BUTLER TWP — VA Butler Healthcare was bustling Wednesday morning as military veterans, active service members and military spouses connected with employers and gained career building skills.

Hiring Our Heroes, an organization started through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and coordinated locally by VA Butler and the Butler County Chamber of Commerce, set up shop on the campus to address the issue of veteran employment.

The organization estimates there are about 1 million unemployed veterans and about 1 million veterans who will leave the armed forces in the next five years.

The day’s activities included a job fair and employment workshops.

Virginia Brewer of Hiring Our Heroes led a workshop on getting a job in the civilian sector.

An Air Force veteran who is in the Air Force Reserve, Brewer shared how she started her career after retiring from active duty.

She said networking and persistence eventually landed her a job with Hiring Our Heroes.

She admitted the job hunting process can be overwhelming, especially for veterans who might not have received much guidance before discharge.

“When you get into the civilian world and you’re looking for a job ... it’s like throwing pieces of a puzzle out on a table and you have to put them all together,” she said.

Brewer said the first step is to assess your strengths and weaknesses, including hard and soft skills. Hard skills include things such as computer or mechanic skills, while soft skills include leadership and critical thinking.

The next step is to prepare, which includes developing an effective resume and an “elevator pitch” to sell yourself. An elevator pitch is basically a 30-second face-to-face commercial that tells an employer who you are and how you can help them.

Brewer said the most important element to both tools is to research and to translate what you have learned in the military into civilian terms. Veterans must eliminate military lingo and acronyms.

“Ninety seven percent of this population is civilians,” she said. “Only 3 percent are military veterans.”

She said networking, such as at job fairs, is vital because you never know who might pass your information to someone who wants to hire you.

When applying for jobs, Brewer said veterans need to showcase their experience that translates to any job.

“Every employer is looking for someone who has had leadership roles,” she said.

“A lot of folks coming out of college or who have been in other situations that are not veterans, it’s hard for them to have those leadership roles naturally.

“This is where we need to boast on it.

“You have been put in situations, regardless of your rank or how long you’ve been in the military, where you had to take leadership.”

Other tips she gave were:

• Research the company before interviewing so you are familiar with what it does.

• Research some common interview questions, which will help in being prepared to translate military experience to the civilian position.

• Go to an interview with questions for the interviewer to show interest in the company.

• Follow up with the interviewer, preferably in a handwritten note, which stands out in today’s digital age.

Above all else, Brewer said not to be overly humble and to be proud of military service.

“Don’t undermine who you are and what you’ve done,” she said.

“You raised your right hand. You solemnly swore you would serve this country, even if it meant death, so the least civilians of this country can do is listen to you and open that door for you.”

About 50 employers and service providers set up for the job fair, spilling out of VA Butler’s auditorium and onto the front sidewalk.

More than 100 job-seeking veterans had preregistered, and the fair accepted many more walk-ins.

Susan Joseph of Dr Pepper Snapple Group in Cranberry Township agreed veterans must list how the skills they have learned through serving translate to the civilian careers they want to enter.

The company is hiring fleet mechanics and also has a number of positions open in transportation, logistics and warehouse roles.

Mike Carley of TBC Retail Group said he looks for cover letters that stand out, and military service is a key factor.

He said he wants to know why job seekers want to work for the company and what motivates them.

The company has a wide range of jobs, from technicians to managers, to fill at automotive service centers such as Midas and NTB stores around the region.

Transportation was a recurring theme at the fair as many companies have positions for commercial truck drivers.

Mary Jane McAdams of Lutheran SeniorLife said the need for drivers, vehicle maintenance staff and logistics workers brought her to the fair.

Along with technical skills, she wanted to meet some veterans with strong computer skills and experience mapping and scheduling transportation routes.