Reeltalent
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 preparing for the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
As part of a group of about 30 task candidates, she attended a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.
“I just try to benefit from all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to provide, simply to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.
The focus of the task fair on state employment, rather than work in different industries, made it different than others on the setup. 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 available to address working with questions, stated Frank Handoe, deputy shift services supervisor 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, Community Services Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.
A quarterly event, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to find out what kind of opportunities exist here outside your back door,” stated Christopher Gentz, transition services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.
Additional task 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 stated.
An elevator pitch is a “quick 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.
Among the task fair’s objectives was to assist people discover profession opportunities and how their skills align with them, Gentz stated.
Education is an essential benefit of attending a task fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not all set to make that jump yet,” or they have actually seen the available chances and decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.
“We see that generally every year,” he stated. “We desire them to make an educated decision about their career.”
Part of the education piece is learning more about financial resources, including credit reports, spending 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 sooner or later,” he said, “but while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?”
Job fairs also exist to assist people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outdoors world are searching for – including certifications, accreditations and schooling – and learning about their employing practices, Handoe said.
“You ought to be doing prep work now for what it is you desire to do later on down the roadway,” he said.
That prep work consists of getting ready for .
“You require to enter into a working with fair with a plan of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,” Handoe stated.
He discussed that participants need to identify the business they desire to talk to and research them ahead of time, to enable for informed conversations with recruiters.
Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and talked with some recruiters. A senior details innovation professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, referall.us she has actually found she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.