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 attended a working with fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I simply try to benefit from all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to offer, just to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, rather than employment in different 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 agencies, who shared their experiences and answered questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state agencies were offered to address employing questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services manager 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 event, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to discover what kind of opportunities exist here outdoors your back door,” stated Christopher Gentz, transition services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.

task fairs like the Jan. 30 occasion will be held May 8, [empty] July 10 and Sept. 11.

To get ready for them, “gown 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 aiming to do,” Handoe stated, pointing out that the skill 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 stated.

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 all set to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the readily available opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz said.

“We see that generally every year,” he said. “We want them to make an educated decision about their career.”

Part of the education piece is finding out about financial resources, consisting of credit reports, budgets and “developing 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 at some point,” he said, “but while you remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs also exist to assist people with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are searching for – consisting of certifications, accreditations and schooling – and learning more about their working with practices, Handoe stated.

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

That prep work includes preparing for task fairs.

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

He discussed that participants must determine the companies they desire to speak with and www.opad.biz research study them ahead of time, to allow for educated conversations with recruiters.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and consulted with some recruiters. A senior [empty] information technology expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.