JBLM Job Fair Showcases State Employment Opportunities

JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. – Staff Sergeant Danika Nolan’s military exit date is a few weeks away, and she’s getting ready for employment the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job hunters, she went to a hiring reasonable 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 use, simply to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, rather than employment in different industries, made it various than others on the setup. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, employment WorkSource and employment the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state agencies, who shared their experiences and addressed questions. Following the panel, employers from state firms were available to address working with concerns, stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor for the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations consisting of VERG, WorkSource and Washington State’s Department of Veterans Affairs and VA Apprenticeship Program; Department of Children, employment Youth and Families; Department of Social and Health Services, Community Services Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly event, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to discover what kind of opportunities exist here outside your back entrance,” said Christopher Gentz, transition services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional task fairs like the Jan. 30 occasion will be held May 8, July 10 and Sept. 11.

To prepare for employment them, “gown for success,” bring your resume and your elevator pitch, employment Gentz stated.

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

Among the job fair’s goals was to help individuals learn more about profession chances and how their skills align with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a key advantage of participating in a task reasonable, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not all set to make that dive yet,” or they have actually seen the readily available chances and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.

“We see that essentially every year,” he said. “We want them to make an informed decision about their profession.”

Part of the education piece is finding out about finances, consisting of credit reports, budget plans and “building a nest egg so you have something to work with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe said.

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army someday,” he stated, “however while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs also exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are looking for – including accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and finding out about their hiring practices, Handoe stated.

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

That preparation work consists of preparing for task fairs.

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

He described that attendees must pinpoint the companies they desire to consult with and employment research study them ahead of time, to enable for educated discussions with employers.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 task fair and spoke with some recruiters. A senior info technology specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.