G.I. Jobs® Announces 2021 Veteran Champion of the Year in Corporate America Awards

2021 Veteran Champion of the Year in Corporate America Awards

Pittsburgh, May 18, 2021 – G.I. Jobs® is proud to announce the inaugural 2021 Veteran Champion of the Year (VCOY) in Corporate America awards, a prestigious honor presented to those who champion the recruitment, hiring, retention, and career advancement of U.S. military veterans in corporate America.

The 14 VCOYs were selected for their advocacy on behalf of America’s veterans and military employees in helping to establish and grow long-term sustainable opportunities, services, and programs. In addition to recruiting and hiring initiatives, examples include onboarding and mentoring programs, veteran network and affinity groups, bridging the cultural gap between veteran and non-veteran employees, recognizing and celebrating military service within the organization, and working with veterans service organizations and other community groups.

“G.I. Jobs sets and promotes the benchmarks for the corporate programs that best connect the military community to civilian employment opportunities. But without people like the 14 honored this year, the execution at individual companies never happens. I am so grateful for these 14 leaders for their role in lifting their veteran brothers and sisters,” 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 Veteran Champion of the Year in Corporate America honorees will be published in the July issue of G.I. Jobs magazine, which is distributed free to transitioning service members, veterans, and their families.

This year’s award winners are:

Brian Prather, Facebook/Nike*
Jesse Campbell, Sanford Health
William Pishotta, Combined Insurance
Patrick Curran, Greencastle Associates Consulting
Erin Izen, The Home Depot
Melissa Stirling, Hilton
Jesse Scott, Modis
Bre’ Cameron, Amgen/Cielo
Gary Patton, CACI
Ed Wakeley, American Systems
James Simpson, Pike Enterprises
Eddie Dunn, Eddie Dunn Consulting
Courtney Browne, Maximus
Sean Passmore, Wells Fargo

*Worked for Facebook when nominated, but now works for Nike.

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.

Employee Spotlight – Mike Asper, Art Director

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 Art Director, Mike Asper.

When the goal of your organization is to connect the military community with civilian opportunity, who better to help in those efforts than somebody who has served and made the transition to the civilian workforce? Luckily for VIQTORY, that’s Mike’s story. Mike served for six years in the Marine Corps Reserve from 2005–2011 where he was a 3531 Motor Vehicle Operator and was deployed twice to Iraq. As Mike put it, “I basically went out on convoys and either drove the trucks (HMMWVs, MTVRs and MRAPs), operated the radio in the passenger seat, or sat in the turret and manned the machine gun.” When I asked him how he felt the service prepared him for the civilian world, his answer was straightforward. “It gave me a perspective that most civilians don’t have. No matter how bad a day at work is, I’ve dealt with worse.”

After his service, Mike attended The Art Institute of Pittsburgh where he received his degree in Graphic Design and even managed to earn “Best in Show” at his class’s portfolio show. Shortly after graduating, Mike was contacted by VIQTORY’s HR team to come in for an interview where he accepted a position as a Graphic Designer. Here’s how he put it. “I came in and got the job. A local veteran-centered company looking for a designer just as I got out of the military and finished design school? The stars aligned on that one.”

Mike has been with VIQTORY now for just over 8 years and has risen to the rank of Art Director. While he started out as a graphic designer, he’s absorbed numerous other responsibilities since then, primarily centered around attracting our military audience. That could be marketing and promotion around our products, events, and services. It could be posting content to our website and social media accounts. And it’s most definitely compiling, analyzing, and reporting metrics as well as putting together our G.I. Jobs magazine each month. Mike has his hands in just about every department to some degree and I speak for all of us when I say those departments are better off for it.

Like many of us, Mike has been enjoying his time working from home. “Luckily, I now work from home, so I no longer have to spend the first few hours of my day fighting over the bathroom and sitting in traffic. I typically start my day early in my studio with a cup of coffee or tea and take care of any administrative tasks like responding to emails and going over my list of priorities. Once I know what I need to get done for the day, I put on a podcast and dig into whatever projects I’m working on which could be anything from designing an ad, to setting up a photoshoot or pulling a metrics report. I also have plenty of virtual meetings peppered in throughout the week to stay aligned with the team.”

