State plans veterans job fair in Chicago 3/28/12

The Illinois Department of Employment Security is planning a job fair for veterans on March 28 in Chicago.

The department says it expects more than 100 Chicago-area businesses to send representatives to the four-hour job fair.

High numbers of veterans of the Iraq and Afghan wars have had trouble finding work when they leave the service. Unemployment rates among veterans have been consistently higher than for the population in general the past few years.

In its announcement, the department says veterans should come to the fair dressed appropriately and with resumes.

The fair will be at The Hilton Chicago on Michigan Avenue starting at 9 a.m.

Other online resources for veterans in a job search include:

America Wants You (recent news article on AWY)

VetJobs

MilitaryHire.com

U.S. Dept. of Veteran Affairs recruitment website

National Veterans Association

Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs

The Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs assists veterans, their dependents and survivors in obtaining the benefits they are entitled to under the laws of the United States, and the State of Illinois or any other governmental agency, through its forty-three Veterans' Services Offices located statewide; to evaluate and approve veterans' education and training programs available at colleges, universities and vocational training centers in Illinois, to provide skilled nursing and domiciliary care for eligible veterans; and administer State grants and benefits to eligible Illinois veterans.

The guidebook, Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs: Benefits for Veterans, is available online.