Amazon, Capital One, Hewlett Packard Enterprise among 40+ businesses hiring at Nov. 5 Women in Technology virtual career fair

Fairfax County, Virginia, November 2, 2020 — Amazon, Capital One and Hewlett Packard Enterprise are among more than 40 companies in the D.C. metro area seeking to hire women for thousands of open positions during a November 5 Virtual Career Fair. Hosted by Women in Technology and sponsored by the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) and Capital One, this event is one of many in an ongoing series of virtual career fairs the FCEDA is sponsoring or leading in Northern Virginia. Participation is free of charge and registration details can be found here.

The Women in Technology Virtual Career Fair will help connect technology professionals of all levels with top organizations in the D.C. metro area looking to fill a wide variety of roles in STEM-based fields. While women make up 47 percent of the total workforce in the U.S., they hold 26 percent of computing-related jobs. When it comes to the economic effects of COVID-19, women’s employment is at higher risk than men’s: it’s estimated that women are 1.8 times more likely than men to lose their jobs due to the pandemic. This event seeks to help increase access to opportunity in a field where women have been historically underrepresented, and at a critical moment.

In addition to Amazon, Capital One and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, companies and organizations seeking candidates for jobs during the Virtual Career Fair include Accenture, Alion Science & Technology, Appian, ARC, Artlin Consulting, Common Securitization Solutions, Contegix, Cox, Easy Dynamics, EGlobalTech, ENSCO, Excella, Experis IT, FHLBanks, GEICO, General Dynamics, General Dynamics Information Technology, Guidehouse, Harmonia, IDS International, Karsun Solutions, Leidos, ManTech, NETE, Noblis, OBXtek Inc., Perspecta, Plus3 IT Systems, PRA Group, Procentrix, ScienceLogic, Smartronix, Sony, the Sparks Group, Swift, TISTA Science & Technology Corporation, TSymmetry, Verisign and Virginia Tech.

During the event, participants will be able to browse companies in a virtual lobby, enter companies’ booths, view open positions, engage in video conferencing and chat with HR representatives in real-time – all from the comfort of their homes.

“In Northern Virginia, we have more than 15,000 tech firms constantly hiring. In fact, tech job postings are growing more in Virginia than in California and New York,” said Victor Hoskins, president and CEO of the FCEDA. “We are a region that not just embraces, but pioneers diversity: women are twice as likely to work in tech in Northern Virginia than in Silicon Valley.”

The Washington, D.C., area is projected to add more than 130,000 tech jobs within the next five years, outranking cities such as San Francisco and Austin. Fairfax County alone boasts 8,900 technology establishments and more than 50 Cybersecurity 500 firms.

“I am excited to see the Economic Development Authority working with Women in Technology to connect more women with technology jobs in Northern Virginia,” said Fairfax County Supervisor Penelope Gross, who represents the Mason District and is vice chair of the Board of Supervisors. “More girls and women need to be exposed to the high-paying jobs in the technology sectors that are a major part of the economy of Fairfax County, and efforts such as this career fair open up a wider talent pipeline for the companies that have so many job openings even during the pandemic.”

The virtual career fair series is the latest FCEDA response to the COVID-19 crisis to connect job seekers with companies that are hiring now. The first three virtual career fairs collectively attracted more than 2,100 attendees and resulted in nearly 3,100 completed conversations between job seekers and hiring reps from companies such as Microsoft, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE).The virtual career fair is part of an FCEDA talent initiative funded by Fairfax County to attract, retain, grow and retrain workers. The initiative pivoted during the COVID-19 crisis to connect displaced workers with companies doing surge-hiring during the pandemic.

These virtual career fairs are just one way that the FCEDA is aggressively marketing the region’s companies to top talent locally and across the nation. If you are an employer that would like to promote your job openings, visit the Employer Resources page for more information or contact Mike Batt, the FCEDA director of talent initiative programs at [email protected]. 

About Women in Technology
When one woman helps another, amazing things can happen. Professional careers leap forward. That's what Women in Technology is all about. As the premier professional association for women in the technology industry, we understand the unique challenges you face. No matter where you are in your professional development, or what technology-related field you're in, our community offers a broad range of support, programs and resources to advance women in technology from the classroom to the boardroom.

About the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority
The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority promotes Fairfax County as a business and technology center. The FCEDA offers site location and business development assistance, and connections with county and state government agencies, to help companies locate and expand in Fairfax County. In addition to its headquarters in Tysons, Fairfax County’s largest business district, the FCEDA maintains business investment offices in six important global business centers: Bangalore/Mumbai, Berlin, London, Los Angeles, Seoul and Tel Aviv. Follow the FCEDA on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

The FCEDA is a member of the Northern Virginia Economic Development Alliance, which promotes and markets Northern Virginia outside the region and conducts activities and events to build the regional business community. Other members of NOVA EDA are the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership, Arlington County, City of Fairfax, City of Falls Church, Fauquier County, Loudoun County, City of Manassas, City of Manassas Park and the Prince William County Department of Economic Development.