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 shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job candidates, she went to a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

„I simply try 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 job fair on state work, employment rather than employment in different industries, 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 agencies, who shared their experiences and answered concerns. Following the panel, employers from state firms were offered to answer working with questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services manager 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 employment Health Services, Community Services Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly event, the task fair is „a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover what sort of opportunities exist here outdoors your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, employment shift services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.

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

To prepare for employment them, „gown 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 said, mentioning that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the job fair’s goals was to assist people discover career chances and how their abilities line up with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a key advantage of participating in a job reasonable, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they’re „not all set to make that jump yet,” or they have actually seen the readily available opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is learning more about finances, including credit reports, budget plans and „developing a nest egg so you have something to work with when it’s time to get out,” Handoe said.

„Everybody’s going to get out of the Army sooner or later,” he said, „however while you’re in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs also exist to assist individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are trying to find – including certifications, accreditations and schooling – and learning more about their employing practices, Handoe stated.

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

That prep work consists of preparing for employment job fairs.

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

He described that participants ought to identify the companies they want to speak with and research study them ahead of time, to enable educated conversations with recruiters.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 task fair and employment consulted with some recruiters. A senior information technology professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian .