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 working with reasonable Jan. 30 that Washington State profession chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.
“I just try to take advantage of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to use, simply to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.
The focus of the job fair on state employment, rather than employment in various markets, made it different than others on the setup. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state companies, who shared their experiences and addressed concerns. Following the panel, employers from state companies were available to address hiring questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services manager for employment 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; 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 opportunity to learn what type of chances 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 employment Sept. 11.
To prepare for them, “dress for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz stated.
An elevator employment pitch is a “quick introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re wanting to do,” Handoe stated, discussing that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.
One of the task fair’s objectives was to assist individuals learn about profession opportunities and how their abilities align with them, Gentz said.
Education is a crucial benefit of attending a job reasonable, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn 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 basically every year,” he said. “We desire them to make an informed decision about their career.”
Part of the education piece is discovering finances, employment consisting of credit reports, budgets and “building a nest egg 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 sooner or later,” he stated, “but while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to get out?”
Job fairs likewise exist to assist individuals with networking, seeing what individuals in the outdoors world are trying to find – including accreditations, accreditations and education – and employment discovering about their employing practices, Handoe stated.
“You must be doing prep work now for what it is you wish to do in the future down the road,” he said.
That prep work consists of getting ready for task fairs.
“You need to go into an employing fair with a plan of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,” Handoe said.
He described that attendees must pinpoint the business they wish to speak with and research them ahead of time, to permit informed conversations with employers.
Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and spoke to some employers. A senior infotech professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she desires to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.