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 participated in a hiring fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I just attempt to benefit from all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to use, just to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the job fair on state work, rather than employment in various industries, made it various than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and experts.marketchanger.gr the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state agencies, who shared their experiences and responded to questions. Following the panel, internship.af employers from state firms were offered to respond to working with concerns, stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor for the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations consisting of 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 kind of chances exist here outside your back door,” said Christopher Gentz, shift services supervisor for [empty] 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, teachersconsultancy.com Gentz said.

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

Among the task fair’s objectives was to assist individuals discover profession opportunities and how their skills align with them, Gentz stated.

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

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

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

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

Job fairs also exist to assist people with networking, seeing what people in the outdoors world are searching for – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and education – and discovering about their working with practices, Handoe said.

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

That preparation work consists of getting ready for task fairs.

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

He described that participants need to pinpoint the companies they wish to speak to and research study them ahead of time, to permit educated discussions with employers.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 job fair and spoke to some recruiters. A senior infotech specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she wants to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.