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 transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task hunters, studentvolunteers.us she participated in a hiring fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

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

The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of employment in different markets, made it different than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state firms, who shared their experiences and linked web site addressed questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state companies were offered to address working with questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies including VERG, WorkSource and Washington State’s Department of Veterans Affairs and VA 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 job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover what kind of chances exist here outdoors your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, transition 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 prepare for them, “gown 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 aiming to do,” Handoe said, pointing out that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the task fair’s objectives was to help individuals find out about career chances and how their abilities line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is an essential benefit of going to a job reasonable, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they’re “not ready to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the available opportunities and topdubaijobs.ae choose to continue serving, Gentz said.

“We see that basically every year,” he stated. “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, budget plans and “building a nest egg so you have something to work with when it’s time to get out,” Handoe said.

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army one day,” he said, “but while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to get out?”

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

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

That prep work consists of preparing for task fairs.

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

He described that attendees need to identify the business they wish to talk to and research them ahead of time, to enable informed discussions with recruiters.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 job reasonable and consulted with some employers. A senior info innovation expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.