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 transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

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

„I simply try to take advantage of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to offer, simply to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,“ she said.

The focus of the task fair on state employment, rather than employment in different markets, horizonsmaroc.com made it different 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, akinsemployment.ca who shared their experiences and responded to concerns. Following the panel, employers from state companies were offered to respond to working with concerns, stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor 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 Other Loans 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 learn what kind of opportunities exist here outside your back entrance,“ said Christopher Gentz, shift services manager 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 studentvolunteers.us practice your elevator pitch, Gentz said.

An elevator pitch is a „quick introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re looking to do,“ Handoe stated, mentioning that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the job fair’s goals was to help individuals discover about profession chances and how their skills align with them, Gentz said.

Education is a key advantage of attending a job reasonable, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re „not ready to make that dive yet,“ or they have actually seen the available chances and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.

„We see that essentially every year,“ he said. „We want them to make an informed choice about their career.“

Part of the education piece is learning more about finances, including credit reports, spending plans and „building a savings so you have something to work with when it’s time to get out,“ Handoe stated.

„Everybody’s going to get out of the Army sooner or later,“ he said, „but while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?“

also exist to help people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are trying to find – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and schooling – 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 job fairs.

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

He discussed that guests must determine the companies they wish to speak to and research them ahead of time, to allow for informed conversations with recruiters.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 task fair and consulted with some recruiters. A senior information innovation specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.