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, [empty] and she’s preparing for the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job applicants, she went to a working with fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I just try to benefit from all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to provide, just to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the job fair on state work, rather than employment in numerous 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 firms, who shared their experiences and [empty] responded to questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state companies were available to answer working with questions, said 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 jobteck.com Families; of Social and teachersconsultancy.com 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 what sort of chances exist here outside your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, teachersconsultancy.com transition services manager 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, [empty] Gentz stated.

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.

Among the task fair’s goals was to help individuals discover career opportunities and how their abilities align with them, Gentz stated.

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

“We see that essentially every year,” he stated. “We desire them to make an informed choice about their career.”

Part of the education piece is learning more about financial resources, consisting of credit reports, budget plans and “building a nest egg so you have something to deal with when it’s time to get out,” Handoe stated.

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army one day,” he said, “but while you remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs also exist to assist individuals with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are searching for – including certifications, accreditations and schooling – and discovering about their working with practices, Handoe said.

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

That preparation work consists of getting ready for task fairs.

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

He discussed that participants must pinpoint the companies they wish to speak to and research study them ahead of time, to permit informed conversations with recruiters.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and spoke to some employers. A senior information innovation expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.