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 shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
As part of a group of about 30 job candidates, she went to a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.
“I simply attempt to benefit from all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to offer, simply to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.
The focus of the task fair on state employment, instead of employment in different industries, made it different 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 firms, who shared their experiences and responded to concerns. Following the panel, employers from state firms were offered to address working with concerns, stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor for the TAP.
Informational tables represented companies 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, referall.us Community Services Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.
A quarterly occasion, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to learn what sort of opportunities exist here outside your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, shift services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.
Additional job fairs like the Jan. 30 event 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 said.
An elevator pitch is a “quick intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re looking to do,” Handoe stated, pointing out that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.
Among the job fair’s goals was to help people find out about career chances and how their skills align with them, Gentz stated.
Education is a crucial advantage of attending a task fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not all set to make that jump yet,” or they have seen the available chances and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.
“We see that generally every year,” he said. “We desire them to make an informed choice about their career.”
Part of the education piece is finding out about financial resources, including credit reports, budget plans and “constructing a savings so you have something to work with when it’s time to get out,” Handoe stated.
“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army one day,” he said, “however while you’re in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to get out?”
Job fairs also exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outdoors world are trying to find – consisting of certifications, accreditations and education – and discovering 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 roadway,” he stated.
That prep work consists of getting ready for .
“You need to enter into a hiring fair with a plan of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,” Handoe said.
He discussed that attendees ought to pinpoint the business they want to talk with and research them ahead of time, to permit for informed discussions with recruiters.
Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 task fair and consulted with some employers. A senior info technology professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she wants to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.