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 .

As part of a group of about 30 job hunters, she went to a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession chances 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 use, 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 various markets, 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 answered concerns. Following the panel, recruiters from state companies were available to answer employing questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services supervisor celest-interim.fr for the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations 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 jobs.salaseloffshore.com Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly occasion, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to discover what sort of opportunities exist here outdoors your back door,” stated Christopher Gentz, shift services supervisor 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 get ready for them, “dress for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz stated.

An elevator sowjobs.com pitch is a “fast intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re wanting to do,” Handoe said, discussing that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the task fair’s goals was to assist individuals discover profession opportunities and how their skills align with them, Gentz said.

Education is a crucial advantage of participating in a task fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not all set to make that dive yet,” or [empty] they have actually seen the offered chances and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is discovering finances, including credit reports, spending plans and “building a savings 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 at some point,” he stated, “however while you remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are trying to find – including certifications, accreditations and schooling – and discovering their working with practices, [empty] Handoe said.

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

That preparation work includes getting ready for task fairs.

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

He described that guests need to identify the companies they desire to speak with and research them ahead of time, to permit educated conversations with employers.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 task fair and talked with some employers. A senior infotech expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she wants to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.