2009-09-22T20:32:08Z 32 2009-04-23 WFLA-TV NBC 8 Tampa

By KATIE CORONADO Hundreds of local veterans searching for work attended a job fair Thursday at the Tampa Convention Center. Ohio-based RecruitMilitary, an organization that recruits former military personnel, brought in 26 employers from across the country. The FBI, Bank of America and Strayer University were among the companies looking to hire. RecruitMilitary officials said 507 veterans participated. The fair targeted veterans and their immediate families. Robert Walker, regional director of RecruitMilitary, said Tampa was chosen because of the area's high population of veterans. Joshua Reneck of Bank of America said his company specifically targets veterans because of their transferable skills. "Their dedication, their loyalty, they've got a lot of technical skills to transfer over, their core values are the same as the bank's core values," he said. Being able to adapt skills in this tough job market is something that many employers said can help any job seeker. RecruitMilitary promotes that it is owned and run by veterans, and helps other veterans and their families find jobs. It runs job fairs with help from the President's National Hire Veterans Committee, the American Legion and the Military Spouse Corporate Career Network. RecruitMilitary will hold its next job fair in Tampa on Dec. 3. Dan Simpkins was among those who handed out resumes. "You gotta pay the bills, you gotta feed the family, so you gotta find something," Simpkins said. "If you have to start somewhere and work your way up, that's what you have to do."

2009-09-22T20:32:08Z http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/apr/24/sp-jobless-vets-we-want-you/