I went on to ask how he feels he’s grown over his 8 years with VIQTORY and here’s what he had to say, “VIQTORY is a small company, and you often have to do things outside of your job description. While many—understandably—are deterred by this, I view it as a learning opportunity. I’ve gained so much experience and skills outside of my specialty over the years. This can open doors to bigger opportunities in the future.”

Inside and outside of the office, Mike is a jack of all trades. You might bump into him at one of the local comic or record shops in Pittsburgh as he adds to his, “ever-growing” collections, or hopefully at a live concert as things start to open up. He also spends his time creating, reading, traveling, and running (six full marathons so far!!) Mike enjoys spending time with his wife, family, friends, his English Bulldog, Smedley Darlington, and his two cats, Harvey Loo and Leonidas. And like all good Pittsburghers, Mike roots on the Penguins, Steelers, and Pirates.

Mike’s technical design skills paired with his ability and willingness to learn and adapt on the fly make him an invaluable member of our VIQTORY team. When asked what advice he would give to someone just starting out their professional career his advice was solid. “Do as much research as you can. There are so many opportunities out there, but a good career most likely isn’t just going to fall into your lap. Compare different companies and different industries. How much money do you want/need to make? How many hours are you OK with working? Does your lifestyle require more flexibility? Do as much work upfront as you can to avoid struggling later.” Coming from an individual who served, went through the world of higher education, and transitioned to the business world, I would take the man’s advice. Here’s to 8 more years, Mike!

Why You Should Target Veterans For Franchise Opportunites

Franchising, essentially, means buying a proven business model from an already established organization. While they do give you the framework for success, it’s not as simple as making the transaction and then sitting back and watching the money roll in. Making the initial payment is only the beginning. While buying a franchise is a lower risk than starting a business from the ground up, it’s no walk in the park and it’s not for everybody, it’s hard work. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, about 1/4 of all veterans are interested in starting their own businesses, and franchises are a popular route to go due to all of the reasons mentioned before. With the business framework already in place, opening a franchise is an easy way to enter the market. These are a few of the reasons why veterans and other members of the military community make such great franchise owners.

As mentioned before, buying a franchise means buying a business model and the playbook which lays out all of the processes and procedures for running that business which has proved to yield success. Veterans are no strangers to following orders or abiding by rules and regulations, making it a perfect opportunity for those who are looking to run their own business. Former service members also bring with them strong leadership skills which allow them to surround themselves with a team of individuals who will get the job done and help make the business thrive.

Having the business model for a franchise doesn’t guarantee success. Success means putting in the hard work, which is why members of the military community are a great fit, they come with a great work ethic. While some owners work less than 40hrs per week, that isn’t the norm, the more flourishing franchises have an owner who is hands-on. Veterans come ready to put in the extra hours and the extra effort to ensure your business success and money in your pocket.

According to the International Franchise Association, which works with over 600 companies, even though veterans only account for about 7% of the population, 14% of all franchise owners are vets. That’s because veterans have proven to make great leaders and thrive in the world of franchising. It is no surprise that veterans have great work ethics and that they are both disciplined and hard-working. On top of it all, many service members leave the military with a solid financial situation, and if your company is part of the VetFran network, there are added benefits for both your organization and the veterans. If all of that isn’t enough to indicate that they will succeed in the world of franchising, just look at the numbers, they already have.

The problem that individuals in the franchise development sector are having even though they’ve identified their target audience is that the military audience can be an elusive one. The good news is that we’ve been collecting our own first-party data for the last two decades. That means that we have the attention of the audience, we know how they operate, and we know how to locate and target even the most elusive individuals. We can assist you in targeting these military veterans and spouses based on the predetermined qualifiers defined by you and your team. Let’s use behavioral targeting as an example. This basically means that we are gathering data from a variety of sources about the online activity, or behavior, of potential candidates. As we gather information about these potential franchise buyers, we learn about their tendencies while online which then allows us to target them accordingly.

Perhaps behavioral targeting casts a net too large for your needs and you want information that is a bit more tangible. No problem. Our Military DSP allows us to pick, choose, and blend various tactics based on our client’s needs. One example would be running a strictly site-retargeting campaign, which means you’re only targeting people who have actually spent time on your company’s website. This is clearly popular because you’re getting your message in front of users who have expressed their interest in your franchise opportunity(s) just based on their browsing history. While this approach is better than sending your marketing materials into the endless abyss that is the internet, employers tend to see the best results when they blend multiple targeting/advertising techniques into an all-encompassing data-driven campaign focused on results.

