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 went to a working with reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.
„I simply attempt to take benefit 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 said.
The focus of the job fair on state work, rather than work in various markets, made it various than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state firms, who shared their experiences and addressed questions. Following the panel, employers from state firms were offered 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 event, the job fair is „a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover what sort of opportunities 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 prepare for them, „gown for success,“ bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz said.
An elevator pitch is a „quick introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re aiming to do,“ Handoe said, discussing that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.
Among the task fair’s objectives was to assist people find out about career chances and how their skills align with them, Gentz said.
Education is an essential benefit of going to a task fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re „not ready to make that jump yet,“ or they have seen the available opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.
„We see that generally 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, budget plans and „developing a savings 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 one day,“ he stated, „however while you remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to get out?“
Job fairs likewise exist to assist individuals with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are looking for – including accreditations, referall.us accreditations and schooling – and finding out about their practices, Handoe said.
„You must be doing prep work now for what it is you want to do later down the roadway,“ he stated.
That preparation work includes getting ready for job fairs.
„You require to go into an employing fair with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,“ Handoe said.
He explained that participants ought to determine the companies they wish to consult with and research study them ahead of time, to enable informed conversations with recruiters.
Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 job reasonable and talked to some recruiters. A senior infotech expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she desires to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.