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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 getting ready for the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job seekers, she participated in a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances 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, just to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the task fair on state employment, [empty] rather than employment in numerous markets, made it various than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state agencies, who shared their experiences and responded to questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state companies were available to answer working with concerns, stated Frank Handoe, 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, https://sowjobs.com Community Services Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly occasion, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to find out what sort of chances exist here outside your back door,” said Christopher Gentz, shift services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional task fairs like the Jan. 30 occasion will be held May 8, July 10 and https://studentvolunteers.us 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 said, discussing that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the task fair’s objectives was to help individuals find out about profession chances and how their abilities line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is a key benefit of participating in a task fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they’re “not all set to make that dive yet,” or they have actually seen the available chances and decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.

“We see that essentially 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, spending plans and “constructing a savings 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 one day,” he said, “but while you’re in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs also exist to assist individuals with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are trying to find – including accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and learning more about their working with practices, Handoe stated.

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

That prep work consists of preparing for job fairs.

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

He described that attendees must pinpoint the business they wish to talk to and research study them ahead of time, to enable educated discussions with recruiters.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 task fair and talked with some employers. A senior infotech specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she desires to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.