JBLM Job Fair Showcases State Employment Opportunities

JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. – Staff Sergeant Danika Nolan’s military exit date is a couple of 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, referall.us she went to a working with reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I simply try to benefit from all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to offer, simply to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the task fair on state employment, rather than work in various industries, made it different than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state firms, who shared their experiences and answered questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state firms were readily available to respond to employing concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift 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, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to find out what sort of opportunities exist here outdoors your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, transition services manager for the Directorate of .

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 introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re aiming 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 people discover profession chances and how their abilities align with them, Gentz said.

Education is an essential advantage of attending a task fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they’re “not ready to make that jump yet,” or they have seen the readily available opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is discovering financial resources, consisting of credit reports, budget plans and “developing a savings 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 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 individuals in the outside world are searching for – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and education – and discovering their working with practices, Handoe stated.

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

That prep work includes preparing for job fairs.

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

He discussed that guests should pinpoint the companies they desire to talk to and research them ahead of time, to permit for informed conversations with recruiters.

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