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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 getting ready for the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
As part of a group of about 30 job hunters, she participated in an employing fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.
“I just try to take advantage of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to use, just to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.
The focus of the job fair on state work, rather than employment in numerous industries, made it different than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state companies, who shared their experiences and addressed concerns. Following the panel, employers from state firms were available to answer working with concerns, stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition services manager for the TAP.
Informational tables represented organizations consisting of VERG, WorkSource and referall.us 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 type of chances exist here outdoors your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, shift services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.
Additional task fairs like the Jan. 30 event will be held May 8, July 10 and Sept. 11.
To prepare 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 aiming to do,” Handoe said, discussing that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.
One of the job fair’s objectives was to assist individuals learn more about profession opportunities and how their abilities align with them, Gentz said.
Education is an essential benefit of participating in a task reasonable, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re “not ready to make that dive yet,” or they have actually seen the readily available chances and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.
“We see that essentially every year,” he said. “We want them to make an educated choice about their profession.”
Part of the education piece is finding out about financial resources, including credit reports, spending plans and “constructing 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 sooner or later,” he said, “however while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to get out?”
Job fairs likewise exist to assist people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outdoors world are searching for – consisting of certifications, accreditations and schooling – and discovering their hiring practices, Handoe stated.
“You must be doing prep work now for what it is you want to do in the future down the roadway,” he stated.
That prep work consists of preparing for .
“You require to go into a working with reasonable with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around,” Handoe stated.
He described that guests should determine the business they wish to talk with and research study them ahead of time, to allow for informed discussions with recruiters.
Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and spoke with some recruiters. A senior infotech professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.