For military men and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, readjusting to life at home and claiming their place in the civilian work world can be battles all their own, greater still for those disabled in service to their country.

But they are getting help. In a ceremony at McClellan Park's Lions Gate Hotel last week that recognized state agencies and advocates for their work with small and disabled veteran-owned businesses, the focus was also on providing civilian business and career opportunities for returning veterans.

"They will get the welcome home they deserve for what they do for us. The least we can do is give a picture of a route they can go," said Eric Mandell, who leads small and disabled business efforts at the state's Department of General Services (www.dgs.ca.gov).

"A lot of job-training programs focus on getting a job in an industry, but being an entrepreneur is a very viable opportunity," Mandell said. "The best way to find a job is to create one, so let's show them an avenue."

That's where groups such as the event sponsor, the Sacramento-based California Disabled Veterans Business Alliance (cadvbe.org), come in.

The statewide alliance emphasizes entrepreneurship, guiding disabled veterans into self-employment.

"It's not easy for military members to transfer into the private sector and present themselves to an employer. They need an advocate," said alliance president and former Marine Corps medic Gary Herbold, whose Amerit Consulting provides business counseling to disabled veterans.

"There are 1,200 disabled veteran-owned businesses in the state. There should be more," Herbold said. "These are California firms. If they grow and get opportunities, they'll hire more employees to meet the need."

The alliance counsels vets on how to launch businesses, mentors them once their businesses are off the ground and helps them build contacts with state agencies and other prospective clients.

It's potentially lucrative advice. The state of California alone purchases more than $8 billion in goods and services each year.

"It's very critical to encourage the entrepreneurial side of our veterans. It's an opportunity to create success stories," Mandell said. "We need to make sure that they get their place at the table to grow and thrive."

Firm offers free advice

Placement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas will open the phone lines again this month to job seekers looking for advice.

The Chicago firm's national job search advice call-in is 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. PST Dec. 27-28.

The job search has been long and tough for many, John Challenger, the firm's chief executive officer, said in a statement, but there are opportunities to break through.

"While it may seem as if no one is hiring, nothing could be further from the truth," Challenger said.

Job seekers can call (312) 422-5010. They also can get more information about the call-in at the firm's website, www.challengergray.com.

Job-hunting questions?

Ask Terri Carpenter, one of our "Ask the Experts" writers, who can answer your career questions online.

A jobs expert at the Sacramento Employment and Training Agency, Carpenter has expertise in résumé writing, job-skills training and career counseling.

To post your question or to view her advice to other job seekers, go to www.sacbee.com/ask.

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Call The Bee's Darrell Smith, (916) 321-1040.

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