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 participated in a working with fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I simply attempt to benefit from all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to use, simply to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of work in numerous industries, made it various than others on the setup. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state firms, who shared their experiences and answered questions. Following the panel, janhelp.co.in recruiters from state agencies were available to respond to working with concerns, stated 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, empleosrapidos.com 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 discover out what sort of opportunities exist here outside your back door,” stated 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, “dress for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz said.

An elevator pitch is a “quick introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re seeking to do,” Handoe said, https://studentvolunteers.us mentioning that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the task fair’s goals was to assist individuals discover profession opportunities and how their skills align with them, Gentz said.

Education is an essential advantage of participating in a job reasonable, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re “not all set to make that jump yet,” or they have seen the readily available and choose to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is discovering finances, studentvolunteers.us including credit reports, budget plans and “constructing a savings so you have something to deal with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe said.

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army someday,” he stated, “however while you remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs also exist to help people with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are looking for – consisting of certifications, accreditations and schooling – and learning about their hiring practices, Handoe said.

“You should be doing prep work now for what it is you wish to do later on down the road,” he stated.

That preparation work consists of preparing for task fairs.

“You require to enter into a hiring reasonable with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,” Handoe said.

He described that guests should determine the business they desire to talk to and research study them ahead of time, to permit educated conversations with recruiters.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 job fair and consulted with some employers. A senior information innovation professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she desires to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.