Veterans Seek Work at Special Job Fair

Reported by Mike Conneen

WASHINGTON – With the unemployment rate above 9 percent, everyone is having trouble finding work. Even veterans, who normally find an abundance of job opportunities in the nation’s capital, say it’s a lot more competitive these days.

Retired Pennsylvania Army National Guard Sergeant Christine Moyle says she knows "a lot of vets unemployed right now. "

That was the point of a special job fair at the Verizon Center on Thursday, where a few hundred veterans handed out their resumes and rubbed elbows with recruiters. The potential employers included government contractors, federal agencies, and even military recruiters looking for applicants for the reserves.

“I know when I retired in ‘99 from the Marine Corps, events like this weren’t in existence,” said John Lundberg, of RecruitMilitary.com “It would have been very helpful to me.”

Lundberg says nearly 200,000 veterans transition out of the military each year. As they enter the job market, many are feeling the effects of the recession.

“Nobody’s going to put something right in your lap,” said retired Marine Maj. Charles Brown. “You have to find it to a certain degree yourself.”

While the job market is tough, these veterans acknowledge, they’re much better off in DC, where there are so many government and contracting jobs available.

“I’m going into this with both eyes open since I haven’t had to look for a job in the civilian world for a while,” Maj. Brown said.

Many employers at the fair say they are hiring, and some were filling multiple positions. Many say veterans, in particular, offer special skills.

“They’re the ones who use our products and they bring that knowledge back to us,” said Denise Wright, a recruiter for Thales Communications.

Veterans hope that knowledge will help them get the job they want.

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