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 shift 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 use, just to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, rather than employment in various industries, made it various 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 addressed questions. Following the panel, employers from state firms were offered to respond to working with concerns, stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor 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, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to find out what sort of chances exist here outside your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, transition services manager 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 get ready for referall.us them, “dress for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz said.

An elevator pitch is a “quick intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re seeking to do,” Handoe said, pointing out that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the job fair’s objectives was to assist individuals learn about profession chances and how their skills align with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a crucial advantage of attending a task reasonable, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not prepared to make that jump yet,” or they have seen the offered opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is finding out about financial resources, consisting of credit reports, budgets and “constructing a savings so you have something to deal with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe stated.

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army someday,” he said, “but while you’re in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are searching for – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and discovering their employing practices, Handoe said.

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

That prep work consists of getting ready for job 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 discussed that attendees ought to pinpoint the business they want to speak to and research study them ahead of time, to enable educated conversations with recruiters.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and talked with some recruiters. A senior details technology professional with the 16th Unit, she has actually found she desires to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.