time had stopped and my senses were on overdrive trying to recalibrate the importance of life.”

Rich was stationed in the Republic of Panama on the Panama Canal in the Navy as a Naval Supply officer from 1991 to 1995. His role was making sure all Navy personnel got paid, and he managed all the Navy contracts in Central and South America.

How do you honor the day as a family?
“I think the one thing we all have to ensure is that we don’t forget that this can happen again and we need to continue to live life like it matters. Teaching young people the importance of history and why these things happen, are important lessons.”

Chris Hale / CEO / U.S. Navy Veteran

Chris remembered the day clearly. He said, “It was a gorgeous September morning. I was sitting in my basement (Suite B) working on investor presentations for starting Viqtory. Rich [Co-founder of Viqtory] called me and asked if I had seen what was happening. I hadn’t. I went upstairs and turned the TV on and was amazed and saddened to see the events unfold.” Chris was 31 and had only been out of the Navy for a year and a half when the devastating day took place. He had been a Naval Flight Officer on a P-3C Orion as a Lieutenant. When asked how it impacted him he said, “It made me mad. It made me think hard about going back onto active duty. But with a pregnant wife and starting a new business it just wasn’t in the cards.” Chris believes that there was a silver lining to the tragic event in our history. He said, “Our country was united like never before in my lifetime. You couldn’t find a front porch in America that wasn’t proudly displaying an American Flag. A common enemy can do that.”

This September marks the 20th year since the attack, are you doing anything to honor 9/11?
“I will remember in my own way.”
How do you honor the day as a family?
“Dinner time conversation with my kids.”

Scott Shaw / VP of Business Development, Co-Founder / U.S. Navy

Scott served in the Navy for 21 years. His first 4 years, he was an Aviation Fire Control Technician, serving on Aircraft carriers and fixing electronic warfare systems on the A-6 Intruder aircraft. The last 17 years was spent in the Career Recruiting Force; he retired as a Navy Senior Chief.

It was Scott Shaw’s second week on the job at Viqtory , working out of his home office in Raleigh, NC . Viqtory, Victoria Media at the time, was in the beginning phase of creating the very first issue of G.I. Jobs magazine which was scheduled for release in January 2002. He said, “Our challenge at this point was launching a veteran transition magazine that needed the advertising support of corporate America.” He was making phone calls to potential clients who would support the magazine by advertising their hiring needs to our veteran transitioning audience when the attack took place.

He said, “Initially like most I was in shock, could not believe what I was seeing. My daughter was too young to understand what was happening, and my wife was very scared and confused. The first few days were very surreal, and I felt President Bush showed his leadership in a big way and united the country. I was very proud to be an American!”

How did it affect you or impact you personally? Did it change anything for you?

What changed for me is my gratitude and respect for our first responders. That day many had made the ultimate sacrifice, and the rest spent countless days risking their health and safety. I will admit up until then I probably took them and the jobs for granted. We continue to thank those who served, we need to do a better job of thanking all first responders who are risking their lives daily, they truly deserve it.

It’s strange to think that it’s been 20 years since September 11, 2001. We want to continue to reflect and have conversations about 9/11 with our friends, families, and co-workers. It was the catalyst for many changes that affected some quite personally.

In spite of the horrific actions, there was a small silver lining that Chris Hale wrote about in this LinkedIn article. It created a shift in patriotism and unified the country like no event has in years.

If you’re not sure of how you would like to reflect, we put together a list of events taking place in various communities online and in person to help give you some ideas. Most importantly, take a moment to remember those that made the ultimate sacrifice.

A Guide to Honoring 9/11 in Your Community

It’s been 20 years since 9/11. Every year, we take a moment to remember the bravery that took place on 9/11. There are countless ways that you can reflect and honor those who served, including visiting the memorials, donating, participating in runs and stair climbs, and spending the day with family.

