Job fair seeks help for returning veterans

By MICHAEL FRAZIER

Current and former members of the U.S. armed forces sought work Thursday at a military job fair in Manhattan. The four-hour event for members of the military and their spouses featured dozens of employers, from New Jersey Transit and the FBI to JetBlue Airways and the Internal Revenue Service.

Across the country, similar events have taken place to help soldiers returning home find their way in the economic crisis.

Retired Marine Jeff Elliott, 41, of Greenlawn, said militarily trained men and women are perfect hires. They are dedicated, disciplined, versatile and “battle tested,” he said. “I know how to get things accomplished under immense pressure,” said Elliott, who has been getting by as a handyman but wants a career as a purchaser.

The qualities service members possess are what drew Diana Tai, a partner at New York Life Insurance Co. in Manhattan, to the fair in search of sales managers. “We are looking for someone with discipline, self-motivated and career-minded,” she said. U.S. Army recruiter German Rodriguez, 31, of Brooklyn, found himself on the other side of the table as he helped his wife prepare for recruiters at the job fair. His wife, Luz Santa, 27, said she’s earning a certificate to become a personal trainer and hopes to find something in that field. “I need a job,” she said.

The fair had more than 100 people visit in the first hour. Most attendees wore business suits instead of uniforms. Organizers said 325 job-seekers attended. RecruitMilitary, the event organizer, is a veteran-owned and operated firm that matches military veterans and spouses with employers. The group has organized job fairs across the country since 2006. More than 1,275 organizations attended 147 of the group’s career fairs in 2007 and 2008, the firm said.

Army reservist Tina Smith, 22, traveled to the event from Rhode Island, where she attends community college. She said the event would give her an idea on a long-term career goal. “I’m getting my feet wet, trying to figure it out,” she said.