More job help for people leaving military

An annual event has been lengthened from three to seven days to give veterans and people newly discharged from the military more time to prepare to apply for civilian jobs.

The second year of the Military and Veterans Employment Expo began Tuesday at the campus of Pikes Peak Community College. Several government agencies and community organizations are joining forces to stage the event.

Organizers said 580 people have registered for the expo, an increase over 370 last year. More attendees are expected on a walk-in basis.

The purpose of the expo, organizers said, is to help job seekers tailor their resumes to specific job openings before the start of an annual military job fair on May 22. Job seekers attend classes and have one-on-one consultations with veterans who were once in the same situation.

Sgt. Jason Gagnon, who is about to complete his service at the Air Force Academy, attended one such consultation in hopes of landing a job in Internet technology.

“I think we in the military have a tendency to sell ourselves short, as far as our abilities,” he said. “We don’t like to talk about ourselves a lot. Putting that on paper, a lot of times, we’re reserved.”

Gagnon said he already has applied for a job and is hopeful of being hired soon.

Organizers also are offering a “virtual” job fair this month. It provides an online selection of job openings for people who have registered with Connecting Colorado. Visit http://www.connectingcolorado.com for more details.

The expo will be open through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the college’s Centennial Campus, 5675 South Academy Boulevard. Many colleges are participating to help job seekers who want more education before pursuing openings.

The job fair on the 22nd will be open from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Freedom Financial Services Expo Center at 3650 North Nevada Avenue. Nearly 200 employers will offer jobs openings at the event.