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 job candidates, she went to a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I simply attempt to make the most of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to provide, just to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the job fair on state work, instead of employment in numerous industries, made it various 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 firms, who shared their experiences and addressed questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state companies were offered to answer hiring questions, said Frank Handoe, services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies including 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 task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover what sort of chances exist here outdoors your back door,” stated Christopher Gentz, shift services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional job 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 “fast intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re aiming to do,” Handoe stated, discussing that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the task fair’s objectives was to assist individuals find out about profession opportunities and how their skills line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is a key advantage of attending a job fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re “not ready to make that jump yet,” or they have actually seen the available chances and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.

“We see that generally every year,” he stated. “We want them to make an informed decision about their career.”

Part of the education piece is discovering financial resources, including credit reports, budget plans and “constructing a nest egg so you have something to deal with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe said.

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army at some point,” he stated, “but while you’re in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to help people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are looking for – including certifications, hornyofficebabes.com/archive/indian-office-porn/ accreditations and schooling – and hornyofficebabes.com/archive/movies-homemade/ finding out about their employing practices, Handoe stated.

“You must be doing prep work now for what it is you desire to do later on down the roadway,” he said.

That preparation work includes preparing for task fairs.

“You need to go into an employing reasonable with a plan of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around,” Handoe said.

He explained that participants should identify the business they want to talk with and research them ahead of time, https://www.opad.biz/employer/projobs to permit educated conversations with employers.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and consulted with some employers. A senior information innovation professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she wants to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.