Visit the 9/11 Memorial plaza – September 11, 2001 Commemoration. Each year families of victims gather to read aloud the names of the 2,983 men, women, and children killed in the September 11, 2001 attacks and February 26, 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. The ceremony will be exclusively for 9/11 family members. If you are not able to attend, take a moment of silence in acknowledgment of the time each tower was struck and fell, the time the Pentagon was attacked, and the crash of Flight 93.
Make a donation to The Never Forget Fund. The proceeds go towards the 9/11 Memorial and Museum’s efforts to ensure future generations never forget the lessons of 9/11.
Join students and teachers in a free webinar to commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Log in anytime Friday, September 10 or Saturday, September 11 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. EDT. Hear personal stories from family members, first responders from the FDNY and PAPD, and a student who later joined the military.
Join a 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb to honor the firefighters and first responders who climbed the 110 stories selflessly to save others. Use the map linked to find a stair climb near you.
9/11 Heroes Run. The Travis Manion Foundation hosts races all over the country to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Find an event near you that’s on or near 9/11.
Have a picnic with friends and/or family. As Rachel Pitts, the Customer Success Manager and a current Military Spouse, shared, remember those that sacrificed with your loved ones.
Visit the Flight 93 Memorial. During the week leading up to Sept. 11, Flight 93 National Memorial will be hosting the “Witness to History” speaker series. The general public is invited and encouraged to attend to listen to aviation officials, memorial planners, local first responders, and crash scene investigators.

Meet Your Next Great Hire Virtually… We Did

VIQTORY was founded by 3 Navy Veterans in 2001 and our overarching goal has remained the same ever since: to connect the military community with civilian opportunities. Whether that be joining the civilian workforce or exploring educational and entrepreneurial opportunities, we’re proud to say that we have been doing just that for almost two decades. We pride ourselves on our ability to sit down with a client, review the wants and needs of their organization, and provide solutions that ultimately allow us to assist in finding quality military veteran and spouse hires.

In 2020 the employment landscape was shaken to its core as the coronavirus swept across the nation leaving employers understaffed, underfunded, and underwater as the country began to shut down and Americans began to become confined to their homes. We saw an astronomical shift in norms from in-person work, to remote/virtual alternatives and it seems as though they are here to stay. Over a year after the initial government-ordered shut down in March of 2020, companies operating under more progressive remote policies are not only surviving, but thriving. So much so that many of those organizations are ditching their traditional in-office structures and even taking the employee recruitment process virtual. Welcome to the G.I. Jobs Virtual Career Expo (VCE):

G.I. Jobs Virtual Career Expos are the virtual counterparts to the traditional job fairs that many of us are familiar with already. The difference lies not only in obvious in-person vs. virtual comparisons, but they allow you to conserve two of your most precious commodities, time and money while gaining another, top-quality talent. Powered by Brazen, a robust virtual event platform, we are able to do what we are most passionate about at a low cost of entry for our clients, connecting the military community to civilian opportunities. You may be thinking, “great, another chatroom-style event with hundreds of job seekers clamoring for my attention,” BUT, at the G.I. Jobs VCEs, the chatroom is a thing of the past.

This intimate format provides you with the ability to chat one-on-one with military veterans and spouses who are there to get more information about your employment opportunities via our video chat feature while also providing you with the ability to conduct four text-based chats simultaneously. The upside? You get dedicated time to chat with individuals during which you can get the recruitment process started. Once a chat has run its course, you’ll be able to funnel these individuals directly into your talent pipeline and schedule your next steps in the process with the click of a button. And the best part about tapping into the military community… the number of quality candidates you gain access to along with the experience, leadership, and work ethic they bring with them. The downside? We’ll let you know if and when we find one.

We don’t just talk the talk, we walk the walk. As mentioned before, the purpose of these events is to connect you with transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses. VIQTORY is the bridge between your organization and the military community, and nobody does it better. So when we were in need of a Client Success Manager where did we go? You got it, the G.I. Jobs Virtual Career Expo. Our VIQTORY team set up their employer booth, and let the talent come to us. In a matter of no time, we reaped the rewards of tapping into the military community and added an active duty military spouse to our team, Client Success Manager, Rachel Pitts. Rachel’s personality, experience, and aptitude would have been enough for us to bring her on board, and having a military spouse on the team is an awesome bonus!

