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 transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job candidates, she attended a hiring fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

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

The focus of the on state employment, instead of work in different industries, made it different 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 firms, who shared their experiences and responded to concerns. Following the panel, recruiters from state firms were offered to address employing concerns, stated 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, job the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to find out what sort of opportunities exist here outside your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, shift services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional task fairs like the Jan. 30 event will be held May 8, July 10 and job Sept. 11.

To prepare for them, “gown for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz stated.

An elevator pitch is a “fast introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re seeking to do,” Handoe stated, mentioning that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the job fair’s goals was to assist individuals learn more about profession chances and how their skills line up with them, Gentz stated.

Education is an essential benefit of attending a job reasonable, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they’re “not prepared to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the readily available opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is discovering financial resources, consisting of credit reports, budgets and “building 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 someday,” he stated, “but while you remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs also exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outdoors world are trying to find – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and discovering their employing practices, Handoe said.

“You should 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 a working with reasonable with a plan of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,” Handoe said.

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

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