thedrifter
04-03-09, 08:10 AM
'Everybody's fighting for positions'
ECONOMY | Veterans try to navigate brutal job market
April 3, 2009
BY FRANCINE KNOWLES fknowles@suntimes.com
After fighting for his country in Iraq, 26-year-old Marine Ruben Medina will soon face another battle--landing a civilian job in a recessionary economy.
Ruben, who will exit the military in June, was among more than 340 Veterans who attended a job fair here Thursday, presented by RecruitMilitary that was designed to help connect job seekers with military backgrounds to employers.
Despite the 9 percent unemployment rate in the Chicago metropolitan area, Ruben, who has worked as a military mechanic, said he's optimistic he'll find work.
"I know there are jobs out there that I'm highly qualified for," he said.
But other job fair attendees expressed concern. Among them 24-year-old Scott Meder of Orland Park, who said he's next in line to be laid off from his job as a diesel mechanic. The Veteran exxpects to be cut in June.
"It's a reality check coming from the military where the jobs are secure to getting back out in the civilian world, with the economic crisis we're going through right now," said Meder, who left the military last May.
"The reality hits more so when you're out on your own and you don't have that stable paycheck from the government. It's a pretty tough market."
Indeed, USA Today reported last month that the jobless rate for Veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan was 11.2 percent in February. The Labor Department said the 2008 unemployment rate for those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces since September 2001 was 7.3 percent.
Veterans sometimes face biases from employers when seeking work, job fair attendees said. Combat veterans are sometimes unfairly perceived as having a short fuse, said 39-year-old Rico Johnson, who served in Operation Desert Storm. He said he was laid off in December from the city of Chicago's Streets and Sanitation department and has applied for some 300 jobs.
"It's rough," he said of the job market. "There's been a lot of promises. But nobody's calling."
Some employers question whether Veterans can adust to the civilian sector, "coming from a very regimented way of life into a little bit more of a relaxed atmosphere," said John Lundberg, RecruitMilitary's national career fair representative.
He and other attendees said Veterans can adjust and bring to the table transferrable skills, reliability and a great work ethic.
"You think that because you're a Veteran, you have military experience it's' a lot easier to get hired, but sometimes employers don't even care," said 26-year-old Gina Horvath.
The Chicagoan served in the Army from 2000 to 2004 and is a member of the National Guard. The former bank teller has been out of work since last August.
"Being a Veteran isn't going to give you any cool points," she said.
Forty-one-year old Charles Hollister, also unemployed, echoed those sentiments.
"You'd ordinarily think that the people that sacrificed themselves for the freedom of the country would get first consideration, but that's just not always the case," he said. "In fact, a lot of times it's outright hostility, and you'd think it would be the other way around."
These are challenging times for Veterans and non-Veterans alike, said 23-year-old Veteran Leon Leak, who has a part-time job. The Hyde Park resident got out of the Marines in February. He's currently working on his MBA and working part-time. He said he worked in network operations and as a senior communications person. He's looking for an information technology, Web technology or communications position.
"Veterans as well as people who haven't served in the military are having the same problem," he said. "Right now it's a limited job market and everybody's fighting for positions. So everybody needs to make themselves marketable and try their best to make it work. That's all we can do--and pray."
Ellie
ECONOMY | Veterans try to navigate brutal job market
April 3, 2009
BY FRANCINE KNOWLES fknowles@suntimes.com
After fighting for his country in Iraq, 26-year-old Marine Ruben Medina will soon face another battle--landing a civilian job in a recessionary economy.
Ruben, who will exit the military in June, was among more than 340 Veterans who attended a job fair here Thursday, presented by RecruitMilitary that was designed to help connect job seekers with military backgrounds to employers.
Despite the 9 percent unemployment rate in the Chicago metropolitan area, Ruben, who has worked as a military mechanic, said he's optimistic he'll find work.
"I know there are jobs out there that I'm highly qualified for," he said.
But other job fair attendees expressed concern. Among them 24-year-old Scott Meder of Orland Park, who said he's next in line to be laid off from his job as a diesel mechanic. The Veteran exxpects to be cut in June.
"It's a reality check coming from the military where the jobs are secure to getting back out in the civilian world, with the economic crisis we're going through right now," said Meder, who left the military last May.
"The reality hits more so when you're out on your own and you don't have that stable paycheck from the government. It's a pretty tough market."
Indeed, USA Today reported last month that the jobless rate for Veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan was 11.2 percent in February. The Labor Department said the 2008 unemployment rate for those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces since September 2001 was 7.3 percent.
Veterans sometimes face biases from employers when seeking work, job fair attendees said. Combat veterans are sometimes unfairly perceived as having a short fuse, said 39-year-old Rico Johnson, who served in Operation Desert Storm. He said he was laid off in December from the city of Chicago's Streets and Sanitation department and has applied for some 300 jobs.
"It's rough," he said of the job market. "There's been a lot of promises. But nobody's calling."
Some employers question whether Veterans can adust to the civilian sector, "coming from a very regimented way of life into a little bit more of a relaxed atmosphere," said John Lundberg, RecruitMilitary's national career fair representative.
He and other attendees said Veterans can adjust and bring to the table transferrable skills, reliability and a great work ethic.
"You think that because you're a Veteran, you have military experience it's' a lot easier to get hired, but sometimes employers don't even care," said 26-year-old Gina Horvath.
The Chicagoan served in the Army from 2000 to 2004 and is a member of the National Guard. The former bank teller has been out of work since last August.
"Being a Veteran isn't going to give you any cool points," she said.
Forty-one-year old Charles Hollister, also unemployed, echoed those sentiments.
"You'd ordinarily think that the people that sacrificed themselves for the freedom of the country would get first consideration, but that's just not always the case," he said. "In fact, a lot of times it's outright hostility, and you'd think it would be the other way around."
These are challenging times for Veterans and non-Veterans alike, said 23-year-old Veteran Leon Leak, who has a part-time job. The Hyde Park resident got out of the Marines in February. He's currently working on his MBA and working part-time. He said he worked in network operations and as a senior communications person. He's looking for an information technology, Web technology or communications position.
"Veterans as well as people who haven't served in the military are having the same problem," he said. "Right now it's a limited job market and everybody's fighting for positions. So everybody needs to make themselves marketable and try their best to make it work. That's all we can do--and pray."
Ellie