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 the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job applicants, she participated in a hiring fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities 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 has to provide, simply to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, rather than work in various industries, made it different 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 companies, who shared their experiences and responded to questions. Following the panel, employers from state companies were readily available to answer working with concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies 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, Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly occasion, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to learn what sort of chances exist here outside your back door,” 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 referall.us pitch, Gentz said.

An elevator pitch is a “quick introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re seeking to do,” Handoe stated, mentioning that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the job fair’s goals was to help people discover profession chances and how their skills align with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a key benefit of attending a job reasonable, as about 40% of those who begin 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 said.

“We see that generally every year,” he said. “We desire them to make an educated choice about their career.”

Part of the education piece is finding out about financial resources, consisting of credit reports, budget plans and “developing a nest egg 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 someday,” he stated, “but while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs also exist to help people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are searching for – including accreditations, accreditations and education – and discovering about their hiring practices, Handoe said.

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

That preparation work includes getting ready for task fairs.

“You need to go into a working with fair with a plan of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,” Handoe said.

He described that participants ought to determine the business they wish to consult with and research them ahead of time, to permit educated conversations with employers.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and spoke to some recruiters. A senior information technology specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.