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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 task seekers, she went to a working with 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 needs to provide, simply to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of employment in various markets, employment made it various than others on the setup. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, and the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state companies, who shared their experiences and answered concerns. Following the panel, employers from state agencies were offered to answer working with concerns, stated Frank Handoe, employment deputy transition services 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 door,” stated Christopher Gentz, shift services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional job 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 said.

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

Among the job fair’s objectives was to help people discover about career chances and how their skills line up with them, Gentz stated.

Education is an essential advantage of attending a job fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they’re “not all set to make that jump yet,” or they have actually seen the offered chances and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is learning more about financial resources, employment consisting of credit reports, budgets and “constructing a nest egg 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 sooner or later,” he said, “but while you’re in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are trying to find – consisting of certifications, accreditations and education – and learning more about their hiring practices, Handoe said.

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

That prep work consists of getting ready for task fairs.

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

He discussed that attendees ought to identify the business they wish to talk with and research study them ahead of time, to permit informed conversations with recruiters.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 task fair and spoke to some employers. A senior info innovation professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she desires to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.

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