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 referall.us she’s getting ready for the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task seekers, she went to an employing reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession chances at Career Center.

“I just attempt to take advantage of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to use, just to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the task fair on state work, instead of employment 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 agencies, who shared their experiences and responded to concerns. Following the panel, recruiters from state agencies were available to answer hiring questions, stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition 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 opportunity to discover out what type of opportunities exist here outdoors 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 Sept. 11.

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

An elevator pitch is a “fast intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re aiming to do,” Handoe stated, pointing out that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

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

Education is a key advantage of attending 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 choose to continue serving, Gentz said.

“We see that basically every year,” he stated. “We desire them to make an educated choice about their profession.”

Part of the education piece is finding out about financial resources, including credit reports, budgets 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 sooner or later,” he stated, “but while you remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to assist people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outdoors world are trying to find – including accreditations, accreditations and education – and finding out about their working with practices, Handoe stated.

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

That preparation work includes getting ready for job fairs.

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

He described that attendees should identify the business they wish to consult with and research them ahead of time, to permit educated conversations with recruiters.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 task fair and talked with some recruiters. A senior information innovation expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she desires to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.