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 seekers, she went to a working with reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

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

The focus of the task fair on state work, instead of work in numerous 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 . Following the panel, employers from state companies were offered to answer employing questions, 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 Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly occasion, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to find out what type of opportunities exist here outdoors your back entrance,” said Christopher Gentz, shift services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional task fairs like the Jan. 30 event will be held May 8, July 10 and 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 “fast intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re aiming to do,” Handoe said, discussing that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the task fair’s objectives was to assist people discover about career chances and how their abilities line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is a crucial advantage of attending a job reasonable, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they’re “not ready to make that jump yet,” or they have actually seen the available opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is finding out about financial resources, including credit reports, budget plans and “developing a savings so you have something to work with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe stated.

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army someday,” he stated, “however while you remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are searching for – including certifications, accreditations and referall.us education – and discovering their working with practices, Handoe said.

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

That preparation work consists of preparing for task fairs.

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

He described that attendees should identify the business they wish to talk with and research them ahead of time, to permit for educated conversations with employers.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and consulted with some employers. A senior infotech professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she wants to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.