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 transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
As part of a group of about 30 task hunters, she participated in a working with reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career opportunities 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 provide, simply to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,“ she stated.
The focus of the task fair on state employment, instead of employment in numerous industries, made it various than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it began with a panel of veterans from state firms, who shared their experiences and responded to concerns. Following the panel, employers from state firms were readily available to respond to working with concerns, 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 job fair is „a low-stress, low-pressure chance to discover what kind of opportunities exist here outside your back entrance,“ said Christopher Gentz, transition services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.
Additional job 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 wanting to do,“ Handoe stated, pointing out that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.
Among the job fair’s goals was to help individuals learn more about career opportunities and how their skills line up with them, referall.us Gentz said.
Education is a crucial benefit of attending a task fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re „not ready to make that dive yet,“ or they have seen the offered opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.
„We see that generally every year,“ he stated. „We want them to make an educated decision about their career.“
Part of the education piece is discovering financial resources, consisting of credit reports, budget plans and „developing a nest egg 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 one day,“ he said, „however while you’re in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to go out?“
Job fairs also exist to help people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are trying to find – including accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and finding out about their hiring practices, Handoe said.
„You must be doing prep work now for what it is you desire to do later on down the road,“ he said.
That prep work consists of preparing for job fairs.
„You need to enter into an employing reasonable with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around,“ Handoe said.
He described that participants ought to pinpoint the business they want to talk with and research them ahead of time, to enable for educated conversations with recruiters.
Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 task reasonable and spoke with some . A senior info innovation professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she wants to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.
