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 getting ready for the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

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

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

The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of work 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, employment who shared their experiences and answered questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state firms were readily available to answer employing 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 employment Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly occasion, the job fair is „a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to learn what sort of chances exist here outdoors your back door,“ said Christopher Gentz, transition services supervisor 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 get ready for them, „gown for success,“ bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, employment Gentz said.

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

One of the job fair’s goals was to assist individuals discover profession chances and how their abilities align with them, Gentz said.

Education is an essential advantage of attending a job fair, employment as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re „not all set to make that dive yet,“ or they have seen the readily available opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.

„We see that basically every year,“ he stated. „We want them to make an educated decision about their career.“

Part of the education piece is finding out about financial resources, consisting of credit reports, spending plans and „building a nest egg so you have something to work with when it’s time to get out,“ .

„Everybody’s going to get out of the Army sooner or later,“ he said, „however while you’re in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to get out?“

Job fairs likewise exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are trying to find – including accreditations, accreditations and education – and learning more about their employing practices, Handoe stated.

„You need to be doing prep work now for what it is you want to do later on down the roadway,“ he stated.

That prep work consists of getting ready for job fairs.

„You require to go into a hiring reasonable with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,“ Handoe said.

He explained that participants need to identify the business they desire to speak to and research study them ahead of time, to enable educated conversations with employers.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and talked to some recruiters. A senior information innovation specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she desires to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.