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Veterans Looking for Jobs Might Find Them in L.A. Today
Army via Shutterstock
Southern California is home to hundreds of thousands of veterans, and over the next few years, more and more military personnel will return from their stations and need work. So it fits that today, the non-profit Got Your Six staged a hiring fair at The Proud Bird near LAX for local troops looking for jobs. The event, which drew packed crowds, brought together companies seeking workers and army personnel, with the hopes of joining the two groups in happily employed bliss.
According to the Wall Street Journal, unemployment is higher among veterans than it is among the rest of the population. Chris Marvin, the managing director of Got Your Six, believes that this is due in part to a misconception about those who have served our country.
"We tend to see vets as the way they are portrayed in popular culture; either the hero that saves the day or someone who is debilitated with PTSD and homeless," he said. "The vast majority of vets exist in the middle: Hard working, mission driven individuals who want to be part of something bigger than themselves."
The group is planning another hiring fair in New York tomorrow, and more events around connecting military personnel to jobs throughout the week.
Marvin adds that local companies would do well to think of vets as assets to their teams, already possessing skills that can't be taught easily.
"They have been trained to be leaders and team builders and problem solvers," he said, "and they have done this in the harshest conditions."
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