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 applicants, she attended a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk .

“I simply try 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 said.

The focus of the task fair on state work, instead of employment in numerous industries, made it various 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 companies, who shared their experiences and responded to questions. Following the panel, employers from state agencies were available to address working with concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor 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 Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly occasion, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to discover what type of chances exist here outdoors your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, shift 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 get ready for them, “gown for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz said.

An elevator pitch is a “quick intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re wanting to do,” Handoe stated, mentioning that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the job fair’s goals was to help people discover about profession opportunities and how their skills line up with them, Gentz stated.

Education is an essential benefit of participating in a task reasonable, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re “not all set to make that jump yet,” or they have actually seen the readily available opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is finding out about financial resources, consisting of credit reports, budgets and “constructing a nest egg so you have something to deal with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe stated.

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

Job fairs likewise exist to assist individuals with networking, job seeing what people in the outside world are trying to find – including accreditations, accreditations and job education – and learning about their employing practices, Handoe said.

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

That preparation work consists of getting ready for job fairs.

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

He discussed that participants should determine the companies they want to speak to and research them ahead of time, to allow for educated discussions with employers.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and spoke with some employers. A senior infotech expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she wants to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.