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 shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task applicants, she participated in a working with reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I just try to take benefit of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to use, just to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of work in various industries, 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 companies, who shared their experiences and responded to concerns. Following the panel, employers from state firms were readily available to answer working with questions, stated Frank Handoe, deputy shift services manager 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 sowjobs.com Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly occasion, studentvolunteers.us the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover out what type of chances exist here outside your back entrance,” said Christopher Gentz, transition 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 get ready for them, “dress for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, teachersconsultancy.com Gentz said.

An elevator pitch is a “quick intro 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 task fair’s objectives was to help individuals learn more about profession opportunities and how their abilities align with them, Gentz said.

Education is an essential advantage of participating in a task fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they’re “not prepared to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the offered chances and decide to continue serving, essencialponto.com.br Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is discovering about financial resources, including credit reports, budget plans and “developing 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 at some point,” he said, “but while you’re in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs also exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what individuals in the outdoors world are searching for – including certifications, accreditations and education – and finding out about their hiring practices, Handoe stated.

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

That prep work includes getting ready for job fairs.

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

He discussed that participants should pinpoint the business they want to speak with and research them ahead of time, https://studentvolunteers.us/ to enable informed discussions with employers.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 and spoke with some recruiters. A senior information technology professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she wants to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.