Looking for work with a Purple Heart

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SCOTT JAGOW: Soldiers wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan aren’t worried about joining a union. They’d just like to find a job. Today in Fort Dix, New Jersey, the government’s holding a career fair for them. Amy Scott has more.

AMY SCOTT: The “Hiring Heroes” career fair at Fort Dix is one of many organized specifically for injured soldiers leaving the armed forces. They get to meet prospective employers and brush up on job-hunting skills. Many joined the military just after high school or college. Some have never written a resume.

Bill Offutt directs the Labor Department’s Hire Veterans First program. He says veterans do have some advantages.

BILL OFFUTT: Leadership skills and certain training skills that private industry and as well as the federal government is very anxious to capture.

Sergeant First Class Robert Nolan is looking for a job in security. He says he’s been through seven surgeries in the past year and a half related to spine and wrist injuries. But he’s ready to work.

ROBERT NOLAN: You know, I’ve still got the aches and pains, but I can still do what I need to do.

More than 45 employers will be looking for people like Nolan. IBM, the Postal Service and the CIA are among those scouting for talent.

In New York, I’m Amy Scott for Marketplace.