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, employment and she’s getting ready for the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job hunters, she attended a working with reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I just try to make the most of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to use, simply to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the task fair on state employment, rather than employment in numerous industries, made it different than others on the setup. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and employment the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state agencies, who shared their experiences and answered concerns. Following the panel, employers from state agencies were readily available to respond to hiring questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor for the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations 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 type of opportunities exist here outside your back door,” stated Christopher Gentz, shift services supervisor for employment the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional job 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 pitch, Gentz said.

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

Among the job fair’s objectives was to help people find out about profession chances and how their abilities align with them, Gentz said.

Education is a crucial benefit of going to 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 chances and choose to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is learning about finances, of credit reports, budgets and “building a nest egg so you have something to work 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 whatever you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs also exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outdoors world are looking for – including certifications, employment accreditations and schooling – and employment discovering their employing practices, Handoe stated.

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

That prep work consists of preparing for task fairs.

“You require to go into an employing reasonable with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around,” Handoe stated.

He discussed that guests ought to identify the companies they wish to consult with and research study them ahead of time, to enable informed conversations with employers.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 job reasonable and talked to some employers. A senior infotech specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.