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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, and she’s preparing for the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job applicants, she attended an employing reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I simply try to take advantage of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to use, simply to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, rather than work in different industries, made it different than others on the setup. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state firms, who shared their experiences and answered concerns. Following the panel, employers from state firms were readily available to answer hiring concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies including 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 task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to learn what type of opportunities exist here outside your back entrance,” said Christopher Gentz, shift services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.

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

To prepare for them, “gown for success,” bring your resume and your elevator pitch, Gentz said.

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

One of the task fair’s goals was to help individuals find out about career opportunities and how their abilities align with them, Gentz stated.

Education is an essential advantage of attending a task fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they’re “not ready to make that jump yet,” or they have actually seen the offered chances and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.

“We see that essentially every year,” he said. “We desire them to make an educated decision about their career.”

Part of the education piece is discovering finances, including credit reports, spending plans and “constructing a savings so you have something to deal with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe stated.

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

Job fairs also exist to assist people with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are trying to find – consisting of certifications, accreditations and referall.us schooling – and discovering their hiring practices, Handoe stated.

“You must be doing prep work now for what it is you want to do later down the road,” he stated.

That preparation work consists of getting ready for job fairs.

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

He explained that guests ought to pinpoint the business they desire to speak to and research study them ahead of time, to permit informed conversations with employers.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and consulted with some recruiters. A senior details innovation professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she wishes to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.