Employee Spotlight – Audrey Liberati

For this Employee Spotlight, we’re taking a look at our Client Success Coordinator, Audrey Liberati.

If you’ve done business with VIQTORY in the past few years, there’s a good chance you’ve interacted with Audrey before. As our Client Success Coordinator, Audrey works in the post-sales process. What this means, is once you come on board as a client, chances are Audrey will be your point of contact. Working in Client Success means working with many different departments, from Sales and Ad-Operations to our Audience team on the other side of the house, all to ensure that our client products are fulfilled in a timely manner.

Before joining the VIQTORY team, Audrey balanced her time between the classroom and the lacrosse field at Messiah University where she earned her degree in Sport Management. After finishing her degree, she was accepted into the Pittsburgh Fellows program, a post-graduate fellowship program here in Pittsburgh that focuses on professional development, grooming those accepted to be business leaders in the Pittsburgh area.

This fellowship is actually what brought Audrey to VIQTORY, where she came on as a Digital Marketing Assistant and intern with the organization for 9 months. She made a quick impact and helped raise our CS team to a new level, which led to her accepting a full-time position with VIQTORY upon the completion of her fellowship.

I asked Audrey what her typical workday looks like and her answer was no surprise, a lot of internal and external communication and collaboration. When asked what she enjoyed about working at VIQTORY, again, no surprise. “The people for sure. Everyone at VIQTORY looks at our work here as a team effort and you know that they have your back. We win together and we lose together. I’ve been on a team almost my entire life, and so I love continuing that here at VIQTORY.” I can speak for the rest of us when I say that having Audrey on board is a big team win.

She went on to point out the wealth of knowledge that she’s gained through this constant collaboration and team-first mentality, “Whether it be a soft skill like learning to communicate more efficiently, or hard a skill like understanding the inner-workings of our marketing/advertising technology, we’re constantly learning” I think it’s safe to say that her intellectual curiosities paired with her willingness and ability to learn on the fly have helped to propel her career and position her as a leader, and subject matter expert within our organization.

When she’s not in the office, you can bet that she’s outside…if the weather is nice. “ I feel like I hibernate in the winter. When the weather is warm in Pittsburgh, I like to spend a lot of time outside sitting on my porch with my roommate admiring our porch plants, roasting s’mores in my backyard, riding bikes, and going on walks/hikes.”

When I asked Audrey what advice she would give to someone just starting out their professional career, the answer was insightful. “ I’ve learned along the way that where you start is not where you’ll end up. Even if the first job you get doesn’t feel like what you should be doing with your life, stick with it. There’s still a lot to learn and you will probably learn things that will better prepare you for where you want to go.” Wise word from a young professional on the rise.

Recruiting For Manufacturing Positions

When the world was turned upside down at the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in March of 2020, there weren’t many companies, organizations, or individuals who were unaffected. At the business level, employers had to lay off thousands of workers and we saw unemployment rates skyrocket, in turn, taking its toll on the economy. The good news is, we are now past the one-year mark of when Covid reared its ugly head and things are starting to look up. As the economy continues to open up, we can expect to see thousands of job postings popping up for open positions, on top of the hundreds of thousands of jobs created this past March alone. While this is all fantastic news, employers are facing new challenges, and let’s not forget, the world of Recruitment Marketing has plenty of obstacles and challenges to overcome, pandemic or not. Here’s a look at the Manufacturing industry.

The New Normal

Anyone who has gone on the internet or seen any TV commercials over the past year is probably very tired of hearing the phrase, “new normal,” especially because it can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. What we mean in this case, is people are used to working from home, and in large part, have no desire to go back to the office. As mentioned before, the good, or great news, is that our country’s economy is opening up and people are starting to go back to work. The challenge, as always, lies in recruiting qualified talent. Working from home being the new normal just adds another layer of difficulty, especially in an industry such as Manufacturing, whose positions often require a hands-on, in-person, work schedule.

