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 shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task candidates, she participated in a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I simply try to take advantage of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to offer, just to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the task fair on state employment, employment rather than employment 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 agencies, employment who shared their experiences and answered concerns. Following the panel, recruiters from state agencies were readily available to respond to employing concerns, stated 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; of Social and Health Services, Community Services Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly occasion, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover out what type of chances exist here outdoors your back door,” said Christopher Gentz, 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 employment pitch is a “quick intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re seeking to do,” Handoe said, discussing that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the task fair’s goals was to help individuals learn more about profession chances and how their skills line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is a crucial advantage of participating in a task reasonable, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re “not ready to make that dive yet,” or they have actually seen the available chances and employment decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.

“We see that essentially every year,” he said. “We want them to make an informed choice about their profession.”

Part of the education piece is finding out about financial resources, employment consisting of credit reports, spending plans and “building 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 one day,” he said, “but while you’re in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are trying to find – including accreditations, employment 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 wish to do later down the road,” he said.

That prep work consists of getting ready for job fairs.

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

He discussed that attendees must identify the companies they wish to consult with and research them ahead of time, to allow for employment educated conversations with recruiters.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 task fair and spoke with some employers. A senior infotech specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.