Job fair at Sun Life Stadium looks to place military veterans

Veterans search for opportunities after service ends

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. ā€“ Veterans and their spouses flocked to Sun Life Stadium on Thursday for a job fair that they hope will lead to a career after their military service is over.

"It is really hard," U.S. Army veteran Christian Cumberlander told Local 10. "A lot of companies will take your resume, but they won't really call you back for an interview."

Lt. Col. Greg James has his boots on the ground. He has served 25 years in the U.S. Army as a helicopter pilot in the Gulf and is retiring this summer. He thinks he has the right stuff.

"We have a known work ethic," Jones said. "Integrity is very important in our line of work, (as well as) leadership (and) mission focus."

Robert Walker, who organized the job fair, said he understands the needs of the servicemen and women.

"When I got out of the service in 1996, I was an infantryman," Walker said. "That doesn't really correlate to anything. So veterans that are young and getting out of the service sometimes have a tough time transitioning."

More than 30 employers are looking to hire former military personnel, among them The Home Depot and Starbucks.

The Home Depot already has about 35,000 veterans who work for the hardware store. The company is looking for nearly 200 permanent positions at nine different stores in South Florida.

"They are a great fit for us," said Patty Berrios, regional human resources manager for The Home Depot. "They are solution-oriented, and that's what we do. We provide solutions for our customers. So they transition very, very nicely into our company."