Any employer knows that a go-getting, well-rounded employee is a hot commodity that’s harder now than ever to come by, and I would say that Rachel fits the description to a tee. Prior to joining the VIQTORY team, her career took her as she put it, “ALL over the map!” Rachel has been everything from a licensed realtor and a licensed life insurance agent to a server/bartender, a licensed teacher, and a library program director before filling the role here as our Client Success Manager. Her role is essentially to be the liaison between our clients and everything that goes into fulfilling the parameters of their marketing campaigns on the backend. If you’re a client and you receive a call or email from VIQTORY, chances are its Rachel on the other end.

I wanted to get Rachel’s perspective on the job search process in this unforgiving climate as someone who’s recently gone through it successfully. Here’s what she had to say. “I was about to move and I spent a lot of time looking at jobs online. There weren’t any openings to transfer my current library position and I knew I didn’t want to continue teaching. Really, I wasn’t sure what I was looking for and the availability at this particular location was very limited. With my husband being an Active Duty Marine, I had looked at the G.I. Jobs website for several years as a resource to find employment. I wasn’t aware of VIQTORY prior to attending the VCE, but I was incredibly attracted to the possibility of working remotely.”

She went on to speak about her experience at the Virtual Career Expo. “Some employers were slow to respond and some weren’t a good fit for me, but I kept looking around and landed in the VIQTORY booth and I was intrigued by the positions available. I spoke with Darryl, Sr. Director of Client Operations, for about 10-15 minutes and we hit it off. He encouraged me to submit my resume and I had an interview scheduled within two days. I had to do my due diligence and research the company to learn more about what they do. The more I read, the more excited I became. I’ve always enjoyed customer service positions, so it’s a really fitting position.”

Rachel currently lives in Waynesville, Missouri, right outside of Fort Leonard Wood, and she painted the picture for me beautifully, “I am blissfully married to a man who cooks, cleans, and parents his children. I’ll never let him go! We have two feisty, kind-hearted daughters and it’s my husband’s hope that at least one of them joins the Marines someday… I’m a little less eager to have them move away from me.” Life outside the “office” for the Pitts clan is spent well… outside. “We LOVE the outdoors and Missouri is not disappointing in that department. We spend a lot of time at the Roubidoux Spring near our house; swimming, fishing, and exploring. There are a couple of local craft breweries near our house that we enjoy as well. Outside of that, I love to read, play with wildlings (children) and taste test the many culinary creations my husband comes up with.”

Her husband will celebrate 12 years in the Marine Corps this November and the two of them have been together for 8 of those years. Much like Rachel’s, his career has also been a little all over the place as well. By MOS, he is a heavy equipment mechanic, and shortly after the two met, he had added on a specialty and was working as a boat mechanic. He was then picked up by a recon team which led him to complete the Army’s Airborne course prior to deployment to Kuwait/Iraq.

Not even 3 months after returning from deployment, he was sent to recruiting school in San Diego. Here’s how Rachel put it. “The following three years were spent working anywhere from 12-20 hour days, usually 7 days a week… the 12-hour Sundays were his “early off” days *insert eye roll emoji* After recruiting, he was off to be a heavy equipment mechanic in Yuma, AZ for three years before he accepted a position as an instructor for the very same schoolhouse he attended when he first became a heavy equipment mechanic in Missouri. “He loves that his unit is now referred to as the Basic Engineering and Equipment Repair course–or BEER for short,” Rachel added.

This being my first interview with a military spouse, I was interested to hear what being married to an active duty service member looks like on the home-front, and Rachel was very open in her response. “Being married in general takes a mindful effort. Being married to an active duty service member comes with its own set of pros and cons. For starters, one major pro is that my husband is smoking hot because he has to maintain fitness standards. One major con is that we have lived away from family for the past 7 years, including the entirety of our children’s lives.”

