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 shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job seekers, she went to a hiring fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

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

The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of work in various markets, made it different than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and veteran supporter the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state companies, who shared their experiences and answered questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state companies were offered to address employing concerns, stated Frank Handoe, deputy shift services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies including VERG, WorkSource and Washington State’s Department of 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 event, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to learn what kind of chances exist here outside your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, shift services supervisor 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 stated.

An elevator pitch is a “fast introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re seeking to do,” Handoe stated, mentioning that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the task fair’s goals was to help people discover career chances and how their skills align with them, Gentz said.

Education is a key benefit of going to a job fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re “not all set to make that dive yet,” or they have actually seen the available chances and choose to continue serving, linked web site Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is discovering financial resources, including credit reports, 1elijnuitzendorganisatie.nl spending plans and “constructing a nest egg so you have something to work with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe stated.

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army someday,” he stated, “but while you remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to assist people with networking, seeing what people in the outdoors world are searching for – including accreditations, accreditations and education – and https://sowjobs.com/employer/aaalabourhire/ finding out about their hiring practices, Handoe said.

“You ought to be doing prep work now for what it is you wish to do in the future down the road,” he said.

That preparation work includes preparing for task fairs.

“You need to enter into an employing reasonable with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,” Handoe said.

He described that attendees need to identify the companies they want to speak with and research study them ahead of time, to enable educated discussions with employers.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and spoke with some employers. A senior infotech expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.