Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center's (MARMC) recruiting staff participated in Old Dominion University's (ODU) Spring Career Fair at the Ted Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk March 20.

One-hundred military commands and businesses from the Mid-Atlantic Region were on display to inform ODU students about their organizations and the types of careers available to them. According to the event coordinator, 800 students attended the career fair.

MARMC's recruiting team spoke with more than 50 students about MARMC's mission and the various employment opportunities at the command - ranging from contracting to engineering.

"The main objective is to find current students and recent graduates involved in the career discipline and studies that MARMC is looking for and try to recruit those candidates with those specific talents - especially in the areas of engineering, contracting, and anything that facilitates the operations of MARMC's business," said Anthony Velasco, MARMC recruiting staff. "We want to share what MARMC does. We try to have subject matter experts who can share their experiences and have a conversation with prospective MARMC employees based on their field of expertise."

Recruiting team member Brad Garner, of Contracting Code 421, said this was the third time he has participated in an ODU Career Fair. He says he enjoys telling the students about his job and the important role MARMC plays in maintaining the Navy's fleet.

"The best way to get somebody talking is to get them to talk about their job and this is a prime example," said Garner. "You get to explain what you do and what the other people around you do and to show how important it is. Especially in our situation - how important it is to the nation as a whole. When I'm talking to these prospective employees and students, I want them to walk away with an understanding of what we do. I want them to walk away with an understanding of who we are and what we do for the Navy."

Velasco says MARMC participates in about 50 career fairs and other outreach events each year, including Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) events that impact local grade school students throughout Hampton Roads community.

"We're involved in very specific, targeted events on the recruiting side, and then we're very involved with STEM (K-12) throughout the Tidewater area and the Peninsula, as well," said Velasco. "We build relationships, we sustain relationships, and we make new relationships. It all encompasses our success in the overall picture."

Not only do these events help strengthen MARMC's relationship with the local community, but it also gives staff members a chance to share first-hand experiences with young people who probably never knew the vast number of options when seeking a career working with the federal government.

"You're meeting all kinds of people, meeting people from different walks of life," said Garner. "To me, the most fun part is seeing people passing who may not have thought about a career with the federal government or with the Navy and seeing them leave our booth excited about the possibility of working with the Navy."

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For more news from Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center, visit www.navy.mil/.