She went on to explain the best part about being a milspouse… all the other milspouses. “It’s like we’ve all become so used to meeting new people that it makes it easy to quickly bond and make friends, which leads me to another major con, leaving those milspouses you’ve bonded with over a few short years. I still miss my kickball team and our Sunday cookouts by the field–GO SANDSHARKS! Overall, home is where Uncle Sam sends you and you just have to make it work to the best of your ability. Some advice my mom gave me as a veteran military spouse herself, was to always make each place home. Even if it’s just for 6 months, go ahead and hang pictures on the walls and settle in, because if you’re always looking at the next thing, you’ll never appreciate the present.” On behalf of the entire VIQTORY team, and I’m sure any clients that have had the pleasure of working with her, hang up those pictures Rachel because we hope you can call VIQTORY home for some time to come.

If you’ve read this far then I’m sure it’s become abundantly clear to you that Rachel is a highly intelligent individual with a wealth of knowledge, experience, and an even bigger personality. Only a month into her time at VIQTORY and she’s already made herself an integral part of not only our Client Success team but our organization as a whole. Although her time with us thus far may be brief, I still made her answer my favorite question, “What have you enjoyed most about your time working for VIQTORY?” Her answer, as she put it, sounds odd. “ The atmosphere. It sounds odd to say that for a remote position, but the culture of this company is so welcoming, supportive, and goal-oriented. Working with the other members of VIQTORY inspires me to be on the top of my game. They’re all such hard-working, intelligent people; I want to work harder to keep up with them. I’ve also set up my desk to face a window overlooking the beautiful woods in our backyard and can pet my dog whenever I want, so that’s part of my atmosphere too.” She capped off her answer by describing the company in only three words… kind of… “Innovative. Diligent. Caresformilitaryveteransandtheirfamilies. :)”

The unique perspectives Rachel brings with her from past work experience and from her time as a military spouse make her the perfect fit for what we do, connecting the military community with civilian opportunities, and we’re more than excited to have her as part of our team!

G.I. Jobs® Announces 2021 Veteran Champions of the Year in Higher Education Awards

PITTSBURGH – G.I. Jobs® is proud to announce the inaugural 2021 Veteran Champions of the Year (VCOY) in Higher Education awards, a prestigious honor presented to those who advocate for the advancement of our nation’s veterans in higher education by seeking to enable their success at institutions of higher learning.

The 19 VCOYs were selected for their advocacy on behalf of America’s veterans and military students at colleges, universities and vocational schools. These champions establish and grow programs and services that help military and veteran students succeed in their pursuit of a post-military education. Their efforts improve the recruitment, enrollment, matriculation, retention, graduation and job placement of veterans while seeking to bridge the cultural gap between veterans and civilian students.

“G.I. Jobs shines a spotlight on the higher education programs that best connect the military community to civilian employment opportunities. But without people like the 19 champions honored this year, the execution of these programs and services at individual schools never happens. I am so grateful for these 19 leaders for their role in helping America’s veterans thrive in higher education,” said Chris Hale, CEO of VIQTORY, the veteran-owned business which owns and operates G.I. Jobs.

Champions did not have to be veterans themselves to be nominated. Profiles of the 2021 Veteran Champions of the Year in Higher Education honorees will be published in the August issue of G.I. Jobs magazine, which is distributed free—digitally and in print—to transitioning service members, veterans and their families worldwide.

