Alessandra Luckey

The Republic | azcentral.com

More than 670 job-seeking veterans are expected to attend the Greater Phoenix Veterans Job Fair at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale on Thursday.

The event, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., will feature more than 60 exhibitors including employers, franchisers, educational institutions and veterans associations, according to RecruitMilitary, a military-focused recruitment company for veterans and their spouses. Available jobs range from entry level to executive positions.

Veterans can register to participate in the job fair online at events.recruitmilitary.com.

Some of the featured companies at the fair include American Express, USAA, Farmers Insurance, ASML and the Gilbert Police Department.

According to the latest figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for all veterans was 4.6 percent and there were 495,000 unemployed veterans in 2015.

Chris Newsome, director of strategy development at RecruitMilitary, said job seekers should check out the exhibitor lineup on recruitmilitary.com the day before the event and identify key employers to talk to. Many organizations are looking for management-level candidates and almost every industry will be represented, he said.

On average, 150 to 200 job offers are made on the spot during the fair, Newsome said.

"However, this event is not just for the unemployed. This is also a great fit for a veteran to step out of a 'job' and land in a 'career'," Newsome said.

If a veteran is not looking for a job but wants to continue their education, there will also be organizations and educators to talk with at the event.

Offerings include degree programs and help for veterans wanting to use their education benefits. There will also be trade-oriented educators for those veterans who want to obtain a degree or certification needed to enter or advance within a specific field, Newsome said.

Newsome suggested veterans coming to the job fair dress to impress and bring copies of their resumes. Veterans should be proud of their service and talk about it to recruiters and explain how it makes them a great candidate for the job, he said.