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 task seekers, she went to an employing reasonable Jan. 30 that State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I just attempt to make the most of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to use, simply to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, [empty] rather than employment in numerous markets, made it various 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 horizonsmaroc.com responded to concerns. Following the panel, recruiters from state agencies were readily available to address hiring concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services supervisor 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 LMCHING la prairie skin caviar liquid lift serum Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly occasion, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to discover what type of opportunities exist here outside your back entrance,” said Christopher Gentz, transition services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.

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 “fast intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re wanting to do,” Handoe said, discussing that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the job fair’s objectives was to help people learn more about profession chances and how their skills line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is an essential benefit of participating in a task fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re “not all set to make that jump yet,” or they have seen the available opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.

“We see that essentially every year,” he stated. “We desire them to make an informed choice about their career.”

Part of the education piece is discovering finances, consisting of credit reports, budget plans and “constructing a savings so you have something to deal with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe said.

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army at some point,” he said, “however while you’re in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to help people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outdoors world are looking for – consisting of certifications, accreditations and schooling – and learning about their working with practices, Handoe said.

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

That preparation work includes preparing for task fairs.

“You require to enter into a working with fair with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,” Handoe said.

He described that guests must determine the companies they desire to speak with and research them ahead of time, to enable educated conversations with recruiters.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 task fair and consulted with some employers. A senior information innovation specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.