GitLab

JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. - Staff Sergeant Danika Nolan's military exit date is a few weeks away, and she's preparing for employment the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task candidates, she went to a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities 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 stated.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of employment in various industries, made it different than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it began with a panel of veterans from state agencies, who shared their experiences and answered questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state companies were offered to answer employing questions, stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies including 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 chance to discover out what type of chances exist here outside your back door," stated Christopher Gentz, shift services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.

fairs like the Jan. 30 occasion will be held May 8, July 10 and employment Sept. 11.

To prepare for them, "gown 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 stated, mentioning that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the job fair's goals was to help people discover about career opportunities and how their abilities align with them, Gentz stated.

Education is an essential benefit of attending a task reasonable, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they're "not all set to make that jump yet," or they have seen the offered opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.

"We see that basically every year," he stated. "We want them to make an educated choice about their profession."

Part of the education piece is finding out about finances, including credit reports, budgets and "developing a savings so you have something to work with when it's time to get out," Handoe said.

"Everybody's going to get out of the Army someday," he stated, "but while you're in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to go out?"

Job fairs likewise exist to assist individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are trying to find - consisting of accreditations, accreditations and education - and discovering their employing practices, Handoe said.

"You must be doing prep work now for what it is you wish to do in the future down the road," he said.

That preparation work includes preparing for job fairs.

"You require to go into an employing fair with a plan of what you're going to do and not just meander around," Handoe said.

He explained that participants need to pinpoint the companies they wish to talk with and research study them ahead of time, to permit informed discussions with employers.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and talked with some employers. A senior info innovation specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.