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, [empty] and she’s getting ready for the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task applicants, she attended an employing fair 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 use, just to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the task fair on state employment, rather than employment in different markets, made it different than others on the setup. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, [empty] WorkSource and the TAP, it began with a panel of veterans from state companies, who shared their experiences and answered questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state companies were available to respond to hiring questions, stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations consisting of VERG, hornyofficebabes.com/archive/indian-office-porn/ WorkSource and Washington State’s Department of Veterans Affairs and sowjobs.com VA Apprenticeship Program; Department of Children, Youth and Families; Department of Social and Health Services, Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly event, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to learn what sort of chances exist here outdoors your back entrance,” said Christopher Gentz, transition 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 prepare for them, “dress for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz said.

An elevator pitch is a “fast introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re looking to do,” Handoe said, mentioning that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the job fair’s objectives was to help people find out about profession opportunities and how their abilities line up with them, Gentz stated.

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

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

Part of the education piece is discovering finances, including credit reports, budget plans and “constructing 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, “but while you remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to assist individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are trying to find – including accreditations, https://studentvolunteers.us accreditations and schooling – and discovering their hiring practices, Handoe stated.

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

That prep work consists of preparing for job fairs.

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

He described that attendees ought to identify the companies they want to consult with and research them ahead of time, to allow for informed conversations with employers.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 job reasonable and spoke to some employers. A senior infotech professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.