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JBLM Job Fair Showcases State Employment Opportunities

LEWIS-McCHORD, 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 seekers, she participated in a hiring fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I just attempt to take advantage of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to provide, simply to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the task fair on state employment, rather than work in various industries, made it different than others on the setup. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it began with a panel of veterans from state companies, who shared their experiences and addressed concerns. Following the panel, employers from state agencies were offered to answer employing concerns, said Frank Handoe, referall.us deputy transition services manager for the TAP.

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

Additional job 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 practice 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.

Among the task fair’s goals was to help individuals discover career chances and how their abilities align with them, Gentz said.

Education is a crucial advantage of participating in a task reasonable, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not all set to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the readily available opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

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

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army someday,” he said, “but while you’re 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 outdoors world are searching for – including accreditations, accreditations and education – 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 consists of preparing for job fairs.

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

He discussed that guests must pinpoint the business they desire to consult with and research them ahead of time, to enable for educated discussions with recruiters.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 job fair and talked to some recruiters. A senior information innovation specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.

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