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 task hunters, she attended a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I simply try to make the most of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to use, simply to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the job fair on state work, rather than work in numerous markets, made it different than others on the installation. 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 responded to concerns. Following the panel, recruiters from state agencies were offered to address working with questions, stated 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 Health Services, Community Services Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly event, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to discover what type of chances exist here outdoors your back door,” said Christopher Gentz, shift services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional job fairs like the Jan. 30 event will be held May 8, 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 “quick intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re wanting to do,” Handoe stated, referall.us discussing that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

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

Education is an essential benefit of going to a task fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they’re “not all set to make that dive yet,” or they have actually seen the available chances 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 learning more about finances, consisting of credit reports, budget plans and “constructing 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 remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs also exist to assist individuals with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are looking for – including certifications, accreditations and schooling – and discovering their employing practices, Handoe said.

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

That prep work consists of preparing for job fairs.

“You need to go 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 should determine the business they want to talk to and research study them ahead of time, to allow for educated discussions with recruiters.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and spoke with some employers. A senior infotech specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.