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, referall.us and she’s preparing for the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

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

„I just attempt to take advantage of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to use, simply to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,“ she stated.

The focus of the task fair on state work, instead of work in various markets, made it various than others on the setup. 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, employers from state companies were available to address hiring questions, 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 Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly occasion, the job fair is „a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover what type of chances exist here outside your back door,“ said Christopher Gentz, shift services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.

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

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

Among the task fair’s goals was to assist individuals learn more about career chances and how their skills align with them, Gentz said.

Education is an essential benefit of going to a task fair, as about 40% of those who begin 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 generally every year,“ he stated. „We want them to make an educated choice about their profession.“

Part of the education piece is discovering financial resources, including credit reports, spending plans and „constructing a savings so you have something to work with when it’s time to get out,“ Handoe stated.

„Everybody’s going to get out of the Army one day,“ he stated, „but while you remain 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 outside world are searching for – consisting of certifications, accreditations and schooling – and finding out about their working with practices, Handoe said.

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

That preparation work consists of preparing for job fairs.

„You require to enter into a working with fair with a plan of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,“ Handoe said.

He discussed that participants ought to identify the companies they wish to speak to and research them ahead of time, to enable informed discussions with recruiters.

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