Many of us worked in a traditional office setting 5 days a week prior to everything shutting down, and were able to make the seamless transition to 100% remote work due to being able to hold meetings and communicate virtually. But as mentioned before, if you’re hiring for manufacturing jobs, chances are your candidates would be working in person. For many, in-person work just isn’t an option due to susceptibility to the coronavirus, and being around co-workers every day would be a health risk. For others, they’ve been watching with envy as their friends and family members made the 30-second commute from their bedrooms to their desks. No matter what the rationale is, the result stays the same, people want to work remotely, making it harder than ever for manufacturing companies to get people hired and out on the factory floors.

For many, the threat and fear of Covid go beyond the day-to-day demands of these positions, and many don’t even feel comfortable going to an in-person interview or receiving job training/getting certifications in-person. What if we told you that we can take your hiring process virtual while attracting candidates, many of who are pre-qualified for your manufacturing positions? Veterans bring a wealth of knowledge and experience with them as they transition out of the military. The values of teamwork, discipline, and leadership have been engrained and they know what it means to put in a hard day’s work. Welcome to the G.I. Jobs Virtual Hiring Expo.

Meet your Next Great hire

Tap into the military community at the next G.I. Jobs Career Expo and meet with hundreds of qualified veterans, active duty service members, and military spouses at this virtual hiring event. Using the first-party data that we’ve collected for almost 2 decades, paired with the advanced targeting of our military audience, we bring the candidates right to you. Exhibitors have the ability to access the hundreds of candidate resumes prior to the event so that they can screen individuals as well as schedule meeting times in advance, ensuring that you make the most of your time during our event. You can search through the candidate resumes and find the perfect fit for your organization based on military experience, civilian experience, degree level, and more.

Once you’ve found the attendees that spark your interest, you can then schedule one-on-one chats that can be either text-based or a video format based on your preference. We’ve had tremendous success with our past events and look forward to the continued growth of this series. We think the numbers speak for themselves:

– 81% of candidates move on in the talent acquisition process

– Over 60% have a Bachelor’s Degree

– 73% have junior to mid-level experience

The Value of A veteran

The talent acquisition process is one that can often be arduous and expensive, especially when we’re talking about manufacturing jobs. These positions, even before the covid pandemic, typically had a long time to hire because so many of them are labor-intensive and require certifications before work can begin. That’s where you start to lose time and money and that’s where we come in.

Translating a military resume in terms of how those skills and experiences translate isn’t nearly as difficult as people think. If your organization is looking to fill its manufacturing positions with candidates who are both qualified and certified, tap into the military community. Every branch of the military has enlisted positions from Welders and Metalworkers, to Radar and Sonar Repairers, and there are over 230,000 service members who transition out of the military each year, not to mention all of the current veterans and military spouses actively seeking employment.

Now that we’ve locked down our target audience, how do you find them? As previously mentioned, if you are interested in our G.I. Jobs Virtual Career Expo, we can bring the candidates directly to you. If you’re more interested in pushing your messaging directly to the digital devices of your desired audience, we have a number of different digital targeting tactics we can use to help build brand awareness within the military community. And if you’re interested in more traditional means of marketing, our G.I. Jobs and Military Spouse publications are distributed to military bases and military-centric organizations around the globe in both digital and print formats.

If you are like most of our clients, you’ve realized by now that what would best fit your organization is some sort of blend of these different marketing options. Don’t worry, we’ve got it covered. If you’re interested in how we can blend these tactics to form a marketing campaign that best fits your needs, fill out the Strategy Call Form below, and somebody from our team will reach out with more information.

Employee Spotlight – Greg Hough

For this Employee Spotlight, we’re taking a look at our Senior Account Manager, Greg Hough.

Greg joined the VIQTORY team almost 4 years ago and quickly became a leader within the organization. His primary role is to maintain and grow our current customer base through our integrated recruitment marketing platforms. As we know, marketing campaigns aren’t one-size-fits-all, so Greg is no stranger to building relationships and working together to build custom campaigns that fit a client’s individual needs. In addition, Greg is also responsible for new business development.

Greg’s professional background prior to VIQTORY not only makes him a great fit for our Sales Department, but it makes him a great fit for our company culture. Greg served in the United States Marine Corps for 6 years, where he served two combat tours in Iraq and worked as a Motor Vehicle Operator for Third Battalion 5th Marine Regiment out of Camp Pendleton, CA. Greg is the perfect example of how military service prepares people for the civilian workforce. Teaching the value of discipline, teamwork, leadership, and mission accomplishment are just a few of the many ways the United States Military prepares these individuals for the civilian workforce.

