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JBLM Job Fair Showcases State Employment Opportunities

JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. – Staff Sergeant Danika Nolan’s military exit date is a few weeks away, employment and she’s getting ready for the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task candidates, she went to a working with reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I simply try to make the most of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to offer, simply to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of employment in various industries, employment made it various than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state agencies, who shared their experiences and answered questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state companies were offered to address employing concerns, stated Frank Handoe, employment deputy transition services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations consisting of VERG, WorkSource and Washington State’s Department of Veterans Affairs and VA Apprenticeship Program; Department of Children, Youth and Families; Department of Social and Health Services, Community Services Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly occasion, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to discover what kind of opportunities exist here outside your back door,” stated Christopher Gentz, shift services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional task fairs like the Jan. 30 occasion will be held May 8, July 10 and Sept. 11.

To get ready for them, “dress for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz stated.

An elevator pitch is a “fast intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re aiming to do,” Handoe said, pointing out that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the task fair’s goals was to assist people discover career opportunities and how their skills line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is a key benefit of going to a job reasonable, employment as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they’re “not all set to make that dive yet,” or they have actually seen the available opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz said.

“We see that essentially every year,” he said. “We want them to make an educated choice about their profession.”

Part of the education piece is learning more about finances, of credit reports, budgets and “building a savings so you have something to deal with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe said.

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army one day,” he stated, “but while you remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs also exist to assist people with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are looking for – including accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and learning more about their working with practices, Handoe said.

“You ought to be doing prep work now for what it is you desire to do in the future down the roadway,” he stated.

That prep work includes getting ready for job fairs.

“You need to go into a working with fair with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around,” Handoe said.

He described that attendees need to pinpoint the companies they desire to talk with and research study them ahead of time, to allow for educated conversations with employers.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 task fair and talked with some recruiters. A senior details innovation expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.