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 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

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

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

The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of employment in numerous industries, made it different 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 companies, who shared their experiences and answered questions. Following the panel, employers from state agencies were readily available to address employing 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 job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover out what sort of chances exist here outside your back entrance,” said Christopher Gentz, shift 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, “dress 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 looking to do,” Handoe said, mentioning that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the task fair’s objectives was to assist individuals find out about career chances and how their abilities line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is a crucial benefit of participating in a job fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they’re “not ready to make that jump yet,” or they have actually seen the available opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is finding out about finances, [empty] consisting of credit reports, lakarjobbisverige.se budgets and “developing a savings so you have something to work with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe said.

“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 likewise exist to assist people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are trying to find – including accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and [empty] learning more about their employing practices, Handoe said.

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

That preparation work includes getting ready for task fairs.

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

He described that participants should identify the business they wish to talk to and research study them ahead of time, to enable informed conversations with recruiters.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 job reasonable and remotejobscape.com spoke with some recruiters. A senior details technology professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she wants to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.