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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 task applicants, she attended a hiring fair 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 make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.
The focus of the task fair on state work, rather than employment in various markets, referall.us 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 responded to questions. Following the panel, employers from state agencies were offered to address employing questions, stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition 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 job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to learn what type of opportunities exist here outside your back entrance,” 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 get ready for them, “dress for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz stated.
An elevator pitch is a “fast introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re looking to do,” Handoe stated, mentioning that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.
One of the job fair’s objectives was to help individuals learn more about profession chances and how their abilities line up with them, Gentz stated.
Education is a crucial benefit of going to a task fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they’re “not prepared to make that jump yet,” or they have seen the readily available and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.
“We see that generally every year,” he said. “We desire them to make an educated choice about their profession.”
Part of the education piece is discovering financial resources, including credit reports, spending plans and “developing a savings 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 sooner or later,” he stated, “however while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?”
Job fairs likewise exist to assist people with networking, seeing what people in the outdoors world are looking for – including certifications, accreditations and schooling – and discovering about their employing practices, Handoe said.
“You should be doing prep work now for what it is you want to do later on down the roadway,” he said.
That preparation work includes getting ready for task fairs.
“You need to enter into a working with reasonable with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,” Handoe stated.
He explained that participants need to pinpoint the business they wish to speak to and research study them ahead of time, to permit educated conversations with employers.
Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 job fair and talked with some employers. A senior infotech expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.