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thedrifter
06-06-08, 06:50 AM
A different type of
recruiting for veterans
Their military and leadership skills make them attractive to the more than 30 employers at special job fair.
By Lauren Berry
lberry@charlotteobserver.com


If there is one thing Ed Moen has learned after 25 years in the Marine Corps, he says it's leadership.

As he looks toward retirement from the Marines in December, Moen hopes to bring that same leadership ability to a job in management.

Thursday afternoon, he got his first look at potential employers, as he and between 200 and 300 other veterans talked with companies looking to apply military skills and training to their businesses.

“It's nice to see what's out there and who is looking for veterans,” Moen said. “I've had a few offers already.”

Recruiters for the 30 employers represented at the job fair, said military training makes veterans desirable applicants.

The jobless rate for veterans was 3.8percent in 2007, compared with the U.S. rate of 4.6 percent that year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“To have experience in the military to me that says work ethic, leadership ability, poise – everything you would want in a new employee,” said Kathy Bussell, director of human resources for Wireless Communications Inc.

“The skills you learn in the military are definitely applicable to civilian life,” Bussell said. She said some veterans already have the training needed for the service technician positions she was looking to fill at the fair.

Many of the recruiters were veterans themselves, who said they find themselves applying skills learned in service everyday.

Vanessa Lima served with the Air Force for 15 years before working as a recruiter for Time Warner Cable, which she said hired 17 broadband technicians from last year's fair.

“I've been where they are and I know that being process-oriented and disciplined, all of which I learned in the military, really helped me out,” Lima said. “These are really qualified candidates.”

John Lundberg, coordinator of the event for RecruitMilitary and a Marine Corps veteran, said the fair tried to host a variety of companies, from Bank of America to the S.C. Corrections Department. RecruitMilitary is a nationwide, veteran-owned-and-operated membership organization that works to connect veterans with military-friendly employers. Lundberg said veterans are one of few groups that have seen limited impact from the economic downturn.

“I don't think it's affected them at all because they offer less risk to companies who hire them because they are a good character hire and bring with them education and training,” Lundberg said.

He said RecruitMilitary has actually seen fewer attendees at job fairs this year.

The fair also welcomed the families and spouses of veterans.

“They were with that military person during their time and service,” Lundberg said. “They've sacrificed as well.”

Kimberly Bowe, whose husband served in the Air Force for 25 years, said her entire family made the drive down from Maryland for the fair to see what local jobs were available before moving to Charlotte this summer.

“It's great that they've created one place where a whole military family can look together,” Bowe said, while looking for accounting jobs.

Jennifer McCain, who has been involved with the military for 20 years, said she came to the fair from Baton Rouge, La., and applied for a job with Bank of America.

“It's not always what you know, it's who you know, so I'm here to meet more of those people,” McCain said.

If there is one thing Ed Moen has learned after 25 years in the Marine Corps, he says it's leadership.

As he looks toward retirement from the Marines in December, Moen hopes to bring that same leadership ability to a job in management.

Thursday afternoon, he got his first look at potential employers, as he and between 200 and 300 other veterans talked with companies looking to apply military skills and training to their businesses.

“It's nice to see what's out there and who is looking for veterans,” Moen said. “I've had a few offers already.”

Recruiters for the 30 employers represented at the job fair, said military training makes veterans desirable applicants.

The jobless rate for veterans was 3.8percent in 2007, compared with the U.S. rate of 4.6 percent that year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“To have experience in the military to me that says work ethic, leadership ability, poise – everything you would want in a new employee,” said Kathy Bussell, director of human resources for Wireless Communications Inc.

“The skills you learn in the military are definitely applicable to civilian life,” Bussell said. She said some veterans already have the training needed for the service technician positions she was looking to fill at the fair.

Many of the recruiters were veterans themselves, who said they find themselves applying skills learned in service everyday.

Vanessa Lima served with the Air Force for 15 years before working as a recruiter for Time Warner Cable, which she said hired 17 broadband technicians from last year's fair.

“I've been where they are and I know that being process-oriented and disciplined, all of which I learned in the military, really helped me out,” Lima said. “These are really qualified candidates.”

John Lundberg, coordinator of the event for RecruitMilitary and a Marine Corps veteran, said the fair tried to host a variety of companies, from Bank of America to the S.C. Corrections Department. RecruitMilitary is a nationwide, veteran-owned-and-operated membership organization that works to connect veterans with military-friendly employers. Lundberg said veterans are one of few groups that have seen limited impact from the economic downturn.

“I don't think it's affected them at all because they offer less risk to companies who hire them because they are a good character hire and bring with them education and training,” Lundberg said.

He said RecruitMilitary has actually seen fewer attendees at job fairs this year.

The fair also welcomed the families and spouses of veterans.

“They were with that military person during their time and service,” Lundberg said. “They've sacrificed as well.”

Kimberly Bowe, whose husband served in the Air Force for 25 years, said her entire family made the drive down from Maryland for the fair to see what local jobs were available before moving to Charlotte this summer.

“It's great that they've created one place where a whole military family can look together,” Bowe said, while looking for accounting jobs.

Jennifer McCain, who has been involved with the military for 20 years, said she came to the fair from Baton Rouge, La., and applied for a job with Bank of America.

“It's not always what you know, it's who you know, so I'm here to meet more of those people,” McCain said.

Ellie