JBLM Job Fair Showcases State Employment Opportunities

JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, 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 job candidates, she participated in a hiring fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

« I just try to take advantage 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, rather than employment in various industries, made it different 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 firms, who shared their experiences and responded to concerns. Following the panel, employers from state agencies were readily available to answer hiring concerns, 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 occasion, the task fair is « a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover what kind 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 event will be held May 8, July 10 and Sept. 11.

To prepare for them, « gown for success, » bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz said.

An elevator pitch is a « quick intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re seeking to do, » Handoe said, referall.us discussing that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the job fair’s goals was to assist people learn more about career chances and how their skills line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is an essential advantage of participating in a job reasonable, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they’re « not prepared to make that jump yet, » or they have actually seen the offered chances and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.

« We see that generally every year, » he said. « We want them to make an educated choice about their profession. »

Part of the education piece is finding out about financial resources, consisting of credit reports, budget plans and « constructing a nest egg so you have something to deal with when it’s time to get out, » Handoe said.

« Everybody’s going to get out of the Army one day, » he stated, « but while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to get out? »

Job fairs likewise exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what people in the world are trying to find – consisting of certifications, accreditations and schooling – and discovering their hiring practices, Handoe said.

« You should be doing prep work now for what it is you want to do in the future down the road, » he stated.

That preparation work includes preparing for task fairs.

« You require 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 need to identify the business they wish to speak to and somalibidders.com research them ahead of time, to enable educated discussions with recruiters.

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