This year’s award winners are:

Judy Drago, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Kari Haugeto, SUNY – Delhi
Harvey Arnold, Indian River State College
Ryan Luurtsema, Ocean County College
Karen Allen, Texas A&M University
Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Otto J. Guenther, McDaniel College
Barry Munday, Chattahoochee Technical College
Blason Taon, Los Angeles Pacific University
Melissa Olson, Marymount California University
Louis Bridges, Keesler Air Force Base
Sarah Weygand, Park University/Johnson County Community College
Ryan Barnett, George Mason University
Sean Jepson, University of West Georgia
Tabora Temple, Wiregrass Georgia Technical College
Colin Haines, Western Oregon University
Scott Mahone, Mercer University
James Kumm, The University of Texas at Arlington
Corey Stewart, Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts
Vince Loran, Ignite RPM

About VIQTORY®

Founded on the belief that veterans are better for their service, VIQTORY® is the leading marketing firm connecting the military community to civilian opportunity. Its hundreds of clients include Fortune 1000 companies, government agencies, and colleges that use VIQTORY®’s marketing products to promote their employment, education, and entrepreneurship opportunities to the nation’s military community of veterans, military spouses, and transitioning service members. VIQTORY® is a VA and NaVOBA certified service-disabled, veteran-owned small business founded in 2001 by three Navy veterans. Its media brands include G.I. Jobs®, Military Spouse®, and Military Friendly®. VIQTORY® offers digital and print advertising in its own media as well as managed programmatic advertising, which enables it to reach its audience on virtually any platform and any device, at the precise location and at the right time.

For details visit viqtory.com.

G.I. Jobs® Announces 2021 Student Veteran Leadership Awards

PITTSBURGH – G.I. Jobs® is proud to announce the second annual 2021 Student Veteran Leadership Awards (SVLAs), a prestigious honor presented to student veterans who are making a positive difference at their school and in their community.

The 25 SVLA honorees excelled in their academics and made meaningful contributions to their school, fellow students and the community. They worked to bridge the cultural gap between student veterans and civilian students, faculty and staff. They embody the spirit of leadership, teamwork and camaraderie they learned in the military. They’ve overcome challenges and take the lead in campus and community activities. They hail from large schools and small, private and public, two year and four year. They are a credit to the nation they served.

“These 25 veterans are shining examples that military skills translate well to an academic setting. I salute these student leaders for their selfless work in creating opportunity for their veteran brothers and sisters by advocating for the continued improvement of programs and services for military and veteran students, ” said Chris Hale, CEO of VIQTORY®, the veteran-owned business which owns and operates G.I. Jobs.

Profiles of the 2021 Student Veteran Leadership Awards honorees will be published in the August issue of G.I. Jobs, which is distributed free—digitally and in print—to transitioning service members, veterans and their families across the world.

This year’s award winners are:

Wendy Carter, Rogue Community College
Maggie White, Wayland Baptist University
Jamie King, University of Mississippi
Michael Young, Wilkes University
Asia Bell, University of North Florida
Fatima Jaghoori, Kansas State University
Angel Tovar, The University of Texas at Arlington
Kyle St. John, SUNY – Farmingdale
I’niah Clark, Southwestern Law School
Jeremiah Elder, ECPI University
Paula Charls, Liberty University
Scott Hardenstine, Grantham University
Christopher Bellaire, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Nicholas Eidemiller, The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania
Jonathon Godby, Miami University
Jephter Maurice, Queens College, CUNY
Amber Taylor, Cape Fear Community College
Lorence Ayag, University of Wisconsin
Joseph Hall, Blue Ridge Community College
Taja Flagg, The University of North Carolina at Pembroke
Steven Galvao, St. Joseph’s College New York
Alexa Nesbitt, North Carolina State University
Jake Walsh, University of South Carolina – Beaufort
Brad Burt, Madison Area Technical College
Jonathan Arce, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

About VIQTORY®

For details visit viqtory.com.

Recruit Candidates Who Are Ready To Work Now

Over the past year, we’ve seen an astronomical amount of changes in the realm of employee recruitment. It started when hundreds of thousands of people lost their jobs starting in March of 2020 with the spread of the coronavirus. We also saw organizations take the workday virtual which allowed some of us to remain gainfully employed. These two factors among many others are what led employers to the problem they are facing now.

