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 getting ready for the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job seekers, she went to a hiring fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I simply attempt to make the most of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to offer, simply to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the task fair on state employment, instead of employment in different industries, made it various 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 agencies, who shared their experiences and answered concerns. Following the panel, employers from state firms were available to respond to hiring concerns, stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor 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 Health Services, Community Services Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly occasion, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to discover out what sort of opportunities exist here outdoors your back door,” said Christopher Gentz, hornyofficebabes.com/archive/movies-homemade/ shift services supervisor for [empty] 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, “dress for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz said.

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

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

Education is a key benefit of attending a task 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 available chances and choose to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is discovering finances, of 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 sooner or later,” 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 individuals in the outdoors world are searching for – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and education – and hornyofficebabes.com/archive/indian-office-porn/ learning about their working with practices, Handoe said.

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

That prep work consists of getting ready for job fairs.

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

He discussed that participants must determine the business they want to speak with and research them ahead of time, to enable for informed conversations with recruiters.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 job reasonable and consulted with some recruiters. A senior info technology professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.