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JBLM Job Fair Showcases State Employment Opportunities

JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, 64.227.136.170 Wash. – Staff Sergeant Danika Nolan’s military exit date is a couple of weeks away, and she’s getting ready for the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task hunters, she attended a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I simply attempt to benefit from all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to use, just to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the task fair on state employment, instead of employment in different markets, made it different than others on the setup. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, studentvolunteers.us WorkSource and the TAP, it began with a panel of veterans from state agencies, who shared their experiences and [empty] addressed concerns. Following the panel, employers from state firms were readily available to respond to employing questions, stated Frank Handoe, deputy supervisor 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 event, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to learn what kind of opportunities exist here outside your back entrance,” said 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 [empty] practice your elevator pitch, Gentz stated.

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

Among the task fair’s objectives was to assist people find out about career chances and how their skills line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is an essential advantage of attending a job reasonable, jobteck.com as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not prepared to make that dive yet,” or they have actually seen the readily available opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is learning more about financial resources, consisting of credit reports, budget plans and “constructing a nest egg so you have something to work with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe stated.

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army sooner or later,” he stated, “but while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs also exist to assist individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are trying to find – including certifications, accreditations and schooling – and finding out about their working with practices, Handoe said.

“You must be doing prep work now for what it is you wish to do in the future down the road,” he said.

That prep work consists of getting ready for task fairs.

“You require to enter into a working with fair with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,” Handoe stated.

He discussed that participants need to pinpoint the business they wish to consult with and research study them ahead of time, to allow for informed discussions with recruiters.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and [empty] talked with some recruiters. A senior infotech professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she desires to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.