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 the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task seekers, she participated in an employing reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities 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 offer, simply to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the job fair on state 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 firms, who shared their experiences and responded to concerns. Following the panel, employers from state companies were readily available to respond to employing questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor 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; 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 what type of chances exist here outside your back entrance,” said Christopher Gentz, ukcarers.co.uk shift services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.

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

To prepare for them, “gown 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 aiming to do,” Handoe said, Johnstown Housing pointing out that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the task fair’s goals was to help people find out about profession opportunities and how their skills line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is a key benefit of going to a task fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not ready to make that jump yet,” or they have seen the available chances and choose to continue serving, [empty] Gentz said.

“We see that essentially every year,” he stated. “We desire them to make an educated decision about their career.”

Part of the education piece is discovering about finances, including credit reports, spending plans and “developing a nest egg so you have something to deal with when it’s time to get out,” Handoe stated.

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

Job fairs likewise exist to help people with networking, seeing what people in the outdoors world are trying to find – including accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and discovering about their employing practices, backtowork.gr Handoe stated.

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

That prep work includes preparing for job fairs.

“You require to go into a hiring reasonable with a plan of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,” Handoe said.

He discussed that guests should the companies they want to talk with and research study them ahead of time, to permit educated discussions with recruiters.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 job reasonable and talked to some recruiters. A senior infotech expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.