RALEIGH – Transitioning from active duty to the private workforce can be challenging for soldiers and their families. RecruitMilitary, a military-to-civilian recruitment firm entirely operated by veterans, plans to ease the burden for North Carolina military families by bringing free career fairs to Charlotte and Raleigh this summer.
The hiring events are designed to match soldiers who are leaving the service, or veterans looking for a new job, with employers in the private sector. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that North Carolina has more than 750,000 military personnel now living in civilian life. RecruitMilitary hopes to attract some of the veterans with job placement events in Raleigh on June 26 and in Charlotte on Aug. 28 and Dec. 4.
The career fairs are designed to help any job seekers with a military background, such as active-duty soldiers leaving the service, veterans who have been out for years, and military spouses, said Robert Walker, director of career fair sales for RecruitMilitary.
“The skills veterans have make them great job candidates — they’re trainable and have discipline and leadership capabilities,” Walker said. “Many companies are looking specifically to hire veterans because they know their quality.”
More than 30 companies are scheduled to participate in the Raleigh event, including IBM, Walgreens, and Aflac. The fair is being produced in cooperation with The American Legion, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the Military Spouse Corporate Career Network.
“It’s our fifth time in Raleigh. In the past, 300 to 400 people have shown up, so we’re expecting a high turnout this time, too,” Walker said.
RecruitMilitary already conducted an event in Charlotte on June 5, which was attended by 200 to 300 veterans, according to The Charlotte Observer. Nationally, the firm organized 45 career fairs, attended by more than 500 organizations, last year. The company has scheduled 104 career fairs for 2008.
In addition to helping military personnel, RecruitMilitary works with hiring managers and executives to determine which applicants would best meet the needs of each business. The company also maintains a database of self-registered job seekers who have military backgrounds.
Walker, himself a veteran, said there wasn’t a company like RecruitMilitary around when he got out of the service in 1996. “The first thing you think about is where to go, who will hire me, and how do I sell myself,” he said. “Groups like ours become the means of bringing veterans and companies together.”
For more information, visit RecruitMilitary.com.
David N. Bass is associate editor of Carolina Journal.