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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 applicants, she attended a working with reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.
“I simply try to make the most of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to use, just to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.
The focus of the job fair on state employment, rather than employment in different markets, 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 companies, employment who shared their experiences and answered concerns. Following the panel, recruiters from state companies were offered to address employing questions, said Frank Handoe, employment deputy transition services supervisor for the TAP.
Informational tables represented companies including VERG, employment 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, employment the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to learn what sort of opportunities 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, employment 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 employment pitch is a “fast introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re aiming to do,” Handoe said, discussing that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.
Among the job fair’s goals was to assist individuals learn about career opportunities and how their skills line up with them, Gentz stated.
Education is a key benefit of participating in a job fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they’re “not all set to make that dive yet,” or they have actually seen the available opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.
“We see that essentially every year,” he said. “We desire them to make an informed decision about their career.”
Part of the education piece is discovering financial resources, consisting of credit reports, budget plans and “building a savings so you have something to deal with when it’s time to get out,” Handoe stated.
“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army one day,” he said, “however while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to get out?”
Job fairs likewise exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are trying to find – including accreditations, accreditations and employment schooling – and discovering 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 stated.
That preparation work consists of preparing for task fairs.
“You need to go into a hiring fair with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around,” Handoe stated.
He discussed that participants should identify the business they want to talk to and research study them ahead of time, to permit informed discussions with recruiters.
Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and talked to some recruiters. A senior infotech with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she wishes to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.