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 candidates, she went to a working with reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities at Career Center.
“I simply try to take benefit of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to offer, simply to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.
The focus of the task fair on state work, rather than employment in different markets, made it various than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it began with a panel of veterans from state firms, who shared their experiences and responded to questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state firms were offered to answer employing questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services manager for the TAP.
Informational tables represented companies 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, mtglobalsolutionsinc.com Community Services Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.
A quarterly event, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover what sort of chances exist here outside your back door,” said Christopher Gentz, transition 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 prepare for them, “gown for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz said.
An elevator pitch is a “fast introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re looking to do,” Handoe stated, discussing that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.
One of the task fair’s objectives was to assist people discover about career opportunities and how their skills align with them, Gentz said.
Education is a crucial advantage of going to a task fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not ready to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the readily available chances and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.
“We see that generally every year,” he stated. “We desire them to make an informed decision about their profession.”
Part of the education piece is discovering finances, consisting of 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 someday,” he stated, “but while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?”
Job fairs also exist to assist individuals with networking, grainfather.eu seeing what people in the outdoors world are searching for – including accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and linked web site finding out about their employing practices, Handoe stated.
“You should be doing prep work now for what it is you desire to do later on down the road,” he said.
That preparation work includes preparing for task fairs.
“You need to enter into a hiring fair with a plan of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,” Handoe stated.
He described that guests must identify the companies they want to speak with and research them ahead of time, to permit for educated conversations with employers.
Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and spoke to some recruiters. A senior details technology specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she wants to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.