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Kevin O'Brien
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Kevin O’Brien is the managing partner of Astound Virtual

O'Brien launched VRS to assist active duty service members in finding employment prior to becoming a veteran. Through the Deployed2Employed program, VRS will work one on one with transitioning service members and match them with employers who match their skills.

In 2008, O’Brien developed Milicruit and Unicruit aimed at bringing industry leading employers and job seekers together in a fully interactive, virtual environment. O’Brien joined forces with UBM Studios in 2010 to bring his virtual career fair vision to a much wider audience. Milicruit helped more than 11,000 veterans find employment in two years with idnutry leading employers.

In 2001, O’Brien joined Genesys Conferencing and led the sales efforts in North America. Genesys was ultimately acquired by West Corporation in 2008.

Blog Entries by Kevin O'Brien

Revolutionizing the Job Board With ChattyJob

(0) Comments | Posted May 23, 2013 | 10:17 AM

If you are someone who has used a job board to search for a job lately, you are probably annoyed with the clutter you have to sift through to actually find a job of interest. When you do find a job and apply, do you wonder where it is going,...

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Military Spouses the All Too Often Unsung Hero

(3) Comments | Posted May 10, 2013 | 9:49 AM

May is Military Appreciation Month, and this Friday, May 10th is Military Spouse Appreciation Day. As if we need a special day to thank the military and military spouses for the service and sacrifice to the Nation, but I guess for some, they actually do have to be reminded.

There...

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The Unemployment Rate for Military Spouses is Unacceptable

(2) Comments | Posted April 15, 2013 | 1:55 PM

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As if having your husband or wife deployed in places like Afghanistan wasn't tough enough, imagine having to endure that and being unemployed. That is the struggle many military spouses face, and it is high time more attention was given to helping them. The...

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A Social Network Just for the Military Community

(1) Comments | Posted April 5, 2013 | 9:38 AM

For the last 3 years, we have repeatedly been asked to design an online community for service members and their spouses, and although we gave it serious consideration, our design folks quickly realized that it would be a huge undertaking, and the last thing we wanted to do was put...

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Help a Veteran by Hiring a Veteran

(5) Comments | Posted March 5, 2013 | 9:14 AM

The VA estimates that 22 veterans commit suicide every day, or just over 8,000 a year, and in 2012, 349 active duty service members also took their own lives, which is a greater number than those who died in combat. We can debate all we want about the...

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March 20th Is Hire a Veteran or Military Spouse Day

(16) Comments | Posted February 20, 2013 | 3:11 PM

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On March 20th, dozens of America's leading employers from all industries are joining together to recruit our nation's finest. Veteran recruiting services in support of the White House Joining Forces initiative will host a recruiting event like no other. Employers, veterans, and...

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American Employer's Helping Soldiers Go From Deployed 2 Employed

(0) Comments | Posted February 20, 2013 | 3:08 PM

A few months back, we started a program to assist transitioning service members in their search for civilian employment after serving the Nation. We called it Deployed 2 Employed, and it consisted of working one to one with soon to transitioning service members to prepare them for the civilian job...

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Transportation Industry Driving Down Unemployment Rate for Many Veterans

(0) Comments | Posted January 22, 2013 | 4:17 PM

Every year, approximately 200,000 men and women leave the military, and look to further their career in the civilian job market. The government invests billions of dollars training the service members to become some of the most highly skilled and qualified professionals in a variety of fields, however,...

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Hiring More Veterans Is One Resolution We Can All Keep in 2013

(5) Comments | Posted December 28, 2012 | 8:21 AM

With the year winding to a close, I am sure we are all reflecting on 2012, and making resolutions for the New Year. Each year, I start out with the best of intentions when I make my resolutions. Last year for example, I swore I was going to exercise more,...

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We Have Air Marshals on Planes, So Why Not School Marshals?

(2) Comments | Posted December 19, 2012 | 1:48 PM

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The tragedy at Sandy Hook last Friday is yet another example of just how unprotected our children are when we send them off to school, and should be a wakeup call to the nation that we all need to step up our efforts...

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Finding a Civilian Job, Your Last Mission Before Leaving the Military

(0) Comments | Posted December 13, 2012 | 4:19 PM

Ask anyone who has served in the military, especially in a war zone, and they will tell you the key to any mission is great preparation. The military takes the "measure twice and cut once" method to a whole new level. Soldiers prepare daily in many cases for a mission...

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Why the Traditional Career Fair Is on Its Last Leg

(0) Comments | Posted December 6, 2012 | 1:40 PM

We work with many of the country's biggest employers who are looking to recruit our nation's finest every day. To assist them, we have developed a fully interactive, always available virtual recruitment center (career fair). Many of the employers we work with also utilize traditional career fairs, but this week...

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Giving Thanks to Our Nation's Finest

(0) Comments | Posted November 21, 2012 | 11:31 AM

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Thanksgiving is my favorite time of the year for a variety of reasons, but most importantly, because it is a time to be with friends and family without the pressures of gift buying or decorating. I do not partake in Black Friday or much...

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The Best Way to Thank our Nation's Finest This Veterans Day Is to Hire Them

(5) Comments | Posted November 9, 2012 | 2:28 PM

Sunday, November 11th is Veterans Day as I am sure we all know, and there will be no shortage of support for those who have served and sacrificed on behalf of our great nation. There will be parades, news coverage, hundreds if not thousands of events and memorials, but what...

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Battles at Home Veterans With Disabilities Often Face in Finding Work

(0) Comments | Posted October 23, 2012 | 4:18 PM

The unemployment rate for veterans with service related disabilities is an eye popping 8.5 percent, and they have the toughest time finding work after serving and defending the country. Like me, I am sure you are both shocked and disgusted by this fact, and if so, we encourage...

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America's Leading Employers Step Up to Recruit Veterans with Disabilities

(1) Comments | Posted October 16, 2012 | 9:57 AM

October as proclaimed by President Obama is National Disability Employment Awareness Month To show our support, we are hosting a free virtual career fair exclusively for veterans with service related disabilities on October 31st.

Veterans with disabilities have a much tougher time finding employment, and through the virtual...

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Don't Thank Me for My Service, Just Hire Me!

(0) Comments | Posted October 11, 2012 | 3:12 PM

With more than one million veterans set to reenter the civilian sector over the next five years, it is up to all sectors of society to ensure they do so with an opportunity to find gainful employment, health and wellness, education, and the support needed to make the transition as...

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Virtual or Traditional Career Fairs?

(2) Comments | Posted September 27, 2012 | 4:51 PM

In years past, it was not uncommon for a job seeker to put on their best suit, print resumes, attend a career fair, and perhaps leave with an interview, or even a job offer. Anyone who has attended a career fair lately will tell you that it hasn't happened that...

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Workers With Disabilities Equals an Untapped Source of Qualified Candidates

(0) Comments | Posted September 12, 2012 | 11:58 AM

Even with a dramatic slowdown in the U.S economy, most employers still find it very difficult to find qualified talent to meet their open positions. This is resulting in more and more jobs being outsourced overseas, and causing employers to have to do more work with less resource. There is...

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Taking Soldiers From Deployed 2 Employed

(1) Comments | Posted September 4, 2012 | 6:06 PM

It is with great pride and excitement that I announce the official launch of our new venture Veteran Recruiting Services After developing the Milicruit virtual career fair which was a service aimed at bringing employers, veterans, and military spouses together, we saw a big need in the active...

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