If you use a job recruiter or headhunter, you'll end up going to a hiring conference. Here's the inside scoop, from a veteran who went through the process:
The process begins when you sign up with a headhunter, fill out an application and email your resume. They will ask you what kind of job you are looking for -- their favorite offerings are industrial project management, technical project management, technical sales and pharmaceutical sales -- and what geographic areas you are considering.
Once your job and geographic preferences are established, the recruiter will plug you into an upcoming hiring conference where you will interview with several companies.
The hiring conference, which is run by the headhunting agency, is held in a metropolitan hotel and usually lasts 2-4 days. The agency will typically hold 3-6 conferences a year in each geographic area that they cover and usually will have a conference for you to attend within six weeks of your initial call.
The conference usually includes a one- or two-day preparation phase, followed by a two-day interview phase. During the preparation phase, the recruiters will give you their view on the current job market, as well as guidance for your upcoming interviews.
They will also finalize your interview schedule. During the interview phase, you will meet with the human resources managers from a handful of the headhunter's client companies. Your headhunter will debrief you on your job prospects with each company after each interview.
Most applicants will be called by two or three of the companies in the following days with second interview offers. During this time, your headhunter will call you frequently to find out how you are feeling about the process and your offers. You should know that they are also talking with the HR folks at their client companies.
Pre-Conference
About two weeks before the conference, I mailed in several copies of my resume and spoke briefly to the headhunter/ recruiter who would be handling my case. When asked, I told him that I definitely did not want any positions in sales or in manufacturing supervision. I was interested only in project management and consulting, though I didn't know for sure which one would be better. He said he would get back to me soon with my interview lineup.
Two days before the conference, I spoke to him again for my interview lineup. There were four jobs that they had me scheduled to interview for -- two "project manager" jobs with wafer and chip manufacturing companies, one technical service manager job with a national telecom and one intriguing "internal consultant" job with a well-known aviation manufacturer. The last job was the only one that really sounded like something I would be interested in, but I went along with the whole program anyway.
Day 1
The conference began just after lunch on Saturday. I stood in line for about 30 minutes while we registered. Most of the crowd were Army officers, and most were still on active duty. The mood in line ranged from gregarious optimism to cautious anxiety: We were there to find jobs.
Since we had already mailed in our resumes and the other basic information, registration consisted of collecting our name tags and providing our contract information at the hotel. I can't say that I was surprised when I saw that they had misspelled my name.
After filing into the conference room, they dimmed the lights and kicked off the event by showing us a 10-minute-long film/commercial for the agency. The commercial consisted mainly of testimonials from nervous-looking junior officers. The agency promised that we would be working for companies that ranged from "local manufacturers to worldwide corporations."
When the lights came up, the employees of the agency introduced themselves. They were confident, young and enthusiastic. All of them were former military officers, and none of them had been in the headhunting business for more than three years. They were all friendly and helpful, but at no time did I ever feel as though I was in the presence of a career expert. After the introductions, the conference was divided into the former enlisted side and the officer side.
The rest of the afternoon, we listened to briefs covering basic interview protocol, the conference schedule and "industry briefs" outlining the perks of various types of jobs in manufacturing and sales. They did a good job of reviewing the basic interviewing tips from the recent books and reminding us to "dress conservatively ... straighten our ties before the interview ... and maintain eye contact ... etc." It is clear that they want us to not only be excited about our upcoming interviews, but that they actually want us to get the job.
Just before quitting for the night, we broke into small groups and practiced our answers for the most common interview questions. I thought that this was one of the most useful events of the conference. I think that each of us honed our thoughts and polished our delivery.
Day 2
On Day 2, we had briefs on the different companies that would be interviewing on Days 3 and 4. In the morning and afternoon, the headhunters gave us briefs on the hiring practices and financial overviews of the countries. That night, representatives from the companies were allotted time to pitch their positions to us.
The headhunters did everything that they could to make their job offerings sound appealing. The most common technique that they used was to point to shining examples of former junior military officers (JMOs) who had gone through them to get a job in, say manufacturing or sales, and were now raking in the money. I think that we all wished for more statistical reports that measured their success and satisfaction in the client corporations.
The best part of Day 2, however, was that we could conduct as many one-on-one practice interviews with the headhunters as we desired. We had the chance to solicit advice on how to field personalized interview questions and our delivery.
Like the small group practice the day before, it was very helpful. It was good training for any interview, during the hiring conference or later, in interviews that we might arrange on our own.
Days 3 and 4: The Interviews
If over the weekend, the uniform was business casual -- khaki pants and button-up shirts -- Monday was all dark suits and "scrubbed behind the ear" crispness. So much so that if I hadn't known better, I would have suspected that the president was in the building and all of us were Secret Service agents. The hotel was atrium style, with rooms opening onto balconies going up all 10 floors.
At 7:55 Monday morning, JMOs in uniformly dark suits were visible on every balcony, waiting outside the suites of the client companies for their 8 a.m. interview. All we lacked were earpieces and concealed weapons.
Most of us had between four and six interviews scheduled over these two days. After each interview, we were instructed by the agency to go back to their operations suite for a debrief and to fill out an interview review form. The work of the headhunters was to stay up to date on the "commerce," to be there for last-minute interview advice and to keep tabs on who might be getting the jobs.
We had been instructed that it would be highly unusual for any of us to receive job offers on the spot -- the goal being to make it to the second interview, which would most likely take place at the corporate client headquarters. The exception to this, we were told, was the enlisted men and women; they would probably be offered jobs based on their initial interview.
The last two days of the conference consisted solely of interviewing. After the two days of the conference were over, we were told, the agency would let us know which companies wanted to see us back for another round of interviews. The parting instructions were to stand by the phone for follow-ups and keep them informed if we heard directly from the companies.
Want to Know More About the Military?
Be sure to get the latest news about the U.S. military, as well as critical info about how to join and all the benefits of service. Subscribe to Military.com and receive customized updates delivered straight to your inbox.
