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  • Founded Date November 18, 1929
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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 couple of weeks away, employment and she’s preparing for the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job seekers, she attended an employing fair 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 has to use, simply to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the job 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, WorkSource and the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state firms, who shared their experiences and addressed questions. Following the panel, employers from state companies were offered to answer hiring concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift 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, employment 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 discover out what kind of opportunities exist here outdoors your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, transition 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, “gown for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz said.

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

Among the job 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 benefit of participating in a job fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not ready to make that dive yet,” or they have actually seen the offered opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is finding out about finances, consisting of credit reports, budgets and “building a nest egg so you have something to deal with when it’s time to get out,” Handoe said.

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

Job fairs likewise exist to assist individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are looking for employment – including certifications, accreditations and education – and finding out about their practices, Handoe stated.

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

That prep work consists of preparing for job fairs.

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

He explained that participants should determine the business they desire to speak to and research them ahead of time, to allow for informed conversations with recruiters.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and talked to some recruiters. A senior details 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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