JBLM Job Fair Showcases State Employment Opportunities

JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, referall.us Wash. – Staff Sergeant Danika Nolan’s military exit date is a couple of weeks away, and she’s preparing for the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task hunters, she attended an employing fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I simply try to take advantage of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to provide, simply to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the job fair on state work, rather than employment in numerous 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 companies, who shared their experiences and responded to concerns. Following the panel, employers from state firms were available to address working with concerns, stated Frank Handoe, deputy shift services supervisor for the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations 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 type of opportunities exist here outside your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, shift services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional task fairs like the Jan. 30 occasion 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 stated.

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

One of the task fair’s objectives was to help people discover about career chances and how their abilities line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is an essential advantage of going to a job reasonable, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re “not all set to make that jump yet,” or they have actually seen the readily available opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.

“We see that essentially every year,” he stated. “We desire them to make an educated choice about their profession.”

Part of the education piece is discovering financial resources, consisting of credit reports, budget plans and “building 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 sooner or later,” he said, “however while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?”

likewise exist to help people with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are looking for – including certifications, accreditations and education – and finding out about their hiring practices, Handoe stated.

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

That prep work consists of getting ready for task fairs.

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

He discussed that guests must pinpoint the business they wish to talk to and research them ahead of time, to enable informed conversations with recruiters.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 job fair and spoke to some employers. A senior information innovation professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she wants to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.