After the service, Greg spent 8 Years in the world of Higher Education as a Director of Academics and Admissions prior to joining our team. When I asked him what attracted him to VIQTORY, his answer was simple, “It was the company’s military roots along with the fact that this position allows me to continue to serve in a different capacity.” He also pointed out the fact that no two days are the same in his role. “I get the ability to work with some of the greatest schools and companies in the world and help them attract top military, veteran, and spouse talent.”

Greg went on to mention how much VIQTORY has changed in his time here. “We’ve evolved our brand offerings to include very targeted digital solutions for our partners and we’ve done so without sacrificing the quality or the availability of our content-based legacy products. I have also really enjoyed the B2B side of business development. My role allows me to connect with all different types of people, from media buyers to CEOs, every day is unique.”

Transitioning out of the military and joining the civilian workforce can be a daunting task. Many individuals don’t even know where to start. I asked Greg what advice he would give to his younger self when transitioning, and his answer was insightful. “Don’t wait to prepare until you’re ready to exit. Start as soon as possible and consider how your skills and responsibilities will translate into the civilian world.” The sad truth is that a lot of employers simply don’t know how to translate a military resume. Make sure you articulate your role and help translate the tangible skills you’ve acquired during your service.

He went on to give some really solid advice for individuals just starting out their professional careers. “Choose a mentor even if it’s casual in nature. Someone who you can turn to and ask for advice along the way. Start looking at positions and opportunities that strike your interest and begin to prepare for your next move. Always be willing to grow and learn to never get complacent.”

A graduate of Robert Morris University with a BS in Organizational Studies and MS in Instructional Leadership, Greg has sunk his roots locally here in the Mt. Lebanon area of Pittsburgh, PA. If you ever feel like having a spirited debate about anything related to the Pittsburgh Steelers or Penguins, Greg has opinions and the stats to back them up. A family man, you’ll find him on the sidelines of his kid’s sporting events, where he coaches their football, baseball, and softball teams. When he gets a weekend with no games on the schedule, chances are Greg is doing something outdoors. Hunting, hiking, biking, fishing, camping, and the list goes on.

As mentioned earlier, Greg has moved up the ranks in his time with VIQTORY, has become a leader within our organization, and has been a pleasure to work with. As I’ve heard him say many times, “Marines lead from the front.”

Student Recruitment On A Reduced Marketing Budget

For marketing teams in the realm of higher education there have been countless obstacles to overcome throughout the COVID19 pandemic. Colleges and Universities had to close their classroom doors and move to a virtual setting, resulting in potential students around the country deciding to take gap years before pursuing a degree. We also saw many take, “non-traditional,” paths after high school graduation. And sadly, we saw COVID cases pop up across college campuses. A cumulation of all of these reasons and many more have left schools struggling to hit enrollment goals, leaving Marketing Departments strapped for cash. Here are some ways you can stretch that reduced budget and help hit those student recruitment goals.

The Virtual Career Expo

Hitting a previous years benchmarks isn’t an easy task in the world of student recruitment after a good year. Throw in a pandemic and cut your budget… let’s just say it doesn’t make things easier. The current reality for many schools right now is that there simply isn’t the money to spend on full-fledged programmatic marketing campaigns, even if the process is tried and true. That’s one of the many reasons that in 2020, we started hosting Virtual Hiring Events where schools and employers can come meet with candidates, keep employment/enrollment numbers up, and do so at a low cost of entry.

What if we told you that you can meet with 4 potential job candidates in a matter of 2 hours without ever leaving your house? At the G.I. Jobs Virtual Career Expos, we help you do just that. Sign-up and booth registration only take minutes and during the event, get access to hundreds of candidates from the military community who are actively seeking employment and engage with them via one-on-one text/video chats. Click here if you’d like more information regarding our targeted advertising solutions and/or our Virtual Career Expos!

Our Reach

If you’ve read this far then you definitely see the value of a veteran and the military community. The good news is, you came to the right place! Our G.I. Jobs and Military Spouse Magazines are distributed to military bases around the world. So, how many people are seeing these publications? Let’s just say there are around 230,000 service members who transition out of the military each year.

What does this mean for Colleges and Universities? It means that if you don’t want to run a full programmatic marketing campaign, you can let our brand recognition do the heavy lifting for you.

