Janhelp
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 getting ready for the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
As part of a group of about 30 job candidates, she participated in a working with reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career opportunities 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, just to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.
The focus of the job fair on state work, instead of work in different markets, made it different than others on the installation. Sponsored 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 concerns. Following the panel, employers from state firms were offered to respond to employing questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services supervisor for the TAP.
Informational tables represented of VERG, referall.us 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 event, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover out 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 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 intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re seeking to do,” Handoe said, mentioning that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.
One of the task fair’s objectives was to help people find out about profession opportunities and how their skills align with them, Gentz stated.
Education is a crucial benefit of going to a job fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they’re “not prepared to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the available opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.
“We see that essentially every year,” he said. “We desire them to make an educated choice about their profession.”
Part of the education piece is learning more about financial resources, consisting of credit reports, spending 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 sooner or later,” he stated, “but 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 outdoors world are searching for – including accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and learning about their working with practices, Handoe said.
“You need to be doing prep work now for what it is you wish to do later down the road,” he stated.
That prep work consists of getting ready for job fairs.
“You require to enter into an employing fair with a plan of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,” Handoe said.
He discussed that participants must determine the companies they want to speak with and research them ahead of time, to permit educated conversations with employers.
Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 task fair and talked to some employers. A senior details technology expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.
