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 transition at Joint Base .

As part of a group of about 30 task hunters, she attended a working with reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

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

The focus of the job fair on state employment, rather than work in numerous markets, made it different than others on the setup. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state firms, who shared their experiences and addressed questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state companies were available to respond to hiring concerns, said 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 working.co.ke Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly occasion, [empty] the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to find out what kind of opportunities exist here outside your back door,” said Christopher Gentz, shift services supervisor for akrs.ae the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional job 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 said.

An elevator pitch is a “quick intro 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 task fair’s objectives was to help individuals discover career chances and how their skills align with them, Gentz said.

Education is a key advantage of attending a task fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re “not prepared to make that dive yet,” or they have actually seen the readily available opportunities and decide to continue serving, jobvn24.com Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is learning about financial resources, consisting of credit reports, horizonsmaroc.com budgets and “building a savings so you have something to deal with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe stated.

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

Job fairs also exist to help people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are searching for – consisting of certifications, accreditations and schooling – and learning about their hiring practices, Handoe said.

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

That preparation work consists of getting ready for job fairs.

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

He explained that participants ought to determine the companies they wish to speak with and research them ahead of time, to enable for informed discussions with recruiters.

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