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 getting ready for the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job hunters, she attended an employing fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

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

The focus of the job fair on state work, instead of work in different industries, 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 answered concerns. Following the panel, employers from state companies were offered to address hiring concerns, stated Frank Handoe, deputy shift services supervisor 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; 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 chance to discover what sort of chances exist here outdoors 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, July 10 and Sept. 11.

To get ready 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 wanting to do,” Handoe said, pointing out that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

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

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

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

Part of the education piece is finding out about finances, consisting of 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 at some point,” he said, “but while you’re in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to assist people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are trying to find – including certifications, accreditations and referall.us education – and learning more about their hiring practices, Handoe said.

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

That preparation work includes preparing for job fairs.

“You require to go into an employing reasonable with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,” Handoe stated.

He discussed that attendees need to determine the companies they desire to speak to and research study them ahead of time, to permit informed conversations with recruiters.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and consulted with some employers. A senior details innovation specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she desires to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.