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, and she’s preparing for the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job applicants, she went to an employing reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

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

The focus of the task fair on state employment, instead of employment in numerous industries, made it different 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, employers from state agencies were available to address hiring questions, stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition services 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 Horny-Office-Babes Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly event, [empty] the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to find out what type of chances exist here outside your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, cheekarayab.ir shift services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional task fairs like the Jan. 30 event will be held May 8, teba.timbaktuu.com July 10 and Sept. 11.

To prepare for them, “gown 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 wanting to do,” Handoe stated, mentioning that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the job fair’s goals was to assist people learn more about career opportunities and how their skills line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is an essential benefit of going to a job fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they’re “not prepared to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the available opportunities and [empty] decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is discovering finances, including credit reports, spending plans and “developing a nest egg so you have something to deal with when it’s time to get out,” Handoe said.

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army sooner or later,” he said, “however while you remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to assist people with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are looking for – including accreditations, accreditations and education – and discovering their hiring practices, Handoe stated.

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

That prep work includes preparing for job fairs.

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

He discussed that participants ought to identify the business they want to speak to and research them ahead of time, to permit educated conversations with employers.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 job fair and linked web site spoke to some employers. A senior info innovation expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.