An effort is underway in central New York to connect veterans to employers.
Army veteran Antonio Andrews drove a Centro bus for 18 years before retiring last year, and now he’s ready for a new challenge.
"I just want to get out of the house now,” Andrews said. “It's time to get out of the house and do something that I've never done before."
So, Andrews visited the Recruit Military job fair at the National Veterans Resource Center at Syracuse University to see what’s out there.
Event director and Navy veteran Anthony Wagner said it’s a chance for veterans and military spouses to connect with representatives from 22 employers.
"Here you get the opportunity to be the person beyond the paper,” Wagner said. “Shake the hand, have the conversation, be likable right out of the gate, somebody you'd want to see come into the office. Once you break down those kind of barriers, you know at this point, then you can lean more into, 'What's my skills? What can I bring to the table?'"
Employers can scan each candidate’s QR code to view their Recruit Military profiles and make notes about their meeting.
Wagner said employers appreciate the positive attitude, technical acumen, and leadership skills veterans bring to the workplace.
And for Andrews, that professionalism is still with him.
"I'm a time guy, and that stuck with me,” he said. “I've never been late for any job that I've ever had."
Wagner said he knows from personal experience with his wife that military spouses also have a lot to offer.
“The vast amount of skillsets that our spouses are gaining over the time that they’re doing this, it’s almost indescribable what they’re able to do, that flexibility to just be able to problem solve,” Wagner said.
If veterans would like to learn more, they can create a profile at RecruitMilitary.com and explore resources on everything from preparing for interviews to salary negotiation.
