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 preparing for employment the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

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

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

The focus of the job fair on state employment, rather than work in different markets, made it different than others on the setup. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, employment WorkSource and the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state companies, who shared their experiences and answered questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state companies were readily available to respond to employing concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services manager 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 task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to discover out what kind of chances 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 occasion will be held May 8, July 10 and employment Sept. 11.

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

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

Among the job fair’s objectives was to assist people find out about profession opportunities and how their skills align with them, Gentz said.

Education is a key advantage of participating in a job fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they’re “not prepared to make that jump yet,” or employment they have actually seen the readily available chances and decide to continue serving, employment Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is discovering finances, consisting of credit reports, budgets and “building a savings so you have something to deal with when it’s time to get out,” .

“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 go out?”

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

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

That preparation work includes getting ready for task fairs.

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

He described that attendees must pinpoint the companies they wish to talk with and research study them ahead of time, to permit for educated conversations with employers.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 task reasonable and spoke with some employers. A senior infotech professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she wants to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.