JBLM Job Fair Showcases State Employment Opportunities

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

As part of a group of about 30 job candidates, she participated in a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career 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 make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the task fair on state work, rather than employment in numerous markets, 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 responded to concerns. Following the panel, employers from state agencies were offered to answer working with questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services manager 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 task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to learn what kind of chances exist here outdoors your back door,” stated Christopher Gentz, transition 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 get ready for them, “gown 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 aiming to do,” Handoe stated, pointing out that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the task fair’s goals was to help people discover career opportunities and how their abilities align with them, Gentz stated.

Education is an essential benefit of attending a job reasonable, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not prepared to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the available chances and decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.

“We see that essentially every year,” he said. “We want them to make an informed choice about their profession.”

Part of the education piece is learning more about finances, 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, “but while you’re in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to go out?”

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

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

That prep work includes preparing for job fairs.

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

He explained that participants need to determine the companies they want to speak to and research them ahead of time, to enable educated conversations with employers.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and talked to some employers. A senior infotech with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.