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

“I just attempt to make the most of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to provide, simply to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the task fair on state employment, instead of work in numerous markets, made it different 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 responded to questions. Following the panel, employers from state firms were readily available to respond to employing questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services manager for the TAP.

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

A quarterly occasion, referall.us the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to learn what type of chances exist here outside your back door,” stated 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 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 looking to do,” Handoe said, mentioning that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the task fair’s goals was to assist people discover profession chances and how their abilities align with them, Gentz said.

Education is an essential advantage of going to a task fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re “not prepared to make that jump yet,” or they have actually seen the available chances and choose to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is discovering financial resources, including credit reports, spending plans and “building a savings so you have something to deal with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe said.

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army at some point,” he said, “but while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to assist individuals with networking, seeing what individuals in the outdoors world are looking for – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and learning more about their hiring practices, Handoe stated.

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

That preparation work includes getting ready for task fairs.

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

He explained that participants ought to pinpoint the companies they wish to speak to and research study them ahead of time, to enable educated discussions with recruiters.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and talked with some employers. A senior info technology professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.