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 shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job seekers, she participated in a working with reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I simply try to make the most of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to offer, simply to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of work in various industries, made it various 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 addressed questions. Following the panel, employers from state companies were offered to answer hiring concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services manager 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; 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 opportunity to find out what type of opportunities exist here outside your back door,” stated Christopher Gentz, transition 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 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 job fair’s objectives was to assist people discover profession opportunities and how their abilities line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is an essential benefit of going to a job reasonable, referall.us as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not ready to make that jump yet,” or somalibidders.com they have seen the available chances and decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.

“We see that essentially every year,” he stated. “We desire them to make an educated decision about their career.”

Part of the education piece is learning about financial resources, including credit reports, spending plans and “developing a savings so you have something to work with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe said.

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army sooner or later,” he stated, “however while you remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to help people with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are looking for – including accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and learning more 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 stated.

That preparation work consists of preparing for task fairs.

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

He discussed that participants should pinpoint the companies they want to talk with and research them ahead of time, adremcareers.com to permit informed conversations with employers.

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