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

“I just try to make the most of 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 employment, rather than employment in various industries, made it different than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, [empty] it started with a panel of veterans from state agencies, complete-jobs.com who shared their experiences and addressed questions. Following the panel, employers from state companies were offered to respond to hiring concerns, stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition 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, 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 type of chances exist here outside your back door,” stated Christopher Gentz, sowjobs.com transition services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional job fairs like the Jan. 30 event 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 “fast introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re looking to do,” Handoe stated, pointing out that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the task fair’s objectives was to assist individuals discover career chances and how their abilities line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is a key benefit of going to a task reasonable, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not prepared to make that jump yet,” or they have actually seen the available opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.

“We see that essentially every year,” he said. “We want them to make an educated choice about their profession.”

Part of the is finding out about financial resources, including credit reports, matchboyz.nl budgets and “building a savings so you have something to work with when it’s time to get out,” Handoe stated.

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army at some point,” he said, “however while you’re in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs also exist to help individuals with networking, grainfather.eu seeing what people in the outside world are looking for – including certifications, accreditations and education – and finding out about their employing practices, Handoe said.

“You must be doing prep work now for what it is you desire to do later down the roadway,” he stated.

That prep work includes getting ready for task fairs.

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

He described that guests must pinpoint the companies they desire to talk with and research them ahead of time, to enable educated conversations with employers.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and talked to some recruiters. A senior infotech expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she wishes to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.