No Guts No Glory

After landing a job he “couldn’t pass up,” veteran encourages others to mark the calendar for DAV/Recruit Military job fairs. 

Xavier Cortez was unemployed, renovating his home and chasing a commercial drone job that wasn’t steady enough for full-time employment. 

But none of that kept him from preparing for – and seizing – an opportunity for a job that he “couldn’t pass up.” 

Cortez, a 43-year-old Navy veteran in Atlanta, GA, did his homework before participating in the DAV/RecruitMilitary job fair. 

“I researched all of the attending companies and their available positions,” says Cortez. “Since having prior security experience I concentrated my efforts on a few particular open positions as opposed to visiting multiple companies, simply to hear what they had to offer.”  

Cortez’s research proved to be invaluable as he was able to prepare an introduction speech that would reflect specific company language as well as adapt to the recruiter’s culture for where he was seeking a job.  

“Knowing what I was interested in ahead of time allowed me to focus on one goal as opposed to landing the first available job, whatever that job may be, enthusiastically,” says Cortez. “In the end, I was interviewing for my primary goal position and within one month I was presented with an offer I couldn’t pass up.” 

That job was with Cotiviti, a leading payment accuracy provider for major healthcare payers in the U.S. 
Cortez says the DAV/Veteran Recruiting virtual job fair was, by far, the busiest and most attended by companies looking to fulfill open positions. 

“This not only fed my motivation, but solidified my confidence to obtain the job I was seeking,” says Cortez.  

He encourages other veterans attend the DAV/RecruitMilitary job fairs. 

“Mark your calendar, research the companies and walk the fair with assurance that a company in attendance is looking for your particular skill set and persona,” says Cortez. “You will be successful!”