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 transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job applicants, she participated in a working with reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

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

The focus of the task fair on state employment, instead of work in different industries, made it various than others on the setup. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, and the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state companies, who shared their experiences and responded to concerns. Following the panel, recruiters from state companies were offered to answer hiring questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations consisting of VERG, WorkSource and Washington State’s Department of Veterans Affairs and https://sowjobs.com/employer/jobspk/ 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 event, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to learn what kind of opportunities exist here outside your back door,” said Christopher Gentz, shift services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional task fairs like the Jan. 30 event 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 stated.

An elevator pitch is a “fast intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re seeking to do,” Handoe said, pointing out that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the task fair’s goals was to help people discover about career chances and how their abilities align with them, Gentz said.

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

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

Part of the education piece is discovering finances, consisting of credit reports, budget 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, “however while you’re in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are searching for – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and education – and finding out about their hiring practices, Handoe said.

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

That preparation work includes preparing for job fairs.

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

He described that participants ought to identify the business they want to talk with and research them ahead of time, teachersconsultancy.com to permit for informed conversations with recruiters.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 task fair and talked to some recruiters. A senior details innovation professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.