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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 shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
As part of a group of about 30 job seekers, she went to a working with fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.
“I just attempt to make the most of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to use, just to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.
The focus of the task fair on state work, instead of employment in different markets, 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 agencies, who shared their experiences and addressed concerns. Following the panel, referall.us recruiters from state agencies were readily available to respond to working with questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services manager for the TAP.
Informational tables represented companies 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 job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to learn what sort of opportunities exist here outside your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, transition services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.
Additional job fairs like the Jan. 30 event 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 “fast introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re wanting to do,” Handoe stated, pointing out that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.
Among the task fair’s objectives was to assist individuals learn more about career chances and how their skills line up with them, Gentz stated.
Education is a crucial benefit of attending 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 offered opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz said.
“We see that essentially every year,” he stated. “We want them to make an informed choice about their profession.”
Part of the education piece is learning more about financial resources, consisting of credit reports, budgets and “building 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 one day,” he stated, “but while you’re in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to go out?”
Job fairs also exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are trying to find – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and learning more about their hiring practices, Handoe stated.
“You must be doing prep work now for what it is you wish to do in the future down the roadway,” he said.
That preparation work consists of getting ready for job fairs.
“You require to go into a working with fair with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,” Handoe said.
He discussed that guests ought to pinpoint the business they want to speak with and research them ahead of time, to enable for informed discussions with employers.
Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 and spoke to some employers. A senior infotech expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wants to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.