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 preparing for the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job candidates, she attended a hiring fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

„I just try to benefit from all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to provide, just to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,“ she stated.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, rather than work in different markets, 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 agencies, who shared their experiences and responded to questions. Following the panel, from state firms were readily available to address hiring questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift 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 referall.us Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly occasion, the job fair is „a low-stress, low-pressure chance to find out what kind of opportunities exist here outdoors your back door,“ stated Christopher Gentz, transition services supervisor 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 them, „dress for success,“ bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz stated.

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

Among the job fair’s objectives was to assist individuals learn about career chances and how their skills align with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a key advantage of attending a job fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re „not all set to make that jump yet,“ or they have seen the readily available chances and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.

„We see that generally every year,“ he stated. „We desire them to make an educated choice about their profession.“

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

„Everybody’s going to get out of the Army one day,“ he said, „however while you’re in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to get out?“

Job fairs likewise exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what individuals in the outdoors world are trying to find – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and learning about their employing practices, Handoe stated.

„You should be doing prep work now for what it is you want to do in the future down the roadway,“ he said.

That preparation work includes preparing for task fairs.

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

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

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 job fair and talked to some recruiters. A senior infotech specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she desires to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.