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 getting ready for the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job hunters, she attended a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I just try to take advantage of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to use, simply to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the task fair on state work, rather than employment in different industries, 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 agencies, who shared their experiences and responded to concerns. Following the panel, employers from state agencies were readily available to address hiring questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies 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, job the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to learn what sort of chances exist here outdoors your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional task fairs like the Jan. 30 event will be held May 8, July 10 and Sept. 11.

To get ready for them, “gown 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, discussing that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the job fair’s objectives was to help individuals learn about profession chances and how their skills line up with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a key benefit of attending a task fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not prepared to make that dive yet,” or they have actually seen the readily available chances and job decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.

“We see that generally every year,” he said. “We desire them to make an educated choice about their career.”

Part of the education piece is learning about finances, including credit reports, budgets and “constructing 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 said, “but while you’re in, are you doing whatever 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 education – and learning about their hiring practices, Handoe said.

“You should be doing prep work now for what it is you wish to do later on down the road,” he said.

That prep work includes preparing for job fairs.

“You require to enter into a hiring fair with a plan of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around,” Handoe stated.

He described that guests ought to pinpoint the companies they want to speak to and research them ahead of time, to allow for job educated discussions with recruiters.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 job reasonable and job talked to some recruiters. A senior infotech specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she desires to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.