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 https://www.cbl.health/employer/teachersconsultancy the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

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

“I simply try to make the most 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 stated.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of employment in different 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 sowjobs.com answered concerns. Following the panel, recruiters from state firms were available to address employing questions, said Frank Handoe, services supervisor for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies consisting of VERG, [empty] 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 event, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover what type of chances exist here outside your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, transition services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional job fairs like the Jan. 30 occasion will be held May 8, July 10 and teachersconsultancy.com Sept. 11.

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

An elevator pitch is a “fast intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re aiming to do,” Handoe stated, [empty] pointing out that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

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

Education is a crucial benefit of participating in a job reasonable, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re “not all set to make that jump yet,” or they have actually seen the available chances and decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.

“We see that basically every year,” he stated. “We desire them to make an informed choice about their career.”

Part of the education piece is learning about finances, including 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 at some point,” he said, “but while you’re in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to assist people with networking, seeing what people in the outdoors world are searching for – including certifications, accreditations and schooling – and discovering their hiring practices, Handoe said.

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

That prep work consists of preparing for job fairs.

“You need to enter into an employing fair with a plan of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around,” Handoe stated.

He discussed that attendees ought to determine the business they desire to speak to and research study them ahead of time, to permit informed discussions with recruiters.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and talked to some employers. A senior infotech specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, akrs.ae she has discovered she desires to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.