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 getting ready for the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

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

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

The focus of the task fair on state employment, instead of employment in various industries, made it various than others on the setup. 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 answered questions. Following the panel, employers from state firms were readily available to respond to hiring questions, employment said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor employment for the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations including 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, employment the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover out what type of opportunities exist here outdoors your back door,” said Christopher Gentz, shift services manager 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 employment them, “gown 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 aiming to do,” Handoe stated, mentioning that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the task fair’s goals was to help people find out about and how their abilities align with them, Gentz said.

Education is an essential benefit of attending a task reasonable, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re “not prepared to make that dive yet,” or they have actually seen the readily available opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is finding out about financial resources, consisting of credit reports, employment budget plans and “building a nest egg so you have something to deal with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe said.

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army at some point,” he stated, “but while you’re in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs also exist to assist people with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are trying to find – consisting of certifications, accreditations and schooling – and discovering their working with practices, Handoe stated.

“You should be doing prep work now for what it is you want to do later on down the roadway,” he stated.

That prep work includes preparing for task fairs.

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

He described that participants ought to determine the business they wish to talk to and research study them ahead of time, to enable for informed discussions with recruiters.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and employment spoke to some recruiters. A senior info technology professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she desires to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.