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 shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task candidates, jobs.quvah.com she went to a hiring fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I just attempt to benefit from all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to offer, simply to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the task fair on state work, instead of employment in various industries, made it different than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it began with a panel of veterans from state agencies, who shared their experiences and responded to questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state firms were available to respond to working with concerns, 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; 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 discover what type of chances exist here outside your back entrance,” said Christopher Gentz, transition services manager 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 intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re seeking to do,” Handoe stated, pointing out that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the task fair’s objectives was to help individuals discover about profession chances and how their skills line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is an essential 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 jump yet,” or they have seen the available opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is learning about finances, https://teachersconsultancy.com/employer/147837/jobspk consisting of credit reports, budget plans and “building a nest egg 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 remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs also exist to assist people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are searching for – including accreditations, accreditations and education – and discovering their employing practices, Handoe said.

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

That prep work consists of getting ready for task fairs.

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

He discussed that attendees ought to pinpoint the business they wish to speak to and https://www.opad.biz/employer/acheigrandevix/ research them ahead of time, to enable informed discussions with recruiters.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 task fair and talked with some employers. A senior details technology professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wants to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.