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 remotejobscape.com the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

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

“I just attempt to take benefit of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to offer, just to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the task fair on state work, instead of employment in numerous industries, made it different than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, and the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state agencies, who shared their experiences and answered questions. Following the panel, employers from state agencies were offered to address hiring concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services supervisor for the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations 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 www.grainfather.de Health Services, Community Services Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly event, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover what sort of chances exist here outside your back door,” stated Christopher Gentz, shift services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional job fairs like the Jan. 30 occasion will be held May 8, www.opad.biz 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 intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re aiming to do,” Handoe stated, pointing out that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the job fair’s objectives was to help individuals learn more about career opportunities and how their abilities line up with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a crucial benefit of attending a job 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 opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is learning more about finances, including credit reports, budgets and “developing a savings so you have something to work with when it’s time to get out,” Handoe stated.

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army at some point,” he said, “however while you remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to assist individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outdoors world are searching for – consisting of 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 desire to do later down the road,” he stated.

That preparation 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 described that participants ought to determine the business they want to talk to and research study them ahead of time, https://www.opad.biz/ to permit educated discussions with recruiters.

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