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 preparing for the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task seekers, she an employing reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

„I just try to take advantage of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to offer, just to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,“ she said.

The focus of the task fair on state employment, rather than work in different industries, made it various 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 concerns. Following the panel, employers from state agencies were readily available to respond to employing concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services supervisor for referall.us 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 Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly occasion, the job fair is „a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover out what type of opportunities exist here outside your back entrance,“ 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, July 10 and Sept. 11.

To prepare for them, „dress for success,“ bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz said.

An elevator pitch is a „quick introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re wanting to do,“ Handoe said, discussing that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the job fair’s goals was to help people discover career opportunities and how their abilities line up with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a key benefit of attending a task reasonable, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re „not ready to make that dive yet,“ or they have seen the offered chances and decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.

„We see that essentially every year,“ he stated. „We want them to make an informed choice about their profession.“

Part of the education piece is finding out about finances, including credit reports, spending plans and „developing a nest egg so you have something to work with when it’s time to go out,“ Handoe stated.

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

Job fairs likewise exist to help people with networking, seeing what people in the outdoors world are searching for – including accreditations, accreditations and education – and finding out about their hiring practices, Handoe said.

„You ought to be doing prep work now for what it is you want to do later on down the road,“ he said.

That prep work includes getting ready for job fairs.

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

He explained that attendees need to determine the companies they wish to speak with and research study them ahead of time, to enable informed conversations with recruiters.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 job fair and consulted with some employers. A senior info innovation expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.