A year after the initial outbreak, we saw hundreds of new jobs being created across all industries and across the nation in March 2021 while the government issued stimulus checks that helped to pump money back into the economy. It also seems like things are starting to get back to normal with the roll-out and nationwide distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine. With almost 40% of the US population being vaccinated and those numbers rising, we can only assume that more and more people would start going back to work. Then why are employers struggling to fill open positions? The simple answer is, people don’t want to go back to work.

Despite the US unemployment rate topping 6%, there are still hundreds of thousands of jobs to be had and positions to be filled. With the combination of remote work becoming the norm for much of the country paired with federal assistance for the unemployed, people are holding out for remote positions. Not to mention those who are unvaccinated, making them susceptible and more unlikely to take in-person positions. The solution? Narrow down your marketing messaging and target individuals who are actively seeking employment and who are ready to get back to work right now. Tap into the military community.

Did you know that the military community is over 10 million people strong? That includes active duty service members, 200,000+ of which transition out of the military each year, military spouses, and military veterans. These individuals are actively exploring employment opportunities and have no issues with rolling up their sleeves and getting their hands dirty. Hard work, dedication to a common goal, leadership, and a willingness to learn are just some of the instilled in our military audience. At VIQTORY, our distribution network includes all of the 250+ military installations across the nation where we distribute transition resources both digitally and physically, making it the perfect opportunity for you to market your organization and its open positions to this invaluable talent pool. Interested in learning more about our G.I. Jobs and Military Spouse publications and how you can leverage them to help fill your open positions? Click Here.

If you’re looking to take a more narrowed and personal approach, we’ve got that covered. What if I told you that we could give you the resumes of 1,500+ members of the military community looking for work at this very moment, and give you the ability to meet them virtually in a one-on-one setting? Welcome to the G.I. Jobs Virtual Career Expo. We had to cap the capacity for our May hiring event which sold out due to the overwhelming interest from our military audience. Powered by Brazen technology, our employer exhibitors are able to filter through our registrant list, find the top candidates who fit your job description(s) and schedule a one-on-one video or text-based chat to kick off the recruitment process. The Brazen platform then allows you to choose your next steps and schedule follow-up meetings with potential candidates. Join the ranks alongside employers such as Geico, Verizon, Leidos, and General Dynamics Missions Systems to tap into the military community.

The clients with which VIQTORY has the most success, are those who partner with us to formulate a custom marketing campaign designed specifically to fit their needs. No two clients are the same, and we understand that. We go beyond the cookie-cutter recruitment methods of the past and evaluate what means the most to our partners to deliver results that make a difference. By focusing on each stage of the recruitment process, our solutions help their marketing budgets go further. Our recruitment marketing experts work side-by-side with our clients to develop a strategy that engages candidates at every step of their journey. We provide more results than traditional methods like job boards and stagnant ads while delivering a more engaged, intent-based candidate audience.

Employee Spotlight – Alysha Tuma, Senior Manager of Ad Operations and Strategy

VIQTORY was founded by 3 Navy Veterans in 2001 and our overarching goal has remained the same ever since: to connect the military community with civilian opportunities. Whether that be joining the civilian workforce or exploring educational and entrepreneurial opportunities, we’re proud to say that we have been doing just that for almost two decades. We pride ourselves on our company culture and believe that its strength is rooted in and reflected by the quality of talent we employ.

For this Employee Spotlight, we’re taking a look at our Senior Manager of Ad Operations and Strategy, Alysha Tuma.

The success we as an organization have experienced for nearly two decades derives from our ability to employ and retain top-quality talent and subject matter experts who are able to meet client expectations and drive results. Alysha is no exception.

As the Senior Manager of Ad Operations and Strategy, her role is to help manage the day-to-day campaign management for all of our programmatic clients. For VIQTORY, this means building personalized digital marketing campaigns, designed to fit a client’s specific needs, that target our military audience and streamline the employee and student recruitment processes. The role also includes providing support for her campaign managers and working directly alongside our Customer Success, Sales, and Audience Teams to ensure that campaign expectations are being met for our clients. She is responsible for the overall performance of all of our campaigns, our processes, as well as our internal and external KPIs. It’s safe to say Alysha is leading the charge on our digital front.

