JBLM Job Fair Showcases State Employment Opportunities

LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. – Staff Sergeant Danika Nolan’s military exit date is a couple of weeks away, and she’s preparing for the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

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

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

The focus of the task fair on state work, instead of employment in different industries, made it different than others on the setup. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, decreases it began with a panel of veterans from state agencies, who shared their experiences and addressed concerns. Following the panel, employers from state companies were offered to respond to hiring concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services supervisor for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies 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 opportunity to learn what kind of opportunities exist here outdoors your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, shift services manager 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 get ready for them, “gown for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz stated.

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

One of the job fair’s objectives was to help individuals find out about profession opportunities and sowjobs.com how their abilities line up with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a key advantage 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 available opportunities and rightlane.beparian.com choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is discovering financial resources, consisting of credit reports, spending plans and “developing a savings so you have something to deal with when it’s time to get out,” Handoe stated.

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army sooner or later,” he stated, “however while you’re in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs also exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what individuals in the outdoors world are trying to find – including certifications, accreditations and education – and discovering their working with practices, Handoe stated.

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

That preparation work includes 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 described that attendees must pinpoint the companies they desire to speak to and research them ahead of time, to permit educated discussions with employers.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 task reasonable and consulted with some recruiters. A senior infotech expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she wants to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.