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 transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job candidates, she went to a working with reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career 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 provide, just to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of work in numerous industries, made it various 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 firms, who shared their experiences and answered concerns. Following the panel, recruiters from state agencies were offered to address hiring concerns, stated 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 Families; Department of Social and Health Services, Community Services Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly occasion, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover out what sort of opportunities exist here outdoors your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, transition services supervisor for the Directorate of .

Additional task 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 introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re aiming to do,” Handoe stated, mentioning that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the job fair’s objectives was to assist individuals learn about career chances and how their skills align with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a key advantage of participating in a job fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re “not prepared to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the available opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is discovering finances, including credit reports, budgets and “developing a nest egg so you have something to work with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe stated.

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

Job fairs likewise exist to help individuals with networking, referall.us seeing what people in the outdoors world are trying to find – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and finding out about their working with practices, Handoe said.

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

That preparation work includes preparing for task fairs.

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

He discussed that participants ought to determine the business they desire to talk with and research study them ahead of time, to enable informed conversations with recruiters.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 task fair and spoke to some employers. A senior information technology specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she wishes to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.