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 employment she’s preparing for the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
As part of a group of about 30 job applicants, she participated in a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.
“I simply 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 said.
The focus of the job fair on state work, instead of employment in various markets, made it various than others on the installation. 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, recruiters from state companies were offered to answer hiring concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services manager 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 Office of the Insurance Commissioner.
A quarterly occasion, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to find out what type of chances 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 employment Sept. 11.
To get ready for them, “dress for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, employment Gentz stated.
An elevator pitch is a “fast introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re aiming to do,” Handoe stated, pointing out that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.
Among the task fair’s objectives was to assist individuals learn about career opportunities and how their abilities align with them, Gentz said.
Education is a key advantage of participating in a job reasonable, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they’re “not all set to make that jump yet,” or they have actually seen the readily available opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.
“We see that essentially every year,” he stated. “We desire them to make an educated decision about their profession.”
Part of the education piece is finding out about finances, including credit reports, spending plans and “developing a nest egg so you have something to work with when it’s time to get out,” Handoe said.
“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army one day,” he stated, “but while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?”
Job fairs likewise exist to help people with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are trying to find – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and learning more about their working with practices, Handoe stated.
“You need to be doing prep work now for what it is you want to do later on down the road,” he said.
That prep work includes preparing for job fairs.
“You need to enter into a working with fair with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around,” Handoe said.
He explained that attendees must pinpoint the companies they want to speak to and research study them ahead of time, to permit informed conversations with employers.
Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and talked with some recruiters. A senior infotech specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she desires to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.