NEXT: A Discovery Day (The 757 Career Summit Evolved)

You belong on this floor

Built for the military-connected talent force.

We do not separate you by rank or dependent status. NEXT aligns you by career stage, experience, and the opportunities you are ready to pursue.

⭐

Senior Leaders

Senior enlisted and officers translating strategic leadership, operations, program management, and command experience.

⚙️

Technical Talent

Junior military leaders and veterans bringing hands-on skills, trades, clearances, administration, and operational experience.

💼

Military Spouses

Career-established professionals and spouses building local, portable, remote, or next-stage career opportunities.

🇺🇸

Veterans

Reconnect your experience to employers, industries, and career pathways across Hampton Roads.

🚀

Young Adults

Explore employers, industries, career pathways, and the opportunities available in the region.

Family Readiness Note: Your modern military family operates as a team. Children are welcome to attend this daytime on-base event with you.

The Day 2 Experience

Discover. Filter. Book the conversation. Execute.

NEXT is designed to eliminate the “spray and pray” career-fair experience. The morning is for discovery and matching. The afternoon is for intentional conversations.

0900–1200

MORNING OPS

Discovery + Filtering

Phase 1

Find the fit.

Opportunity Floor · Vista Point Conference Center

Meet curated employers, explore career sectors, and identify the organizations that align with your skills and goals.

See the Morning Plan

1200–1300

CONVERGENCE
LUNCH

Refuel + Reset

Halftime

Review your afternoon schedule.

Complimentary Grab-n-Go Boxed Lunch

Refuel, review the conversations you secured, and prepare for the afternoon interview circuit. Lunch is first-come, first-served.

See Lunch Details

1300–1500

AFTERNOON OPS

Execution + Second Wave

Phase 2

Stop browsing. Start talking.

Scheduled Interviews + Open-Door Connections

Move into focused 15-minute employer conversations while late-arriving attendees use the Second Wave to connect and prepare.

See the Afternoon Plan

What makes NEXT different

Do not just hand over a resume. Book the conversation.

🤝 Match in the morning

Use the Opportunity Floor to identify employers whose needs align with your skills, experience, and next move.

📋 Secure the slot

When there is a match, sign the employer's scheduling clipboard on the spot for a dedicated afternoon conversation.

🎯 Execute in the afternoon

Return for intentional 15-minute conversations instead of leaving with business cards and hoping for a callback.

Day 2 · NEXT: A Discovery Day

Your agenda, simplified.

The details are here when you want them. Open only the sections you need.

9:00 AM–12:00 PM · Opportunity Floor

Explore curated employers across the DEAL + HC sectors. When you find a skills match, do not simply hand over a resume. Sign the employer's scheduling clipboard to secure a dedicated afternoon conversation.

All Day · HII NNS Mobile Experience Trailer

Step inside Newport News Shipbuilding's 1,000-square-foot interactive Mobile Experience. Explore virtual and augmented reality, test a welding simulator, and discover local shipbuilding career paths. Children can explore it with you.

10:00 AM–2:00 PM · Professional Headshot Studio

Drop in for a complimentary high-resolution professional headshot to strengthen your LinkedIn profile and professional portfolio.

9:00 AM–12:00 PM + 1:00–3:00 PM · Tactical Prep Pit + Innovation Zone

Tactical Prep Pit: on-site AI resume optimization, career translation, and help reframing deployment gaps and volunteer leadership.
Innovation Zone: entrepreneurship resources, portable careers, remote business models, and small-business pathways for military families.

9:00 AM–12:00 PM · Skybox Session

A dedicated space for leadership networking, executive mentorship, and advanced career strategy throughout the morning.

12:00–1:00 PM · Convergence Lunch

Grab a complimentary Grab-n-Go boxed lunch, review your afternoon schedule, and reset for Phase 2. Lunch is first-come, first-served for job seekers and vendor partners.

1:00–3:00 PM · Interview Circuit + Second Wave

Interview Circuit: move through the focused 15-minute conversations you scheduled during the morning.
Second Wave Open Door: employers remain on-site until 3:00 PM for working spouses, students, and late-shift service members who could not attend the morning session.