Help build your school’s brand recognition by piggybacking on ours and get your message in front of thousands of service members transitioning out of the military, many of whom are eager to put that G.I Bill money to work. Click here if you are interested in appearing in one of our upcoming publications.

While all of our publications are in a digital format as well, that style can still be a little old school for some. If you’re looking for a low-cost point to reach a vast military audience via a different medium, check out our E-blast options.

At VIQTORY, we’ve been collecting our own first-party data for almost two decades. For those not in the marketing world, that basically means that we can reach our audience through improved targeting methods because of the data and behavioral information we’ve collected first-hand over the years. To simplify it even further, when you get an E-blast you know that your message is being delivered to quality candidates with low unsubscribe rates because those individuals provided us with their information themselves. Click here if you’d like some more information.

Targeting Tactics

When it comes down to it, every organization across every industry requires something different when it comes to its marketing. It would be a lot easier if it were one size fits all, but the reality is the most organizations require a custom blend of marketing and targeting tactics to achieve team goals.

At VIQTORY, we have our own in-house Military DSP. What does that mean for you? It means you have a ton of options when it comes to your recruitment marketing strategy. We can help you target based on both your physical location or your competitors. You can place your ads specifically on websites that have content relevant to your industry or even target individuals based on their online behavior. If you’re interested in learning more about these marketing must-haves and various others, check out our Media Kit and our Command Platform to find the best targeting/marketing options for you.

As we mentioned before, when it comes to finding top-quality talent, the methods of achieving that goal vary from organization to organization. If your interested in learning more about your options for reaching the military community while keeping your talent pipeline full, fill out the form below and we’ll reach out to you with more information.

Aerospace and Defence

Companies and organizations across the country have had trouble recruiting quality talent throughout their continued efforts to recover from the COVID19 pandemic, and the Aerospace & Defense sector is no exception. A survey by McKinsey revealed that A&D companies are facing many challenges in recruiting and retaining talent, specifically digital talent. Between Tech companies snatching up the majority of the already limited IT talent, reduced marketing budgets because of COVID, an already competitive space, it’s time to think outside the box and reimagine your marketing efforts.

Don't Cast A Wide Net, Build Your Own Pond

One of the main issues recruiters run into when crafting their marketing strategies is they go after the entire market instead of focusing on a specific audience. In other words, you’re putting your message in front of a lot of the wrong people which, simply put, is a huge waste of money.

“Building your own pond,” may seem like a ton of work, but you’re in luck. At VIQTORY, we’ve been collecting our own first-party-data for almost 20 years and have used it to build our own audience, which includes the more than 200,000 veterans that transition out of the military every year, not to mention the hundreds of thousands of military spouses in our network.

When we say “think outside the box,” we don’t only mean the methods in which companies market themselves, but also that when many companies are looking to hire IT professionals, the military isn’t always the first place they look. But why not? It’s filled with highly trained, motivated, disciplined, and qualified individuals eager to start their civilian careers and there are plenty of IT professionals and digital talent spread across our country’s military.

You can find hundreds of those transitioners, resumes “in-hand,” at any of the G.I. Jobs Virtual Career Expos. The good news for Aerospace & Defense companies is that over our past few events, over 60% of event attendees have come from an IT background and are seeking similar employment opportunities. We’d be happy to set up a call and help plan out a recruitment strategy or talk about our other advanced targeting tactics.

Remote Work

Diversity and inclusion have been a hot topic as of late. Between companies putting in place D&I hiring initiatives, and others finally coming to the realization that a diverse workforce massively benefits an organization, this should come as no surprise. What you may not have realized is that it doesn’t get much more diverse than the military community.

Webster’s dictionary defines diversity as, “the condition of having or being composed of differing elements.” Our military community is not only composed of individuals of different races, faiths, orientations, etc, but these candidates transition out of the service with life experiences that only the military can give you. Discipline, hard work, routine, and following orders become second-nature making for not only an ideal hire but adding a new element to your Diversity & Inclusion initiatives

If you’d like to learn more about our digital advertising solutions, click the link below and check out the VIQTORY Command Platform and see how you can advance your marketing strategies and target your ideal audience.

