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

As part of a group of about 30 task hunters, she participated in a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

„I simply try to take benefit 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 said.

The focus of the task fair on state employment, instead of in numerous markets, made it various 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 companies, who shared their experiences and responded to questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state companies were offered to address hiring questions, stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition services manager 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 MATURE OFFICE PORN & SEX PICTURES Families; Department of Social and Health Services, Community Services Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly event, the task fair is „a low-stress, low-pressure chance to discover out what kind of chances exist here outdoors your back door,“ stated Christopher Gentz, shift services supervisor for [empty] the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional task 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 pitch, Gentz stated.

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

Among the job fair’s goals was to help people find out about career opportunities and how their skills align with them, Gentz said.

Education is a crucial advantage of going to a job fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re „not prepared to make that dive yet,“ or they have actually seen the offered opportunities 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 finances, [empty] 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 sooner or later,“ he said, „but while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?“

Job fairs also exist to help people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outdoors world are looking for – including certifications, accreditations and you can try here education – and learning more about their hiring practices, Car Loan Handoe stated.

„You ought to be doing prep work now for what it is you wish to do in the future down the road,“ he stated.

That prep work includes getting ready for inquiry task fairs.

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

He discussed that participants ought to determine the business they wish to talk to and research study them ahead of time, to enable informed discussions with employers.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and talked to some employers. A senior info technology professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she desires to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.