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 applicants, she attended an employing reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I just try to make the most of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to use, just to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the job fair on state work, 이지론 instead of work in various markets, made it various than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, and the TAP, it began with a panel of veterans from state agencies, who shared their experiences and responded to questions. Following the panel, employers from state companies were available to respond to employing concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies 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 dirkohlmeier.de Health Services, Community Services Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly event, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to discover what type of opportunities exist here outdoors your back door,” stated Christopher Gentz, shift services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional job 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 stated.

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

One of the job fair’s goals was to help people learn more about career opportunities and how their abilities line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is a crucial benefit of attending a job 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 offered opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is finding out about finances, including credit reports, budget plans and “developing a nest egg 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 one day,” 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 outdoors world are trying to find – including certifications, accreditations and https://studentvolunteers.us/ schooling – and learning more about their employing practices, Handoe stated.

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

That prep work includes getting ready for job 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 said.

He explained that participants ought to identify the companies they wish to speak to and research them ahead of time, [empty] to permit informed discussions with recruiters.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 job fair and spoke to some employers. A senior infotech professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she desires to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.