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, sowjobs.com and she’s getting ready for the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job seekers, she went to an employing reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I simply try to benefit from all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to use, simply to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the task fair on state employment, instead of employment in numerous industries, [empty] 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 agencies, https://studentvolunteers.us/ who shared their experiences and addressed concerns. Following the panel, employers from state firms were offered to respond to working with questions, stated 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 https://horizonsmaroc.com 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 find out 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 event 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 stated.

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

One of the task fair’s goals was to help people find out about profession opportunities and how their abilities align with them, Gentz said.

Education is an essential advantage of going to a task fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they’re “not all set to make that dive yet,” or they have actually seen the readily available chances and decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is learning more about financial resources, consisting of credit reports, spending plans and “developing 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, “but while you remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs also exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outdoors world are looking for – including certifications, accreditations and education – and discovering their hiring practices, Handoe said.

“You need to be doing prep work now for what it is you want to do later on down the roadway,” he stated.

That prep work includes getting ready for task fairs.

“You require to enter into an employing fair with a plan of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around,” Handoe said.

He discussed that attendees ought to identify the companies they wish to talk with and studentvolunteers.us research them ahead of time, to conversations with employers.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 job fair and spoke to some employers. A senior infotech professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.