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 job applicants, she participated in a working with reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

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

The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of employment in numerous markets, made it various than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and xpressrh.com the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state firms, who shared their experiences and addressed questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state firms were offered to respond to employing concerns, Handoe, 24-Hour Loan deputy transition services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations 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 event, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover what sort of chances exist here outdoors your back door,” stated Christopher Gentz, shift 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 get ready for them, “gown for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz said.

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

One of the job fair’s objectives was to assist people learn more about career opportunities and how their skills line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is an essential benefit of participating in a job reasonable, grainfather.eu as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re “not ready to make that dive yet,” or they have actually seen the readily available chances and choose to continue serving, sowjobs.com Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is finding out about financial resources, consisting of credit reports, [empty] spending plans and “building a savings 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 someday,” he said, “but while you remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to assist individuals with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are searching for – consisting of certifications, accreditations and schooling – and finding out about their hiring practices, Handoe stated.

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

That preparation work consists of getting ready for job fairs.

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

He discussed that guests should identify the companies they wish to speak with and research them ahead of time, to enable educated discussions with employers.

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