JBLM Job Fair Showcases State Employment Opportunities

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 task applicants, she attended a hiring reasonable 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 provide, just to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the job fair on state work, instead of employment in numerous markets, 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 answered questions. Following the panel, employers from state agencies were offered to answer working with questions, stated Frank Handoe, deputy shift services supervisor for Car Loan 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 task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to discover what kind of opportunities exist here outside your back door,” stated Christopher Gentz, transition 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 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 aiming to do,” Handoe said, discussing that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

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

Education is a crucial advantage of going to a job reasonable, handsfarmers.fr as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they’re “not all set to make that jump yet,” or they have seen the available opportunities and choose 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, budgets and “developing a nest egg so you have something to work 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 go out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to help individuals with networking, mobidesign.us seeing what individuals in the outside world are trying to find – consisting of certifications, accreditations and schooling – and discovering their hiring practices, Handoe said.

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

That prep work consists of preparing for task fairs.

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

He explained that participants must pinpoint the business they desire to talk with and research study them ahead of time, to permit educated conversations with employers.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and spoke with some employers. A senior infotech specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she wishes to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.