Marcus Harvey retired from the Air Force after 20 years, with most of that time spent serving as a recruiter. Now, thanks in part to a DAV job fair that prepared and inspired him to reenter the job market, Harvey is a talent acquisitions manager for a city in Texas.

Marcus Harvey knew he didn’t want to go to college right away. He was too eager to launch a career and put his life into motion.

“And that’s when I looked into the Air Force and did my research and decided to join,” he said. “I felt like it was an instant career.”

In 2022, Harvey retired from the military after 20 years. He spent most of that time as a recruiter but also served as a missile mechanic and a Military Entrance Processing Station liaison.

After retirement, he took some time off to travel and spend time with his family. When he entered the job market months later, he was surprised at how tough it was to break into a civilian career.

“The job hunt for me, it was a little bit intimidating. I thought it would be a lot different,” he said. “I just felt like companies would be like, ‘Oh, man, you retired military Air Force? Oh we want you.’

“It really wasn’t the case. It’s a lot of competition out here.”

When someone in Harvey’s network posted on LinkedIn about a DAV job fair happening near him in Arlington, Texas, he jumped at the opportunity.

“Woo! Yo yo yo, check this out,” Harvey exclaimed in a video he submitted to DAV right after leaving the job fair. “I just left the event—amazing experience, so many companies there. I talked to so many good people, talked to so many good companies. Oh man, I’m motivated. … Let’s go get a job now.’”

Harvey later applied to a job he found on his own and now works as a talent acquisitions manager for the city of Carrollton, Texas. He enjoys finding the right fit for open positions and working one-on-one with candidates.

“I love the fact that I can help people,” he said. “I hold my head a lot higher, knowing that I go to work every day and I’m making an impact on society.”

Harvey said his DAV job fair experience gave him critical tools to add to his toolbox, particularly when it came to tweaking his resume to suit different employers. He also found reassurance and encouragement from the employers he spoke to, many of whom did the exact job he was interested in—talent acquisition.

“Going to the DAV job fair motivated me,” he said. “You really just gotta keep pushing and use all your resources. [There are] so many resources out there that you can reach out to and use, including DAV. …

“They have your back. DAV has your back.”

Harvey hopes to one day be at a DAV job fair on the other side, recruiting veterans like him into new careers.

DAV hosts dozens of virtual and in-person job fairs across the country every year, connecting transitioning service members, veterans and military spouses with employers who appreciate the unique skills they bring to the table. Find a full schedule of upcoming DAV job fairs and other employment resources at jobs.dav.org.