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 shift 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 profession opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

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

The focus of the job fair on state work, instead of work in numerous industries, made it different 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 companies, who shared their experiences and answered questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state companies were offered to address employing questions, stated Frank Handoe, deputy shift 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, transition services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.

fairs like the Jan. 30 event will be held May 8, July 10 and sowjobs.com Sept. 11.

To prepare 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 wanting to do,” Handoe said, discussing that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the job fair’s objectives was to help individuals learn more about career opportunities and https://www.opad.biz how their abilities align with them, Gentz stated.

Education is an essential benefit of going to a job reasonable, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not ready to make that dive yet,” or they have actually seen the available chances and teachersconsultancy.com decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.

“We see that generally every year,” he said. “We desire them to make an informed choice about their profession.”

Part of the education piece is discovering financial resources, consisting of credit reports, [empty] budgets and “developing a savings so you have something to work with when it’s time to get out,” Handoe said.

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army someday,” he stated, “however while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to assist people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are searching for – including certifications, accreditations and schooling – and finding out about their working with practices, [empty] Handoe stated.

“You should be doing prep work now for what it is you wish to do later on down the roadway,” he stated.

That preparation work includes preparing for job fairs.

“You need to enter into a hiring reasonable with a plan of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,” Handoe said.

He explained that participants should identify the companies they desire to talk with and research them ahead of time, to enable informed conversations with recruiters.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and spoke to some recruiters. A senior information technology expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.