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 shift at Joint Base .

As part of a group of about 30 job applicants, she attended a hiring fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career opportunities 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 certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, rather than employment in numerous markets, made it different 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 agencies, who shared their experiences and answered questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state agencies were offered to respond to employing concerns, said Frank Handoe, studentvolunteers.us deputy transition 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 https://teachersconsultancy.com Families; Department of Social and weldersfabricators.com Health Services, Community Services Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly occasion, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to discover out what kind of chances exist here outside your back entrance,” said Christopher Gentz, shift services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional task fairs like the Jan. 30 event will be held May 8, July 10 and Sept. 11.

To prepare for them, “dress for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz stated.

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

One of the job fair’s goals was to assist individuals learn more about career chances and how their abilities line up with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a key advantage of attending a task fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they’re “not ready to make that jump yet,” or they have actually seen the readily available opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is learning more about finances, including credit reports, spending plans and “constructing a nest egg 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 at some point,” he stated, “but while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs also exist to assist people with networking, [empty] seeing what people in the outside world are searching for – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and education – and finding out about their hiring practices, Handoe stated.

“You should 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 preparing for task fairs.

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

He explained that guests ought to determine the business they want to talk with and research them ahead of time, to enable for educated discussions with recruiters.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 job fair and talked with some recruiters. A senior details innovation professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she desires to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.