2021 Pittsburgh Vetrepreneur of the Year

RE360 Founder and CEO Named 2021 Pittsburgh Vetrepreneur of the Year

PITTSBURGH—Navy veteran Joe Calloway, founder and CEO of RE360 real estate investment company, has been named the 2021 Pittsburgh Vetrepreneur® of the Year, a prestigious honor presented annually to one of the region’s outstanding veteran business owners.

Those chosen as Pittsburgh Vetrepreneur® of the Year exemplify the finest qualities of successful business leaders through sustained business growth and success, a demonstrated passion for cultivating veteran entrepreneurship, and a track record of generosity in giving back to the veteran and civilian community. The award is presented by veteran-owned VIQTORY and sponsored by Fort Pitt Capital Group.

“I love Joe’s story,” said Chris Hale, VIQTORY’s co-founder, chairman, and a Navy veteran. “Pittsburgh kid from Carrick High School. Joins the Navy. Learns how to sell as a Navy recruiter. Comes back to his hometown. Goes to Pitt on the GI Bill. Starts buying, renovating and renting real estate. Turns it into a great business where he owns and leases more than 300 properties and employs 40-plus people. Joe is a great representative of our city and the veteran business community. Congratulations Joe!”

The June issue of G.I. Jobs magazine, distributed free to transitioning service members, will feature Calloway’s inspirational story of success that started in the Navy. Calloway used his reenlistment bonus to buy his first property in 2004. Following his service, Calloway used the GI Bill to attend graduate school at the University of Pittsburgh and worked for a real estate development company. He began buying, restoring and renting homes across Western Pennsylvania, and in 2009 formed RE360. Calloway is credited with revitalizing the business district of his childhood neighborhood of Allentown. Today RE360 boasts a portfolio of more than 550 residential and commercial units on 300 properties.

“Fort Pitt Capital Group believes the entire community benefits when a veteran integrates the values they learned during their service to build a business,” said Theodore M. Bovard, Managing Director, Fort Pitt Capital Group. “Joe Calloway does just that as he restores properties using a team-driven approach through his company, RE360. We congratulate him as the 2021 Pittsburgh Vetrepreneur of the Year.”

Calloway has been recognized as a 40 Under 40 winner and was named a 2017 EY Entrepreneur of the Year award. RE360 has been recognized as one of INC Magazine’s 5000 Fastest Growing Companies in the nation, and has made the Pittsburgh Business Times’ Fast 50 multiple times. Calloway has served on the board of directors for Vagabond Missions, a Catholic non-profit that provides ministry to inner city youths.

“My experience in the Navy was very formative to me as a leader, business person and entrepreneur,” Calloway said. “There is no other educational institute, job training program or experience that can come close to what the military has to offer for young men and women. Being the Pittsburgh Vetrepreneur of the Year is the highest honor I can receive as an entrepreneur, as it was the military that gave me the confidence, tools and education to be a successful entrepreneur.”

About VIQTORY®

Founded on the belief that veterans are better off 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.

Veteran Hiring Event March 2021

VIQTORY announces next veteran hiring event on March 24, 2021

PITTSBURGH, March 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — VIQTORY has announced that SportClips Chairman and Founder Gordon Logan will be the keynote speaker at its next Virtual Career Expo (VCE) on March 24. Logan is an Air Force Veteran and recipient of the 2015 Vetrepreneur of the Year award.

The March 24 VCE will be held from 12 – 4 PM EDT, and will focus on military veterans and military spouses who are looking for a career in the skilled trades.

The G.I. Jobs Virtual Career Expo is a monthly virtual hiring event, which draws hundreds of quality candidates from the military community who are looking for their next career or educational opportunity, and connects them with companies, schools, and business franchises that want to recruit and hire from the military.

Candidates use text or video-based chats to connect with recruiters from the attending companies and schools.

Companies, schools, or franchises that are interested in reserving a booth at the March 24th VCE can find more information at www.viqtory.com/gijobs-virtual-job-fairs.

Transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses who are interested in attending as candidates can register at www.gijobs.com/virtual-career-expo.

About Viqtory®

Founded on the belief that veterans are better off 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 who 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. Viqtory®’s media brands include G.I. Jobs®, Military Spouse®, and Military Friendly®, among others. 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. The company also offers companies and colleges strategic consulting on their military recruiting programs.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/viqtory-announces-next-veteran-hiring-event-on-march-24-2021-301243967.html