Choose your cohort

The lanyard helps employers find your lane faster.

At check-in, your lanyard reflects career stage rather than rank or dependent status.

Gold Lanyard Cohort

Leadership + Advanced Professionals

Experienced leaders and established professionals ready for advanced responsibility.

Military: Senior Enlisted + Officers, E7–O6Spouses: Career-established professionals with degrees, specialized expertise, or robust professional backgroundsFocus: Corporate, director, specialized, leadership, project and operational roles

Blue Lanyard Cohort

The Talent Force

Technical talent and emerging professionals ready to connect skills to opportunity.

Military: Junior Military Leaders + Veterans, E1–E6Spouses: Professionals building or restarting a career in Hampton RoadsFocus: Technical, trades, administrative, entry-to-mid management, local growth, and portable career paths

Deploy to your sector

DEAL + HC Zones

The floor is organized by industry so you can move directly toward the employers and opportunities that fit your goals.

🛡️ ZONE D · DEFENSE

Shipbuilding, government contracting, cyber, and systems engineering.

⚡ ZONE E · ENERGY

Offshore wind, utilities, maritime support, and renewables.

✈️ ZONE A · AEROSPACE

Aviation, UAS and drones, research, and advanced manufacturing.

🚢 ZONE L · LOGISTICS

Port operations, supply chain, warehousing, and distribution.

🏥 ZONE H · HEALTHCARE + LIFE SCIENCES

Health systems, medical technology, clinical administration, and related pathways.

🏢 ZONE C · COMMERCE + HOSPITALITY

Hotel management, retail operations, corporate headquarters, and business operations.

The outcome

Leave with more than a brochure.

By 3:00 PM, the goal is for you to walk out with a secured employer follow-up, a sharper resume, a fresh professional headshot, and a clearer path forward for your career and your family.

Get situated. Get ready. We'll see you on the floor.

Thursday, November 19, 2026 · 9:00 AM–3:00 PM
Vista Point Conference Center · 1754 Massey Hughes Drive · Norfolk, VA 23511

Register for Day 2 Map + Directions

Accounting/Finance

Administration

Attention to Detail

Critical Thinking

Cyber IA/IS

Decision Making

Electrical High Voltage

Electrical Low Voltage

Electronic Technician

Engineering

Hand Eye Coordination

Healthcare

Heavy Lifting

Information Technology

Intelligence

Legal

Logistics

Mechanical Technician

Nuclear Electronics Technician

Nuclear Mechanic

Nuclear Technician

Operations

Positive Attitude

Problem Solving

Project Management

Skilled Trades

Supply Chain

Time Management

NEXT: A Discovery Day (The 757 Career Summit Evolved)

NEXT:
A Discovery Day.

Built for the military-connected talent force.

Senior Leaders

Technical Talent

Military Spouses

Veterans

Young Adults

Discover. Filter. Book the conversation. Execute.

MORNING OPS

Find the fit.

CONVERGENCE
LUNCH

Review your afternoon schedule.

AFTERNOON OPS

Stop browsing. Start talking.

Do not just hand over a resume. Book the conversation.

Your agenda, simplified.

The lanyard helps employers find your lane faster.

Leadership + Advanced Professionals

The Talent Force

DEAL + HC Zones

Leave with more than a brochure.

Our Workforce Partners

NEXT: A Discovery Day (The 757 Career Summit Evolved)

Built for the military-connected talent force.

Senior Leaders

Technical Talent

Military Spouses

Veterans

Young Adults

Discover. Filter. Book the conversation. Execute.

MORNING OPS

Find the fit.

CONVERGENCE LUNCH

Review your afternoon schedule.

AFTERNOON OPS

Stop browsing. Start talking.

Do not just hand over a resume. Book the conversation.

Your agenda, simplified.

The lanyard helps employers find your lane faster.

Leadership + Advanced Professionals

The Talent Force

DEAL + HC Zones

Leave with more than a brochure.

CONVERGENCE
LUNCH