Lieutenant Commander Chris Chadwick, of Hero 2 Hired, wants to thank you for your service to our country by helping you find a job.

First, please tell me about Hero 2 Hired.

Hero2Hired (H2H) is a comprehensive employment program with a powerful job search site and online community that is 100% free for veterans, Service members, and employers.

H2H’s resources include: 1) An H2H.jobs interactive website with job listings, career exploration tools, education and training resources, advice and tips, résumé builder and networking opportunities; 2) military skills translator – converts military experience to civilian career paths; 3) job seeker profile builders, 4) social networking; 5) Hiring Our Heroes events; 6) virtual career fairs; 7) mobile phone apps for IOS, Android, and Windows Phones; 8) mobile job store at hundreds of events across the nation; an 9) an innovative Facebook application.

And how does one become involved with your organization?

H2H is a service of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs. If you would like to volunteer to help link service members and employers, your best avenue is to visit ESGR.mil and look up your local ESGR representative for information on becoming a volunteer.

If you are a job seeker or an employer, the best way to get started is to go to H2H.jobs and register. With this program being provided by the Department of Defense, it is free to job seekers and employers.

Will you please explain the Virtual Career Fairs and Live Hiring Events mentioned on your website?

A Virtual Career Fair is an event you can attend right from your home, or from any computer terminal. You sign on to the career fair during the advertised hours of the event and enter “booths” similar to chat rooms.

A live hiring event is a standard job fair. H2H events are held in locations throughout the nation specifically to help National Guard, Reserve, and veterans, plus family members of these groups find meaningful employment.

Tell me about the Live Hiring Event in San Diego on August 16?

The event in San Diego is a U.S. Chamber of Commerce “Hiring Our Heroes” event. H2H is the prime sponsor of this event. It’s being held on August 16, 2012 in Anchors Catering and Conference Center located at 2375 Recreation Way, Building 3210, San Diego, CA 92136. (32nd Street Navy Yard)

And you have these all over the country, right? Are they different than other job fairs?

That’s correct. The U.S. Chamber is hosting 400 Hiring Our Heroes events around the country this year alone. H2H is the prime sponsor of 40 of these events. What makes these job fairs unique is that they specifically target America’s service members and veterans. H2H sponsored events are also aimed at further assisting members of the National Guard and Reserve.

Can you give me any success stories that might inspire job seekers in San Diego?

A few weeks ago while attending a job fair in Pennsylvania, one of our H2H personnel was standing outside the main doors when a young soldier came walking out. The H2H rep asked the soldier how it was going. The soldier’s reply was that he had come outside to thank God because he had just gotten hired and finally had a job.

Who is eligible to participate? And what do they have to do to attend this coming event?

You must be a member of the National Guard or Reserve, or be a veteran or immediate family member to attend as a job seeker. Any employer is eligible to attend as long as they have valid jobs they are looking to fill. In order to attend, everyone should please go to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce website to register. Job seeker walk-ins are welcome, but due to limited space at some of the events, a cap may be placed on the number of employers that can be accommodated. The specific website to visit to find a hiring event near you is: www.uschamber.com/hiringourheroes.

What kind of preparation would you suggest for job seekers who want to attend?

It’s always a good idea to have your résumé up to date. Print out multiple copies to bring with you so you don’t run out. Make sure you are in presentable attire, which at the very least might include a nice pair of Khakis and collared shirt. Also, a good night’s sleep before attending is a bonus.

And besides the preparation, do you have any other advice for job seekers during the event?

Stay positive. What we’ve seen is that there are excellent opportunities out there. It just takes time to link the job seeker with the right employer. The employers that come to these events want to hire veterans.

Where can someone find more information on your organization or the San Diego event in particular?

For more information, you can go to our website at www.h2h.jobs. For the San Diego event, please visit USChamber.com/hiringourheroes.