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 getting ready for the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job hunters, she participated in a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

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

The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of work in different 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 jobs.constructionproject360.com responded to questions. Following the panel, employers from state firms were readily available to respond to employing concerns, rotaryjobmarket.com stated 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 event, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover what type of chances exist here outdoors your back door,” stated 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, “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 seeking to do,” Handoe stated, pointing out that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the task fair’s goals was to help individuals learn about career opportunities and how their skills line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is a crucial advantage of participating in a task fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they’re “not prepared to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the offered opportunities and decide to continue serving, jobs.kwintech.co.ke Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is learning more about financial resources, consisting of credit reports, budgets and “building a savings so you have something to deal with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe stated.

“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 assist individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outdoors world are looking for – consisting of 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 on down the roadway,” he said.

That preparation work includes preparing for .

“You need to enter into a hiring fair with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,” Handoe stated.

He described that attendees should identify the companies they want to talk to and research study them ahead of time, to enable informed conversations with recruiters.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 task reasonable and 64.227.136.170 spoke with some recruiters. A senior information technology professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she desires to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.