RHINELANDER - Imagine serving your country in the military for years only to come home from duty and find yourself out of work.
This is the reality for many local veterans.
But there is help out there for veterans who are on the job hunt and on Wednesday local service members got the opportunity to learn about a lot of those services.
The Wisconsin's Veterans' Affairs Services held a job fair for ex-military members in Rhinelander
The Army National Guard Armory filled up with stands offering veterans information on local employers who are hiring, local military service organizations and educational resources.
Veterans like Angela Wagoner got the opportunity to network and ask a lot of questions.
She says, "I have a lot of education, but I don't know what it's good for. And I have a lot of experience, but the experience I have from the military doesn't give me the credentials I need for the outside."
Angela says it felt good to see all of the resources available to her right now.
She says the job market is really tough, especially if you're looking for work that's challenging and well-paying.
Dave Ramsey works strictly with veterans out of the Northern Advantage Job Center.
He says he works with about 120 veterans in Angela's position in Vilas and Oneida Counties alone.
But he says the unemployment rate is falling in the Northwoods and a lot of employers are eager to hire vets.
Angela says she's walking away from the job fair with some hopeful prospects for the future.
Story By: Alex Ronallo