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 shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job applicants, she participated in a working with reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I simply try to take benefit 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 said.

The focus of the job fair on state work, rather than work in numerous markets, 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 companies, who shared their experiences and answered concerns. Following the panel, recruiters from state agencies were readily available to address employing questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services manager 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; 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 chance to discover what sort of opportunities exist here outdoors your back entrance,” said Christopher Gentz, transition services supervisor 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 get ready for them, “dress for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz stated.

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

Among the task fair’s objectives was to assist people discover profession chances and how their skills line up with them, Gentz stated.

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 all set to make that dive yet,” or they have actually seen the offered chances and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.

“We see that generally every year,” he stated. “We desire them to make an informed choice about their career.”

Part of the education piece is learning more about financial resources, referall.us consisting of credit reports, budgets and “developing a nest egg so you have something to work with when it’s time to get out,” Handoe stated.

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

Job fairs also exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are searching for – including accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and discovering their employing practices, Handoe stated.

“You must be doing prep work now for what it is you wish to do in the future down the road,” he stated.

That preparation work includes preparing for task fairs.

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

He described that attendees must determine the business they wish to consult with and research study them ahead of time, to permit educated discussions with recruiters.

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