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 applicants, she went to an employing reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I just attempt to make the most of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to provide, simply to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the task fair on state work, rather than employment in various markets, made it various than others on the setup. 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 responded to questions. Following the panel, employers from state companies were offered to address employing questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor for the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations 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 occasion, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to find out what kind of chances exist here outside your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, shift services manager 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 prepare for referall.us them, “dress for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz said.

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

One of the task fair’s objectives was to assist people discover career opportunities and how their abilities line up with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a key benefit of going to a job fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they’re “not prepared to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the readily available chances and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is discovering financial resources, consisting of credit reports, budgets and “constructing a savings so you have something to work with when it’s time to go 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 everything you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs also exist to assist individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are looking for – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and finding out about their working with practices, Handoe said.

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

That prep work consists of preparing for job fairs.

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

He discussed that participants must pinpoint the companies they desire to talk with and research study them ahead of time, to permit for informed conversations with recruiters.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 and spoke to some recruiters. A senior details innovation professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wants to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.