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 preparing for the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job candidates, she went to a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

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

The focus of the job fair on state work, instead of employment in various 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 agencies, who shared their experiences and addressed concerns. Following the panel, recruiters from state agencies were readily available to respond to employing questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies including VERG, WorkSource and Washington State’s Department of Veterans Affairs and VA Apprenticeship Program; Department of Children, Youth and sowjobs.com 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 sort of chances exist here outside your back entrance,” said Christopher Gentz, transition services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional task fairs like the Jan. 30 event will be held May 8, July 10 and Sept. 11.

To prepare for them, “dress for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz said.

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

One of the job fair’s objectives was to assist individuals discover career opportunities and how their abilities align with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a key advantage of attending a job reasonable, teachersconsultancy.com as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they’re “not all set to make that jump yet,” or they have actually seen the available opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is finding out about finances, 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 someday,” he stated, “but while you’re in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs also exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outdoors world are searching for – including certifications, accreditations and rightlane.beparian.com education – and discovering their employing practices, Handoe said.

“You should 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 task fairs.

“You need to go into a working with fair with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around,” Handoe said.

He explained that guests must pinpoint the companies they desire to speak with and research study them ahead of time, to permit informed with employers.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and talked to some recruiters. A senior infotech expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she desires to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.