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Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2015 was my first Veterans Day in more than two decades not on active duty. My retirement from the U.S. Army was effective Dec. 1, 2014, but I started my job search a few months prior. It was a difficult and humbling experience for this “ol’ Sergeant Major,” but after six months or so, I landed the perfect role – helping other veterans navigate the job search process at National Able Network (Able).

In the nine months I have been at Able, I’ve had the pleasure of personally working with more than a hundred veteran job seekers. My team and I are always thrilled when one of our fellow vets lands a job. However, some of their stories stand out above the rest.

I had a chance to meet Ricardo at an event at Malcolm X College. He was extremely energetic and excited about finding a position in the intelligence arena (which was his specialty in the military). The resume he originally gave us needed some work: he used a font so small that I needed an electron microscope to make out his work experience. Thankfully, Ricardo was very open to advice. He listened to our suggestions and worked hard to improve his resume and his job search skills.

As I got to talking with Ricardo, I found out that his resume was not his only challenge to finding employment. He had fallen on difficult times. Ricardo had some family and financial issues and was spending time either living in his car or at a local homeless shelter. But, one would have never guessed that from the positive attitude he always had.

Careers in the intelligence world don’t often come across our desks. However, as I got to know Ricardo, I realized he was capable of much more. An opportunity came along that I thought would be perfect for him. We set him up with an interview and of course, he nailed it. Ricardo is now training to become a veteran recruiter for companies looking to bring veteran talent to their work force. He understands what it takes to be successful as a job seeker. It’s not just a great resume but also a great attitude and a lot of hard work. In my opinion, Ricardo, like me, found his perfect role.

If you’re a veteran who’s currently unemployed or underemployed, Veterans Forward can help you start your career path! Click here or call 312-994-4290 to learn more!