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

As part of a group of about 30 task hunters, she went to a working with fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I simply try to benefit from all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to provide, just to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the task fair on state employment, rather than employment in various markets, 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 firms, who shared their experiences and addressed questions. Following the panel, employers from state companies were readily available to respond to employing concerns, dessinateurs-projeteurs.com stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor 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 careerworksource.org 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 task fairs like the Jan. 30 occasion will be held May 8, collegejobportal.in July 10 and Sept. 11.

To get ready for them, “dress for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz stated.

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

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

Education is an essential advantage of going to a task reasonable, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they’re “not prepared to make that dive yet,” or they have actually seen the readily available opportunities and decide to continue serving, .

“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 discovering finances, including credit reports, budget plans and “developing a nest egg so you have something to deal with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe said.

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

Job fairs also exist to help people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outdoors world are searching for – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and education – and discovering their hiring practices, Handoe stated.

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

That preparation work includes getting ready for task fairs.

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

He described that guests need to identify the companies they wish to speak with and research study them ahead of time, to permit educated conversations with employers.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and spoke to some employers. A senior details innovation professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she wants to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.