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 job candidates, she attended a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I simply attempt to take benefit of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to provide, simply to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the task fair on state employment, rather than work in different 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 firms, who shared their experiences and responded to concerns. Following the panel, jobsdirect.lk recruiters from state agencies were offered to respond to working with questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services supervisor for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies consisting of 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, [empty] the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover what sort of chances exist here outdoors your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, transition services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.

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

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

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

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

Education is a crucial benefit of participating in a task fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they’re “not all set to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the available opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is discovering finances, consisting of credit reports, budget plans and “building a nest egg so you have something to work with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe said.

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

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

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

That preparation work includes preparing for task fairs.

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

He described that guests need to determine the business they desire to talk with and research them ahead of time, to enable educated conversations with employers.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 job fair and talked with some recruiters. A senior info technology expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she desires to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.