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 transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task applicants, she attended a working with reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career opportunities 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 has to use, simply to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the task fair on state work, instead of employment in different markets, made it various 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 questions. Following the panel, employers from state companies were offered to address employing concerns, stated Frank Handoe, services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations consisting of VERG, [empty] 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 opportunity to discover what type of opportunities exist here outside your back door,” said Christopher Gentz, shift services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional job fairs like the Jan. 30 occasion 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, mentioning that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the job fair’s objectives was to assist people find out about career opportunities and how their skills line up with them, Gentz stated.

Education is an essential advantage of attending a task fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not ready to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the readily available opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.

“We see that basically every year,” he said. “We want them to make an informed choice about their profession.”

Part of the education piece is learning more about financial resources, consisting of credit reports, budgets and “building 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 said, “however while you’re in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are trying to find – consisting of certifications, accreditations and teachersconsultancy.com education – and discovering their working with practices, Handoe stated.

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

That preparation work includes getting ready for job fairs.

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

He described that guests must pinpoint the companies they wish to talk with and research study them ahead of time, to permit educated conversations with recruiters.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 task fair and consulted with some recruiters. A senior infotech professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.