Almost a thousand former military service members looking for a job came to a career fair for veterans and their spouses Tuesday.

Continue reading

The veterans met with 100 potential employers at the fair hosted by the Military Officers Association of America.

No matter what branch of the military they've served in, veterans can walk away from their service with any host of skills, but the transition to a civilian job can have its challenges.

Retired military fighter pilot Doug Carney is keeping optimistic about his job search. As an older veteran, he knows that his 24 years of experience in the military will be valuable to the right company

Veterans could present themselves to companies like Amazon, Dell, Boeing and government agencies like the Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security.

Knowing how to translate their military experience into the civilian world may not be as easy. Some recruiters have figured out how to help them make the switch.

“How do you civilianize being a tank-driver or flying B-52's? It's a very difficult thing for them to think their skills translate,” one said.

Companies like Amazon have started sending former military personnel to the career fair to help with recruiting.

After serving in the Air Force for 20 years, Robert Griffin now works for Microsoft, and is the company's secret weapon in hiring new recruits.

“You can see them warm up immediately when they find out you're in the service,” he said.

The career fair also provides veterans with other services like resume critiques and seminars on job searching.

The association says they don’t have numbers on how many people got jobs through this fair, but they often hear thanks from veterans who say they did.