I asked her to go a bit further about her average workday, and in her own words, “Same game, different players, sometimes different rules! Meaning, there are a lot of recurring responsibilities and tasks, however, depending on the campaign objective, the type of account we’re working with, or the external factors we’re navigating such as a change in platform targeting or pixel tracking issue…no two days are ever quite the same!”

While the busy schedule, workload, and responsibility that comes with Alysha’s role may be daunting to some, Alysha is perfect for it. She attended Washington and Jefferson College, where she graduated with a degree in International Relations. While working on her degree she managed to juggle schoolwork, cheerleading, sorority life, and the Model United Nations team that competed at the Harvard Model United Nations Conference annually.

Upon graduating, Alysha accepted a job offer at The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette where she would spend the first 6 years of her professional career. Alysha was the first Digital CSR that the company ever hired to work on their (at the time) new programmatic digital advertising product. “I worked my way through the advertising department before moving over to Ad Operations, and eventually ended up on the flagship team of their internal ad agency, BENN. I gained most of my experience and institutional knowledge from a lot of on-the-job training!”

The VIQTORY team quickly noticed her work ethic, deep knowledge and understanding of digital advertising, her winning personality, and our need to adopt new advertising technologies/strategies. Fast-forward 3.5 years and Alysha is managing the Ad Operations department that she was instrumental in building from the ground up. Here’s what she had to say about her career change, “I knew I was ready for a change. It just so happened that VIQTORY had reached out that they were looking for someone to help establish an Ad Operations department and build a team. I had had some familiarity with always being on the “new team”, so I was up for the challenge. The one thing that attracted me most to VIQTORY was its sense of purpose that literally everyone in the company seemed to get behind. The true feeling of people to the left and right of you, all working together towards one common goal was a very refreshing perspective coming from a larger organization.”

Like any other marketing company, we are constantly changing and adopting new processes, procedures, technologies, and best practices to ensure that we are delivering the best results in the military recruitment space. Here’s what Alysha had to say about the changes and advancements VIQTORY has made during her time here, “The company has truly transformed into a performance-based marketing company, with a strong company culture around a team mentality. We measure performance from every angle, on every team, and every member of the organization is cognizant that we can only be successful if we’re all successful.”

Alysha is originally from the South Hills of Pittsburgh but moved around quite a bit before landing back close to home in Canonsburg, PA, where she lives with her husband (celebrating 9 years!) their adorable 18-month old daughter, and they are expecting a second little one in the fall. Alysha described herself as an extroverted introvert, here’s what she said, “I love to spend time with my friends and family (I’m lucky most are within a 5 min drive). But I’m just as happy spending any free time I get, which is in very short supply with a toddler, reading. My nightstand typically has a small stack of books on it at all times.” Once the toddler goes down for the night, chances are Alysha is in her happy place, on the patio, reading, watching a Marvel movie, or rooting on the Pittsburgh Penguins alongside her husband.

Alysha has been instrumental in taking our organization to new heights on the digital advertising front. Her understanding of our digital products, targeting tactics, and advertising as a whole are unmatched in the industry. She was brought onto the VIQTORY team with high hopes and had equally high expectations placed on her, and she rose to the challenge and has designed, built, and is managing our AdOps department to help drive results for our clients. For anyone that knows anything about programmatic advertising, they know it’s not as straightforward as one might think. “The greatest challenge has been the evolution of programmatic advertising itself and keeping up-to-date with all of the nuances. Working to balance both the shifts in the programmatic advertising landscape, while maintaining the knowledge-base for our sales and support staff, and ensuring that the products and services that we provide our clients perform. Overcoming this challenge has been a team effort through and through, I’ve not done any of this alone. Our client success team keeps themselves informed; our sales staff ask all the right questions to ensure they are equipped, and our campaign managers and executive leadership ensure we are set up for success and can deliver the results for our clients.

