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 candidates, she attended a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.
“I simply try to take advantage of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to provide, simply to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.
The focus of the job fair on state work, instead of work in different industries, made it different than others on the setup. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it began with a panel of veterans from state companies, who shared their experiences and responded to questions. Following the panel, employers from state companies were available to address employing questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services 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, Community Services Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.
A quarterly occasion, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to discover what sort of chances exist here outside your back door,” said 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 celest-interim.fr Sept. 11.
To prepare 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 seeking to do,” Handoe said, mentioning that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.
One of the job fair’s objectives was to help people discover profession opportunities and how their skills 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 ready to make that jump yet,” or they have actually seen the available chances and [empty] choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.
“We see that basically every year,” he stated. “We desire them to make an informed decision about their career.”
Part of the education piece is discovering finances, consisting of credit reports, budgets and “constructing 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 one day,” he stated, “but while you’re in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to get out?”
Job fairs likewise exist to help people with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are trying to find – consisting of certifications, accreditations and schooling – and learning about their hiring practices, horizonsmaroc.com Handoe stated.
“You need to be doing prep work now for what it is you want to do later down the roadway,” he said.
That preparation work includes getting ready for task fairs.
“You need to go into a hiring reasonable with a plan of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,” Handoe stated.
He explained that attendees need to determine the companies they want to consult with and research them ahead of time, to enable for educated discussions with employers.
Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and spoke with some recruiters. A senior infotech expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she wants to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.
