Recent Veteran looking for career in Finance

Good afternoon Finance professionals,

I stumbled upon this website while in the midst of my career search and figured maybe I could get some valuable input from the members of this site.

A quick introduction...My name is Brian and I graduated form the University of Iowa in 2010 with a Bachelor's in Business Finance. After graduation I enlisted in the Marine Corps Infantry where I served four years on active duty. Currently I'm looking for a job in finance.

I have applied online to a number of positions in the Chicagoland area and am not getting any leads. I have applied to firms such as Chase, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, Northrop Grumman, Allstate, Navistar, and a variety of other companies with open finance positions. I am by no means done applying and my job search continues. I recently signed up for business classes at the local community college to help get myself back in the swing of things and show employers that I'm serious about business.

I am not sure in which direction I want to go in finance, but I am leaning toward wealth management, banking, or corporate finance. I am primarily looking at entry level positions such as development programs, investment specialist trainee, analyst...etc.

Does anybody have any advice or recommendations? Are there any companies that are veteran friendly that I am not aware of?

In terms of my career and livelihood, the Marine Corps is a blessing and a curse. Joining the Marines was always a dream of mine, and I was able to fulfill that dream and had the most impactful four years of my life. At the same time, I set myself back four years and I'm creeping in to my late 20's while I work at a local grocery store and try to start my career. I get the impression that employers don't value service as much as they say they do and see me as a risk and would rather hire someone fresh out of college.

If anybody has any advice or guidance, it would be much appreciated. Thanks

Brian