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

As part of a group of about 30 job candidates, she went to an employing reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM's Hawk Career Center.

"I just try to benefit from all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to provide, simply to make sure I'm as prepared as possible," she stated.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of employment in numerous markets, made it different 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 addressed questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state agencies were readily available to to working with questions, said Frank Handoe, 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 occasion, the job fair is "a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover what kind of chances exist here outdoors your back door," said Christopher Gentz, shift services manager for employment the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional job fairs like the Jan. 30 event 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 employment pitch, Gentz stated.

An elevator pitch is a "quick intro of yourself, who you are and what you're aiming to do," Handoe stated, employment discussing that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the task fair's objectives was to help individuals learn more about profession chances and how their skills line up with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a crucial advantage 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 opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.

"We see that essentially every year," he said. "We want them to make an informed decision about their profession."

Part of the education piece is learning about financial resources, consisting of credit reports, budget plans and "developing a nest egg so you have something to work 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 get out?"

Job fairs also exist to help people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are looking for - including certifications, accreditations and education - and discovering their working with practices, Handoe stated.

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

That prep work consists of preparing for employment job fairs.

"You need to enter into a working with fair with a plan of what you're going to do and not simply meander around," Handoe stated.

He explained that attendees must determine the business they desire to consult with and research study them ahead of time, to enable informed discussions with employers.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 job reasonable and spoke to some employers. A senior infotech specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.