It was no surprise when she told me her favorite part about working at VIQTORY, “The people. 100%. I can honestly say that I enjoy working with every single employee here at VIQTORY. I don’t know how many people can say that about their colleagues. We’re all committed to our mission to provide opportunities to the military community and we have the true mindset of one team, one mission.” Our team’s unified commitment to connecting the military community with civilian opportunities has allowed us to become the premier military marketing company for employee, student, and franchisee recruitment.

G.I. Jobs® Announces 2021 Employee Veteran Leadership Awards

G.I. Jobs® Announces 2021 Employee Veteran Leadership Awards

PITTSBURGH, May 19, 2021 – G.I. Jobs® is proud to announce the inaugural 2021 Employee Veteran Leadership Awards (EVLAs), a prestigious honor presented to employees of an organization who are U.S. military veterans who demonstrate the finest qualities of our nation’s military including leadership, teamwork, discipline, determination, adaptability, a strong work ethic, and a can-do attitude.

The 15 EVLA honorees were selected for making meaningful contributions to their companies and the military community, including advocating for the advancement of veterans within their companies, mentoring other veteran employees, bridging the cultural gap between veteran and non-veteran employees, and volunteer efforts.

“These 15 veterans are shining examples that military skills translate into any occupation and any industry. I salute these leaders for their selfless work in creating opportunity for their veteran brothers and sisters by advocating for better recruiting, retention, and promotion of veteran employees in the companies where they work,” said Chris Hale, CEO of VIQTORY, the veteran-owned business which owns and operates G.I. Jobs.

Profiles of the 2021 Employee Veteran Leadership Awards honorees will be published in the July issue of G.I. Jobs, distributed free, digitally and in print, to transitioning service members, veterans, and their families across the world.

This year’s award winners are:

Chanty Clay, Wells Fargo
Sarah Wilhelm, Sanford Health
Sean Noumi, Geostabilization International
Craig Whitten, General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT)
Michael Edmondson, Amgen
Stephen Krebs, Hilton
Ed Weinberg, OptumServe
Samuel Ball, Haywood Vocational Opportunities/LPE Inc.*
Matthew Gravius, Jrayl Transport
Geoff Michelli, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana
Jafi Roskey, Werner Enterprises
William Sharpsteen, SOSi
Sterling Woolridge, American Systems
Luis Martinez, Texas Workforce Commission
Veronica Villegas, Verizon

**Worked for Haywood Vocational Opportunities when nominated but now works for LPE Inc*.

About VIQTORY®

For details visit viqtory.com.

What is first-party data?

Everyone remembers exactly where they were on September 11, 20 years ago.

The veterans and military spouses at Viqtory pay special tribute to everyone affected by the Sept. 11 attacks.

Mike Asper / Art Director / U.S. Marine Corps Veteran

Greg Hough / Senior Account Manager / U.S. Marine Corps

Rachel Pitts / Manager of Client Success / Military Spouse

Darryl Williams / Sr Director of Client Operations / U.S. Army

Rich McCormack / President, Government Solutions / U.S. Navy

Chris Hale / CEO / U.S. Navy Veteran

Scott Shaw / VP of Business Development, Co-Founder / U.S. Navy

G.I. Jobs® Announces 2021 Veteran Champions of the Year in Higher Education Awards

This year’s award winners are:

About VIQTORY®

G.I. Jobs® Announces 2021 Student Veteran Leadership Awards

This year’s award winners are:

About VIQTORY®

G.I. Jobs® Announces 2021 Employee Veteran Leadership Awards

This year’s award winners are:

*Worked for Haywood Vocational Opportunities when nominated but now works for LPE Inc.

About VIQTORY®

**Worked for Haywood Vocational Opportunities when nominated but now works for LPE Inc*.